The Landing

Thomas M.F. Gerry is an associate professor of English at Laurentian
University and the editor of Arachne.

Carleton’s Harbinger Poetry Series “is dedicated to the publication
of first volumes of poetry by aspiring poets.” The Landing is an
attractively produced book that perhaps fulfils too precisely the
mission of the series: “to herald poets in whom we have discovered not
just the potential for good verse, but an already clear and confident
voice.” Sinnett’s clear and confident voice is evident throughout.
His diction is especially striking, skilfully intertwining the Oxford
English of his growing-up years with the language of his adopted place,
Kingston, Ontario.

The problem with these poems is the undue emphasis they place on the
first person. Sinnett’s confidence that his readers will be as
fascinated as he clearly is with the nuances of his perceptions,
memories, attitudes, interpretations, and dreams is not always
justified. At best, The Landing shows “potential for good verse,”
with an emphasis on the word “potential.”