Beyond My Keeping

Bert Almon is a professor of English at the University of Alberta and
the author of Calling Texas and Earth Prime.

It is evident that Elizabeth Philips has talent, but her third book of
poems is uneven, mostly lacking intensity. Organized into four sections,
the most interesting poems use goldfish and water as erotic images; most
of these poems work well, and the imagery helps tie the book together.
Garden imagery also helps to give the collection unity. But organization
and unity are not enough, because the poems are seldom memorable. The
present tense is overworked, not to mention the pronoun “I,” and the
style is heavy with adjectives. The poet has an admirable desire to
reveal her inner world through imagery that is grounded in the outer
world, but the moments of revelation are too often forced and
unconvincing, especially when a poem ends with a dramatic statement.