Carousel

Ronald Charles Epstein is a Toronto-based freelance writer and published poet.

Although Burnaby poet George Whipple has published four books of poetry,
some Canadians may be familiar with him only because he was profiled in
the 1994 edition of the American annual reference book, Poet’s Market.
This statement may be an interesting commentary on our culture, but
poets must take recognition where they can. Whipple’s latest work,
Carousel, has been endorsed by such prominent colleagues as Raymond
Souster, John Robert Colombo, and James Reaney.

Whipple handles language with flair and skill. In “Poem, Poem,” he
refers to “the riposte of a drum / repeating the invaginate slow /
heartbeat in the womb”; “Part Song” is a series of nimble phrases,
including “Grassgreen / the grass snake / s snakegreen the grass.”
Such verbal pirouettes dramatically illustrate his point that “all
things interweave” in nature. He faithfully follows the dictum
“Show, don’t tell.”

Whipple’s semi-abstract, whimsical sketches illustrate poems or stand
on their own. However, he delivers more than “Poems and Pictures,”
dissolving barriers between them. At the centre of “Spider” is an
illustration of a spider, surrounded by text that is shaped like, and
functions as, its web. The O’s at the end of “Goldfish” are meant
to suggest bubbles. These linguistic stunts are used to create
innovative but coherent verse. The author champions traditional values,
such as religious faith and love of nature, over contemporary
commercialism. He juxtaposes faith and commerce in “Christmas
Lights” with a reference to “kilowatts of carols in the night.”
The verse “Lust and Envy” affirms his faith in the human spirit,
asserting that “an inner light / guides those/who turn a blind eye to
tv.” Carousel effectively showcases Whipple’s literary
virtues—craft, creativity, and conviction.