Eros and Thanatos

Description

"The twin themes of Sex and Death - Eros and Thanatos - predominate in this provocative new collection from Paul Groves. With formal elegance and ironic flair he expertly dissects the angst of modern and postmodern men and women. In 'A Revelation' a cosy suburban couple are invited by friends who have just become naturists to disrobe after a dinner party. The protagonist in 'Reverse Striptease' is driven wild by a woman putting her clothes on. Death is as much a target as Sex, and in poems like 'The Dog's Funeral' Groves sets out to undermine our expectations, to tease us with the sinister that lurks beneath the mundane. His deceptively plain language and astute use of rhyme and metre help tame this volatile material. The result is often very funny as well as thought-provoking and the reverse of 'Politically Correct' - the title of yet another poem."--Jacket.