Zaffar Kunial's Maiden Flight
The swan has often been the symbol for a poet, as in the famous tribute to Shakespeare by Ben Jonson - here used as a title for my photograph.
I read quite a lot of modern poetry and nothing has stirred me up so much recently as Zaffar Kunial's collection of poems entitled Us. I particularly like it for his explorations of language and identity.
His poem 'The Lyric Eye' is a favourite. It is subtle, witty, self-effacing, humorous and so deftly written, with its subtle puns (starting with the title), carefully-formed sonnet and dexterous inclusion of Shakespearian references.
The poet stands in front of Shakespeare's portrait and seeks to align his own reflected face with the poet's features. He concludes: "I borrow the line between your lips."
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