‘Locust and Other Poems’ finds beauty, warning and wonder in everyday life

Poet Joel O’Connor’s latest collection blends science, politics, philosophy and everyday observations into a thoughtful and engaging exploration of the modern world, writes Jenny England.

ONE PURPOSE of poetry is to encourage readers to explore deeper levels of our everyday reality.

Selection and thoughtful use of figurative language to create imagery; the rhythm that the poem creates as it is read; and even its visual impact on the page plays a role.

The Grasshopper and Other PoemsA collection of poems published this year by Joel O’Connorticks all these boxes.

Metaphor is a powerful tool in poetry that offers new perspectives by bridging seemingly unrelated concepts. Grasshoppers have found metaphorical places in folklore, literature and imagery as powerful symbols since ancient times. In biblical times, locusts were seen as harbingers of disasters such as famine as divine punishment for moral failures.

Since then, and more generally, locusts have been depicted as an unstoppable force, leaving mass destruction in their wake in swarms. Recently, locusts have been used as a symbol of mass madness and mob mentality that have the potential to lead to social upheaval.

In an epic of nine poems CarobHighlighted for the first time in the collection, O’Connor uses the locust metaphor to compare a swarm of locusts to how a nation can drift into fascism. It celebrates the coming together of scientific knowledge and poetry. In the preface he explains how it works. Carob poetry ‘Take advantage of scientific study on how locusts evolve into locusts with the potential to cause social and environmental chaos’. He even reminds us this towards the end: ‘The flexibility of thought that makes us all grasshoppers’.

His words are sharp and harsh, but there is a constant flow from one of the nine poems to the next. As an added bonus, O’Connor provides a link to the movie and a QR code for the reader to deepen their exploration by watching the movie while reading.

Carob The poem takes up only half the pages. This is followed by 27 extra poems to complete the collection. These poems range from everyday themes (Toast and Secret Voice), philosophical (How Do We Start Over?), current issues (Artificial Intelligence Found the Easter Raffle). I laughed a little when I first read it If Women Ruled the World. This is something I often wonder about, especially given the ongoing tensions around the world right now.

Some poems are short and sharp (Our trees), others are longer and more researched (magpies), but they are all enjoyable additions to the collection.

There is currently great potential and a willing readership for this type of poetry, which explores some of the political realities we have faced in the past, still face today, and will likely struggle with in the future. Joel O’Connor has proven to be an important part of such a movement, showing that he can also reflect on the lighter aspects of life.

The Locust and Other Poems are available directly from the author. Contact: joel@joeloconnor.net

This book was reviewed by an IA Book Club member. If you want to buy free get high quality books and your review It was published On IA, subscribe to receive your email free IA Book Club membership.