New poetry book ‘ANIMALS’ published
In ‘Animals’, the animals are to be found inside each poem
‘Animals’ is the latest book, a poetry collection of Mr. Ray Whitaker, a renowned poet from USA
‘Animals’ is the latest book, a poetry collection of Mr. Ray Whitaker, a renowned poet from USA. Announcing that his book has just been published, Ray Whitaker says, “In ‘Animals’, the animals are to be found inside each poem.”
“Current research on animals like domesticated animals is finding out that what many animal owners know, that Dogs, Cats, even Horses are much more complicated that previously understood. The ongoing research on the wilder animals like Bison, Wolves, Geese, even the Big Cats like Jaguars indicated their level of intelligence and range of personality is incredible. New information is arriving in the white papers every year, and gives the rest of us new insight as to the world of animals that we simply didn’t have empirical evidence for only a few decades ago. It is also rare to find a book of poems including them,” he says.
Ray says, “Anyone that has owned -or been owned- by a pet knows this. There just wasn’t too much scientific evidence to support what pet owners have intuitively known.”
The poetry in ANIMALS, the found animals in the verse are characters. Their presence in the individual poems serves to highlight the contexts and metaphors found in the pieces.
In the Pete Townshend song, “I am an animal” [cut two of the album Empty Glass, 1980 release] the artist gives a perspective of using animals as metaphor. This direction of using animals as poetic devices in this volume of verse was partially inspired from that fine song, which incorporates many introspective characters.
“I am an animal,
My teeth are sharp, and my mouth is full
And the passion is so strong
When I’m alone, loneliness will change me.”
The lyrics above from the second verse of the song serves to illustrate the approach of this volume. Such contemplative and soul searching directions come from assimilating the sentient beings in our natural world.
This poet’s intense love of the natural experience of the outdoors, its magnificent creatures have always been an influence on my writing. In wondering about the why of things, pretty much as I have had want to do most of my life, it is a natural extension to include animals in thought provoking poems. The inserted photography has influenced me with the gorgeous landscapes of the eastern range of the Rockies here in Colorado. Included photos -book cover as well- are taken using my Olympus DLRS camera rig, using a careful tripod in the streams and on snowy hillsides. All of the photos are from this poet’s journeys down back roads that no regular Ford passenger car should be on.
Welcome to the jungle of where we find ANIMALS! —R a y
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