Occasions of Birds and Other Poems
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| Author | Elizabeth Riddell |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Poetry collection |
| Publisher | Brindabella Press |
Publication date | 1987 |
| Publication place | Australia |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 44 pp. |
| Awards | 1987 Grace Leven Prize for Poetry, winner |
Occasions of Birds and Other Poems is a collection of poems by Australian poet Elizabeth Riddell, published by Brindabella Press in Australia in 1987, accompanied by drawings by Anne Wienholt.[1]
The collection contains 24 poems from a variety of sources.[2]
The collection won the 1987 Grace Leven Prize for Poetry.[3]
- "Kauri"
- "Tom"
- "Graziers' Alert"
- "The Jockey's Story"
- "The Poets"
- "Intimations"
- "Suburban Evening"
- "His Life"
- "Visiting Hobart"
- "The End of the Affair"
- "The Party"
- "Security (for Elaine Haxton)"
- "The Musk Duck"
- "Thursday"
- "The Cat"
- "The Short Life of the Little Cat"
- "Peking Circus on Television"
- "Possibilities in an Airplane"
- "Eclipse of the Moon"
- "The Time of Life"
- "November"
- "Personal Notices"
- "Telephone Call"
- "Occasions of Birds"
Critical reception
In a review of the collection in The Sydney Morning Herald Judith Rodriguez noted: "Some poems I shall treasure from this fine collection use news items – predictions of hard weather that will kill lambs, the vignette of a Chilean soldier sticking carnations in the muzzle of his gun – and go on 'with pain and misgiving' to explore the world's contrarieties...The book is one of Brindabella's most beautiful productions, embellished with drawings by Anne Wienholt; a book-lover's prize."[4]