Book of Gods and Devils

While Simic's terse, enigmatic poems have always expressed metaphysical concerns, this volume's title might suggest he is moving in an overtly religious, even visionary, direction. This expectation is only partially fulfilled by the poems. They largely represent a further exploration of styles and themes he has employed the past few years. The dualism implied by the title is played out in the way the poems balance existential dread with the possibility of hope, the way they explore both the world's "terror and luster." Still, the only certainty is uncertainty. Simic creates a world of signs--"the blue and gold Madonna in the window," a "single ceiling fan barely turning"--that point toward a mysterious, ever-elusive meaning. Simic was awarded the 1990 Pulitzer Prize for his collection of prose poems, The World Doesn't End ( LJ 3/15/89).
- Lawrence Rungren, Bedford Free P.L., Mass.
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