Synopsis
Every new book by R.S. Thomas is a revelation. There is no other voice like his, no other poet who releases the silence out of which language is wrought, and against which its truth echoes. In his eighties at the time of writing, the prophet is not wearied, but still asking difficult questions in his poems. For him, there is no truce with the furies. This collection was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best Collection.
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Review
Reading R.S. Thomas's poems has become like reading the prophet Jer-emiah: in No Truce with the Furies, we find the same tenacity of theme and purpose; the ability to look without blinking into the misuse of the raw material of humanity; and still no let-up in the wounding irony against the broad and easy path of life. The narrow way and the dark way is Thomas's way, except occasionally when the light shines all the brighter for the surrounding dark. Moments of tenderness slide in, as do moments of playfulness, but the main bulk of these seventy poems is a warning against dehumanisation, materialism, and too easy answers. There are animals here, but the owl is chief adviser to the raptor, who is king. Many of his familiar plainsong tunes are sung again: God in hiding, bird-watching, Kierkegaard, waiting and silence, but there is a sense of rallentando. There are powerful poems on ageing: 'Geriatric' is devastating, 'Remembering' beautifully tender. -- David Scott
About the Author
R.S Thomas (1913-2000) published over 50 books of poetry and prose. Most of his first 50years of writting are in Collected Poems 1945-1990 (Phoenix Press), while his later poems are published in four collections from bloodaxe, Counterpoint (1990), Mass for Hard Times (1992), No Truce with the Furies (1995) and now Residues.
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