Seeing Stars

British poet Armitage (Forward Prize winner) sets up an absurd situation then tells a story about it. The resulting prose poems assume a pleasing energy brought on by the rush of language. Armitage pumps up his lines with figures of sound, synesthesia, and silliness, as well as the occasional metaphor. His latest collection concerns an alternate universe where clichés become the ideas that inspired them. These are cartoonlike poems that discuss phrases such as "SPELL IT OUT," or "I want some space." One soon learns that very little makes sense in Armitage's world. In the title poem, someone, hit over the head because his remarks are misinterpreted, literally travels to outer space and sees planets and stars. Another poem, "The Christening," parodies this religious act in middle-school fashion and plays on the name "sperm whale." One can almost visualize poems like "Knowing What We Know Now," about the opportunity to grow younger, this one presented by an elf—probably one of the Rice Krispies triplets.