On Staffa
A Ballad51 total reviews
Comment from Bichon
A truly wonderful poem. The wording was fabulous and the lines were strong, almost pulsing with detail. You did a fantastic job with this for sure. I couldn't spot any errors or anything either.
reply by the author on 13-Sep-2017
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A truly wonderful poem. The wording was fabulous and the lines were strong, almost pulsing with detail. You did a fantastic job with this for sure. I couldn't spot any errors or anything either.
Comment Written 12-Sep-2017
reply by the author on 13-Sep-2017
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Very many thanks, Bichon. Glad you enjoyed it. Best wishes, Tony
Comment from Nika2016
A wonderful poem of a day above the shore that meanders through literature
and inquiry....This line though would be a tongue twister if read aloud: While skuas shriek and swoop to scrag, the stragglers beak and bone...
Exquisite words though throughout...
reply by the author on 13-Sep-2017
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A wonderful poem of a day above the shore that meanders through literature
and inquiry....This line though would be a tongue twister if read aloud: While skuas shriek and swoop to scrag, the stragglers beak and bone...
Exquisite words though throughout...
Comment Written 12-Sep-2017
reply by the author on 13-Sep-2017
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Very many thanks, Nika. Glad you enjoyed it. Yes, perhaps that line is a bit of difficult one to get your tongue around. I very much appreciate the award of six stars. Most affirming! Best wishes, Tony
Comment from Alcreator Litt Dear
This speaks about the small island Staffa in the island of Hebrides in England, it is famous for Fingal's Cave that is an inspiration for Felix Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture; I liked.
reply by the author on 13-Sep-2017
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This speaks about the small island Staffa in the island of Hebrides in England, it is famous for Fingal's Cave that is an inspiration for Felix Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture; I liked.
Comment Written 12-Sep-2017
reply by the author on 13-Sep-2017
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Very many thanks, Alcreator. Glad you enjoyed it. Best wishes, Tony
Comment from robina1978
A lovely photo that complements your poem very well. I thought. Till I read your foot note that you were writing about this bird. But it is an isle with these birds. Nice to see Ballad, been a long time.
reply by the author on 13-Sep-2017
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A lovely photo that complements your poem very well. I thought. Till I read your foot note that you were writing about this bird. But it is an isle with these birds. Nice to see Ballad, been a long time.
Comment Written 12-Sep-2017
reply by the author on 13-Sep-2017
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Very many thanks, Robina. Glad you enjoyed it.
I appreciate your kind words. Most affirming!
Best wishes, Tony
Comment from bob cullen
Tony, this takes me back fifty years to my schooldays. We studied, and often tried to understand classic English poetry where the words flowed with the most wonderful rhythm.
This poem has that flow and it paints pictures with words. Closing my eyes I truly can picture the coastline where these birds nest.
A fantastic poem
reply by the author on 12-Sep-2017
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Tony, this takes me back fifty years to my schooldays. We studied, and often tried to understand classic English poetry where the words flowed with the most wonderful rhythm.
This poem has that flow and it paints pictures with words. Closing my eyes I truly can picture the coastline where these birds nest.
A fantastic poem
Comment Written 12-Sep-2017
reply by the author on 12-Sep-2017
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Very many thanks for your kind words and six star award, Bob. Yes, I remember some of the ballads we read at school. It's an enduring form! I had to sweat over this one a bit to get the meter right. Your review helps me to think it was worth the effort. Best wishes, Tony.
Comment from lyenochka
Thanks for sharing this beautiful memory with the rich description of this rare island sight with a symphony of sounds and a dance which changes from comedy to elegance in the sea. Love seeing these beautiful sites of nature through your lenses and verses!
reply by the author on 12-Sep-2017
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Thanks for sharing this beautiful memory with the rich description of this rare island sight with a symphony of sounds and a dance which changes from comedy to elegance in the sea. Love seeing these beautiful sites of nature through your lenses and verses!
Comment Written 11-Sep-2017
reply by the author on 12-Sep-2017
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I very much appreciate this review, Helen, and the six star award. My visit to Staffa more than a decade ago left a strong impression, and it was good to revisit the place in verse. Happy memories! Best wishes, Tony
Comment from Analie Shepherd
This is a triumph of poem ... no more needs to be said, but I am required to use a certain number of words ...
So, I will tell you that you have created something magnificent in this poem, and I hope that many, many people will have the joy of reading it! Bravo!!
Blessings, Analie
reply by the author on 12-Sep-2017
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This is a triumph of poem ... no more needs to be said, but I am required to use a certain number of words ...
So, I will tell you that you have created something magnificent in this poem, and I hope that many, many people will have the joy of reading it! Bravo!!
Blessings, Analie
Comment Written 11-Sep-2017
reply by the author on 12-Sep-2017
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I very much appreciate this review, Analie, and the six star award. My visit to Staffa more than a decade ago left a strong impression, and it was good to revisit the place in verse. Happy memories! Best wishes, Tony
Comment from Ogden
Tony, your erudition never ceases to impress. I won't pretend to understand all, or even most of 'The Puffins of Staffa,' but I thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, more so on second reading. (I even read up a bit about the intriguing puffins.)
It isn't often that reading an FS poem makes me feel smarter.
Don
reply by the author on 12-Sep-2017
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Tony, your erudition never ceases to impress. I won't pretend to understand all, or even most of 'The Puffins of Staffa,' but I thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, more so on second reading. (I even read up a bit about the intriguing puffins.)
It isn't often that reading an FS poem makes me feel smarter.
Don
Comment Written 11-Sep-2017
reply by the author on 12-Sep-2017
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I very much appreciate this review, Don, and the six star award. My visit to Staffa more than a decade ago left a strong impression, and it was good to revisit the place in verse. Happy memories! Best wishes, Tony
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You're welcome, Tony, and thank you for sharing those memories.
Don
Comment from LIJ Red
Excellent ballad about a place that sounds fascinating, and very good, interesting notes as well. I suppose puffins are another species I'll never actually see, but I wish them well.
reply by the author on 12-Sep-2017
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Excellent ballad about a place that sounds fascinating, and very good, interesting notes as well. I suppose puffins are another species I'll never actually see, but I wish them well.
Comment Written 11-Sep-2017
reply by the author on 12-Sep-2017
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I very much appreciate this review, Red. My visit to Staffa more than a decade ago left a strong impression, and it was good to be able to revisit the place in verse. Happy memories! Best wishes, Tony
Comment from Thal1959
This is very excellent work, Tony - but I fear, like RGStar, it became a bit confusing at times. Sometimes, a poet writes too well. It the verses and the vocabulary are too refined, it can lose the lesser readers like myself. Also, the last six stanzas seem to have nothing to do with the puffin or the previous stanzas. It speaks of Fingal exclusively. I am not sure the two are related, or if so, in what way. But this is just my inability to understand.
reply by the author on 12-Sep-2017
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This is very excellent work, Tony - but I fear, like RGStar, it became a bit confusing at times. Sometimes, a poet writes too well. It the verses and the vocabulary are too refined, it can lose the lesser readers like myself. Also, the last six stanzas seem to have nothing to do with the puffin or the previous stanzas. It speaks of Fingal exclusively. I am not sure the two are related, or if so, in what way. But this is just my inability to understand.
Comment Written 11-Sep-2017
reply by the author on 12-Sep-2017
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I very much appreciate this review, Thai. My visit to Staffa more than a decade ago left a strong impression, and it was good to be able to revisit the place in verse. Happy memories! I understand what you are saying about the poem. The title is misleading, for it is really about Staffa rather than just the penguins. I've now amended that. Best wishes, Tony
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You're welcome, Tony - it was my pleasure.