White Silhouette

Harpur James

The central focus of "The White Silhouette" is a lyrical, meditative poem inspired by the "Book of Kells", which explores the spirit of medieval Celtic art and its inner and outer landscapes, including those of Iona and Kells. Like Kells's interlacing lines, Harpur's four-part poem follows a number of threads, such as the nature of the divine and its relationship to art, how beauty is more a moment than an "object", and how the pilgrim's destination cannot be found on earth. The title poem, "The White Silhouette", is a powerful and haunting journey of "missed encounters" in the spiritual landscapes of Tipperary, Wiltshire and Patmos and describes the poet's – possibly futile – search for spiritual truth.

About the Author

James Harpur has had five poetry collections published by Anvil Press and won many awards and bursaries. His latest book, "Angels and Harvesters" (2012), was a PBS Recommendation and shortlisted for the 2013 Irish Times Poetry Now Award; "The Dark Age" (2007) won the Michael Hartnett Award; "Oracle Bones" (2001) was a Tablet Book of the Year; "The Monk's Dream" (1996) includes the sonnet sequence that won the 1995 National Poetry Competition; and "A Vision of Comets" (1993) was based on the poems that won him an Eric Gregory Award. Anvil have also published his "Fortune's Prisoner" (2007), a translation of the poems of the Roman philosopher Boethius. He is poetry editor of the Temenos Academy Review and a member of Aosdana. He lives in West Cork.

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