Selected Poems

Selected Poems presents a compilation of Malcolm Lowry's poetry written between the 1920s and 1950s. The collection was published posthumously in 1962, with additional poems added in subsequent editions. The poems range from Lowry's early works as a young man in England to pieces written during his travels through Mexico and his time living in British Columbia. His verses capture experiences at sea, observations of nature, and reflections on alcoholism and isolation. The collection showcases Lowry's distinctive style, which merges traditional forms with modernist techniques and surreal imagery. His background as a novelist influences the narrative quality of many poems, while maintaining their lyrical essence. The poems reveal Lowry's preoccupation with mortality, redemption, and humanity's relationship with the natural world. His work explores the tensions between civilization and wilderness, order and chaos, often through the lens of personal struggle.

Readers appreciate Lowry's dark, introspective poetry that deals with alcoholism, isolation, and personal struggle. Many note the poems offer insight into themes he later explored in his novels. Several reviewers highlighted "Strange Type," "The Wild Cherry," and "The Lighthouse Invites the Storm" as standout pieces. Critics point out that the collection feels uneven, with some poems appearing rough or unfinished. A few readers found the verses too self-indulgent and difficult to parse without context about Lowry's life. From online reviews: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (112 ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (9 ratings) "His poetry hits even harder than his prose" - Goodreads reviewer "Beautiful but tortured work that shows his struggle with demons" - Amazon reviewer "Some gems but many feel like drafts" - LibraryThing reviewer Limited availability of the book (out of print for periods) appears to have restricted the total number of reader reviews online.

The Collected Poems of Hart Crane by Hart Crane The poems delve into modernist themes of isolation and urban despair through dense metaphors and mythological references.

The Waste Land and Other Poems by T.S. Eliot These poems explore themes of disillusionment and spiritual emptiness in post-war society through fragmented narratives and multiple voices.

Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry This novel-in-verse follows an alcoholic British consul in Mexico through a single day, combining surreal imagery with personal demons.

Collected Poems by Dylan Thomas The works combine Welsh rhythms with dark personal struggles and cosmic themes through intricate sound patterns and metaphysical exploration.

Complete Poems by Charles Baudelaire These poems present urban life's darker elements through symbolic imagery and themes of addiction, decay, and spiritual crisis.

🌊 Though best known for his novel "Under the Volcano," Malcolm Lowry considered himself primarily a poet, writing verse throughout his life from age 15 until his death in 1957. 🖋️ Many of Lowry's poems were discovered after his death, written on scraps of paper, matchbooks, and even paper bags, reflecting his often chaotic and nomadic lifestyle. 🌎 The collection includes poems written across multiple continents, from his early days as a ship's cabin boy to his time in Mexico, Canada, and England, creating a poetic travelogue of his life. 🔥 Several poems in the collection deal with Lowry's struggles with alcoholism, which he viewed as both a creative stimulus and a destructive force—themes that also dominated his prose work. 📚 The book was published posthumously in 1962, edited by Earle Birney and Margaret Lowry (Malcolm's widow), who worked to decipher and organize hundreds of scattered manuscripts and fragments.