Flight Among the Tombs

Flight Among the Tombs is a collection of poems published in 1996 by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Anthony Hecht. The book is divided into two main sections: "The Presumptions of Death," featuring poems accompanied by illustrations by Leonard Baskin, and "Proust on Skates," containing various lyric poems. The first section presents Death as a character who appears in different guises and costumes throughout history - from a telegraph operator to a civil servant. These poems blend dark humor with mortality's persistent presence in human affairs. The second section shifts to more personal meditations, with poems addressing memory, art, and the passage of time. Hecht draws on both contemporary situations and classical references in these works. The collection explores the intersection of beauty and doom, using formal poetic structures to contain and examine humanity's complex relationship with death and remembrance. Through this lens, Hecht contemplates how humans face their own mortality through art, humor, and ritual.

Readers point to the collection's dark humor and formal precision, particularly in "The Book of Yolek" and the Dance of Death poems featuring the Grim Reaper in various disguises. Poetry fans highlight Hecht's technical skill with meter and rhyme. Likes: - Sharp wit in handling serious themes - Meticulous attention to poetic form - Balance of darkness and levity - Integration of historical references Dislikes: - Some poems seen as too academic or distant - References require extensive footnotes - Second half feels less focused than first - A few readers found the death theme repetitive Ratings: Goodreads: 4.16/5 (37 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (6 reviews) Notable review quote: "The Dance of Death sequence showcases Hecht's gifts - formal virtuosity, mordant wit, and deep moral seriousness." - Poetry Foundation reader review The limited number of online reviews suggests this collection reached a smaller, poetry-focused audience.

Paradise Lost by John Milton This epic poem explores mortality, faith, and human nature through classical imagery and Biblical themes that mirror Hecht's metaphysical concerns.

The Dance of Death by Hans Holbein The medieval woodcuts and verses present death as a character interacting with people from all social classes, sharing thematic elements with Hecht's death-focused poetry.

Selected Poems by W.H. Auden The formal verse structure and dark humor in addressing serious subjects align with Hecht's poetic approach to mortality and human experience.

The Dream Songs by John Berryman The collection combines classical references with personal struggle and dark themes in ways that complement Hecht's poetic sensibilities.

New and Collected Poems by Richard Wilbur The fusion of formal technique with meditation on mortality and art creates resonances with Hecht's poetic style and thematic concerns.

🔖 Anthony Hecht wrote Flight Among the Tombs while serving as Poet Laureate Consultant to the Library of Congress (1982-1984) 🔖 The book is divided into two distinct parts: "The Presumptions of Death," featuring dramatic monologues by Death personified, and "Proust on Skates," containing lyric poems about memory and time 🔖 Each poem in "The Presumptions of Death" section is accompanied by a striking illustration by Leonard Baskin, creating a powerful dialogue between visual art and poetry 🔖 The collection explores themes of mortality through various cultural and historical lenses, from the Holocaust (which Hecht experienced firsthand as a liberator of concentration camps) to classical mythology 🔖 The title "Flight Among the Tombs" references both physical movement through cemetery spaces and the metaphysical journey between life and death that connects all the poems in the collection