Jim Brown reviewed Averno by Louise Glück
Persephone
A collection of poems, many of which are inspired by Persephone. Averno is a crater lake in southern Italy, and according to the book jacket it was "regarded by the ancient Romans as the entrance to the underworld."
My favorite moment is in the poem October, a moment where it's not clear whether the writer is speaking to their friend or calling the earth their friend:
"The brightness of the day becomes the brightness of night; the fire becomes the mirror.
My friend the earth is bitter; I tihnk sunlight has failed her. Bitter or weary, it is hard to say."
