Open Heart University: Poems

by Spike Milligan

Following the bestselling Small Sreams of a Scorpion comes this second collection of the poems of Spike Milligan.'Somewhere inside the Goon, a small-sized William Blake is always struggling to get out and make himself heard' - Punch'Compassionate, perceptive, outraged and tender' - Evening News'Remarkably accomplished...lyrical, touching, sad, wise and wryly funy' - Sunday Express

Genres: Poetry

70 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Terence Alan Patrick Seán Milligan, known as Spike, was a comedian, writer and musician. He was of Irish descent, but spent most of his childhood in India and lived most of his later life in England, moving to Australia after retirement. He is famous for his work in The Goon Show, children's poetry and a series of comical autobiographical novels about his experiences serving in the British Army in WWII. Spike Milligan suffered from bipolar disorder, which led to depression and frequent breakdowns, but he will be remembered as a comic genius. His tombstone reads 'I told you I was ill' in Gaelic.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Open Heart University' was the second book of poetry written by Spike Milligan, and for me he produced some real gems herein as well as some rather ordinary pieces. Now I am not too sure as to overall literary value of Milligan's serious poems, as I have found it hard to find corroborating criticism of his work by academic reviewers. Milligan apparently said that Robert Graves was impressed with is work, and that is indeed high praise from a major literary figure. However I suspect this might have been more a result of Graves' friendship with Milligan rather than real poetic talent. Also, it must be said that Milligan's verse for children is very popular and certainly in the traditions of the likes of Carroll, Lear and Hoffnung. So he could write poetry; the question is how good are the poems in this collection?

I would argue that when Milligan writes in his own unique style on those experiences that matter to him his verse is very good. For example, in this collection his poem 'Catford 1933' is a highly evocative piece that has a highly personal context with a universal theme. His ability to use figurative language to create powerful poetic imagery is demonstrated with great aplomb ("Boiled haddock condense on my plate/its body cries for the sea"). The lines "My father and I walk out/ and are eaten by the yellow freezing fog" remind me of T.S. Eliot, and the coda to the poem is a powerful indictment on the class system in Britain. It is fair to say that Spike shows he has the chops to write good and meaning verse.

However there are also times when his poems over reach or just fizzle out in self-indulgent artifice. 'To Doug Rouse, Woodcarver' is such a piece, whereas 'The Sun' seems trite and uninteresting. There are several love (or should that be hate) poems in 'Open Heart University' and they fall or rise depending upon how much the reader may feel connected to the raw emotion of each work. Then there are pieces like 'Easter 1916' and 'India! India!' that are brilliant examples of the poet as historical interpreter.

In summary, I would argue that those who love Spike Milligan will enjoy this book, whereas poetry devotees may find it hard to be enthusiastic of all the works herein. Just like the man himself, 'Open Heart University' is neither lovable nor easy to comprehend.

[Gillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

FEELINGS
There MUST be a wound !
No one can be this hurt
and not bleed.

How could she injure me so ?
No marks
No bruise

Worse !
People say 'My , you're looking well'
. . . . . . God help me !
She's mummified me -
ALIVE !

Bayswater
December 1977

[Jim Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have had this for years, always worth going back to for a smile or a nudge of the little grey cells.

[Glyven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best known in the US for his work as a comedian and member of the Goons, Spike Milligan was also deeply depressed and suffered from severe bipolar disorder. He once notoriously attempted to kill fellow Goon Peter Sellers amidst one of Milligan's many nervous breakdowns (his attempt was foiled when he walked through Sellers's plate-glass front door).

Amply illustrated--most impressively by Spike's daughter, Laura--the poems in this collection are brief, poignantly introspective, bitterly reflective, and funny at times. At its best, as in the outraged sarcasm of the eponymous poem, his poetry demonstrates all of the above-stated qualities at once.

A theme running throughout is Milligan's disgust at the human race's arrogant destruction of nature. He asks the sun, "Did you have a population problem once / and solve it?" Meanwhile, his tribute to a tree that has been cut down and used for paper is accompanied by a simple drawing of a tree stump, on which are scrawled the words, "Read well so that my death was not in vain."

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite collections of poetry, I have most of the memorized :) not the humour you might expect from Milligan, these are mainly heartfelt, thoughtful pieces about relationships and feelings, and humanity's treatment of animals.

[Lysergius · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhere inside the Goon, a small-sized William Blake is always struggling to get out and make himself heard...