If Language

by Gregory Betts

Most anagrammaticians satisfy their urge with the rearranged name of a celebrity (Marshall McLuhan = Malls launch harm) or perhaps, if more adventurous, a familiar aphorism (The Medium is the Message = The Media is the Muse’s Gem). The true devotees of the clan turn to games like Scrabble and Humbug. Gregory Betts’ If Language takes this one-time parlour game to its evolutionary extreme, constructing 56 paragraph-long perfect anagrams of an original seed-text. Each poem is exactly 525 letters; the same letters that echo throughout the book is radically different forms. These poems test the endless possibilities of the constraint. They tell the mystical history of anagrams, from its use by early scientists to escape Christian zealots to Rosicrucian symbology to Greek mythology to Kabbalism. They explore how individualities happen in words and limited vocabularies. If Language asks the what are the limits of individuality within a closed system? Betts uses his own experiences, relationships and uncertainties to explore this question with humour, with intellect, and with a manic obsession capable of turning a simple game into this wildly original exploration.

Genres: Poetry

108 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2005

Reviews

[Trish · Rating 2 out of 5]

I helped teach this book in an undergraduate English course and it was pretty hit or miss. Although I found his ability to play with language quite amusing at first, I found I had a headache by the time I finished the section. Most students hated it, and I can certainly see why. Probably best if you truly enjoy contemporary poetry. Personally, I would rather read Keats.