Kingdom Of The Instant: Poems – An American Poetry Collection on the Transcendent and Profane in Southern Life

by Rodney Jones

Many of the poems in Kingdom of the Instant attend to a particular moment — to the individual existing in one place at the time life is lived. Some of them, like “Keeping Time,” are urgent, even ominous (“To be there with it, tock to its tick, mud / to its chink”). In others, the approach to the instant is dilatory, relaxed, as in one of the long poems, “Ten Sighs from a Sabbatical” (“Let loose. Lists into ashes. Tasks into stones”). The poet also addresses natural history and the environment; religiosity, the history and encumbrances of class, regionalism, and the American South; and the act of making poetry. There are homages to a number of masters, ranging from Wallace Stevens to Mississippi John Hurt, but concrete references give way to the fleeting impression, the given moment, the kingdom of the instant that Rodney Jones so strongly evokes. He is, line by line, sound by sound, at the top of his form.

Genres: Poetry

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Douglas Connell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure--I was lucky enough to have taken several classes from Mr. Jones as a student, and he has had a strong influence on me as a teacher. That said, I absolutely love this book, though I find his Elegy for the Southern Drawl more accessible. As a Northerner, reading this book was like trying to translate a book of Southern metaphysics. There were certain frequencies I could not quite reach--my failure, not his. Nevertheless, I love how he gets people talking on the page, and I love his sense of humor. I will always feel an enormous debt of gratitude for his kindness and generosity. A wonderful man, and a wonderful poet. Thank you for all the great work, Mr. Jones.

[Gary McDowell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Felt like one long poem. That's good and bad for me.

[lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

favorite-favorite