Darwin and the

  Heavenly Rhinoceros

This is the first draft of a  collection of poems and prose. The work is both serious and absurd, includes factual information on science and natural history and also fantasy, fairy tale and myth. It is concerned not only with Darwin, but with other people who have explored the world or contributed to evolutionary ideas. There are poems on a variety of species, from barnacles to woodlice. It is concerned not only with the history of human understanding of evolution and with ideas on the place of man, and god, in the universe, but also with my personal experience and feelings.

My main question for anyone reading this first draft is: do you think I have succeeded in weaving these disparate elements together in a way that gives the reader an interesting and pleasurable experience? If not, should I abandon the attempt, or make some changes?

The work is in 5 sections, each is introduced by the Heavenly Rhinoceros. He gives the information which hopefully enhances the reading of the poems, which would otherwise be rather baffling to readers whose knowledge of the natural world and evolution was only average. The introduction is followed by poems on the same theme. I have reduced the number of poems to five in each section for this web site taster, although the full draft contains about 70 poems. Each section is on a different web page, which can be accessed though the following links.

Introducing Darwin explores Darwin's voyage and his subsequent discoveries.

Evolutionary  Landscapes  deals with the story of the development of evolutionary theory and the exploration of the diversity of life on earth.

Evolutionary Stories how the ideas of Evolution have developed, survival of the fittest, co-operative alliances, the connections between humans and other species.

Stories of Life and Death includes the writer's autobiographical poems and also poems on the life and death of other humans, the Chinese cockle pickers for instance.

The Evolution of God includes poems  ideas of god and worship.

Thanks to Hayley Long for drawing the Rhinoceros

 

All comments welcome. e mail Anne here

 

 

Image Copyright Hayley Long 2010

Copyright of poems and prose Anne Bryan 2010

 

Do not reproduce the words or images in any other web pages, books or other printed material without permission -

to request permission e mail Anne