The False God's Lullaby is the first publication of a new poet, Aaron Gedaliah, a recent recipient of Literary Titan's Silver Book Award. Gedaliah's writing is deeply personal and widely relatable, as it explores many themes that are sometimes sweet, sometimes haunting, and always profound in their messaging (the exception being the comedic poem "The Prog Drummer's Advice").
These include reminiscences of childhood and youth, intimacy, passion, loss, and loneliness. It stares unflinchingly into mortality and the consolations of Kierkegaard's musings about the "internal-eternal." These are the intricacies of our interior worlds: the thoughts, feelings, and dreams we seldom share with others.
The writing is always clear and direct, with a distinct melodic cadence that hints at a musician's background. He often evokes a sense of timelessness reminiscent of Rainer Maria Rilke. The author's writing and themes suggest a rather eclectic mix of other influences such as Sylvia Plath, Antonio Machado, Wendell Berry, and Loren Eisley. For those familiar with philosophy, there are direct attributions to Soren Kierkegaard Friedrich Nietzsche and Lou Andreas-Salome.
The collection of poems is organized by themes with sensitivity and thoughtfulness towards not jolting the reader with chaotic shifts in topic and mood that can render the reader with a sense of emotional dissonance. As a consequence, readers can choose poems by mood and topic. Gedaliah wisely lets his audience control their receptivity and mood for exploring any particular poem at any particular time.
The category of poems begins and ends with the theme of Interior Worlds. In Part 1, the reader may find the poems Memory, Confluence, and Lament as the most emotionally resonant as they explore the sweetness and sadness of aging, the material nature of the human soul, and the stunning description of a numb response to death; only awakened by the sound and flight of doves at night. In Part 2 (Closeness and Distance) are two poems that express both the sensuality and endearment of intimacy (Absolution and Endearment). Section 3 (Loss and Departing) includes poems expressing the emotions surrounding his father's death (Departing) and his own demise in the poignant and memorable poem "Big Sur." Section 4 ("Darkness Visible") captures with profound insight the first months of COVID-19 ("Awaiting the Pandemic"). In Part 2 of "Interior Worlds," the stand-out poems are those exploring the emotional meaning of familiarity ("Home"), a sensitive examination into the life of Rilke ("Wandering Rainer"), and the stunning revelations about our need to care and be cared for ("The False God's Lullaby") which is hauntingly beautiful in the way our mind returns to it days and weeks after reading it. Both "Mirror" and "The Moon and Blue Mountain" are veiled homages to Silvia Plath.
The last section is a collection of prose and fragments that flesh out the poet's insights and philosophic attitudes towards life. It also ends with the prose piece from which the poem "The False God's Lullaby" was created.
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Company Name: Literary Titan
Contact Person: Aaron Gedaliah
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Country: United States
Website: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570572935517
