Great Regulars: It is not merely rich in historical allusion;

as in this sequence, it is steeped in conversation with the past. For poetry not to be so, in [Geoffrey] Hill's terms, would be betrayal. But this difficulty is actually secondary. What matters is that Hill is a poet in whom words live sensuously and trenchantly. The emotion and the knowledge of this particular poem are difficult, certainly. But the impact lies in a powerful and fearless simplicity.

Tristia: 1891-1938

from Carol Rumens: The Guardian: theblogbooks: Poem of the week

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