A review of Heath by Penelope Shuttle and John Greening

Heath by Penelope Shuttle and John Greening (Nine Arches Press, 2016).

Poetry Centre Intern Joanne Balharrie reviews Penelope Shuttle and John Greening's 'wild chorus of poems written in call and response across Hounslow Heath'.

A collection of poetry about an airport and its surrounding area is perhaps not the most conventional reading material; Heath however provides plenty of food for thought, alongside clever imagery and poetic power.

Shuttle and Greening’s joint collection merges voices on the impact of Heathrow Airport on Hounslow Heath, and the things we’ve lost as a result of it. Heath delves into the mystical aspects of the Heath and explores the deep and rich history it has seen.

Reading through the collection as a whole, the distinctive voices of Shuttle and Greening merge together as they adopt aspects of each other’s writing and poeticism, forming a collection that flows together as though written by one person. The variety of forms used, from traditional to the more experimental, complement the themes of the old and the new. This is especially apparent in ‘XIX’, mimicking the rhythm of its ghostly and spiritual subject, ‘the ghost/ of Kneller Hall’.

Certain poems, such as ‘X’, really resonated with me through their focus on the change in the landscape. This poem in particular, with its layout in the form of its subject the scarecrows, is one of my favourites. Not only is it visually interesting and entertaining in its aesthetics, but the emotion is poignant also. The personification of the scarecrows is perhaps most crucial to this, creating a frame for the world as it changes.

I also enjoyed the manipulation of images, such as the ‘metal birds’ that can be found throughout the collection. The poetry is thought-provoking, and causes reflection on an aspect of life (flying) which is quite often taken for granted. Although there are often protests and articles in the news against proposed expansions of airports, we rarely consider what has already been lost through the creation of the current airports. The contrast between historical settings and modern life thereby encourages thought and consideration into the way we’re treating the world around us, and the further implications of our behaviours and decisions.

As ‘Thanks ever so much for your help. Have a nice Christmas’ says: ‘History repeats itself again and again/And no good ever comes from it. None.’ We need to consider the impact of proposed expansions and new developments on the environment, and the potential consequences that will follow. The environment is incredibly important, and this collection helps illustrate the aspects of the environment we may have taken for granted and stopped recognising.

However, the extent of the collection means the ideas and themes seem almost repetitive towards the end. A lot of different aspects of the history of Hounslow Heath feature in the collection, from witches to highwaymen, but the overarching idea of sadness for what we’ve lost in the development of Heathrow Airport becomes monotonous. Whilst for the most part each poem focuses on a different aspect of the Heath’s rich history, they all can be considered to link back to this mourning of what has been lost. It’s emotional, but in my opinion, it is not sustained across the collection. 

Read more about the book on the Nine Arches website.