"What Souls Might Bear" is a poetry collection in two parts. The first contains a new invention; namely, an "almost-epic" poem, the plot of which concerns Tarquin P. Scallywag - a Scottish-born, Shakespeare quoting, Gentleman Grave-Robber who moves to Kingston, Ontario in the 1820s (then Upper Canada). Painstakingly researched and picaresque in style, over several chapters the reader witnesses the gradual evolution of a life as told from the deathbed. In addition, the story is told, not in a linear fashion, but rather through imagery.
Part two consists of a collection of shorter poems, mostly dealing with existential and political issues, many of which are lighter in nature, and are in traditional forms (such as Sonnet, Ottava Rima, and the Villanelle). This collection looks to the future through the eyes of the past.
Author_Bio: Matthew de Lacey Davidson is the author of two poetry collections and a play in verse. In addition, he is a composer and pianist and has released 12 compact discs. His poetry has been published by the online literary journal, Danse Macabre; he has had short stories published by Grammateion; music analyses by SCI; cartoons and reviews by TOM Magazine; and cartoons by Canadian Science News. He has written the music, libretto, and lyrics for a chamber opera, The Singing Lesson, based on three short stories by New Zealand author, Katherine Mansfield. He lives in Montreal, Canada, with his wife, Shayna, and a plethora of Siamese and Tonkinese cats.
Keywords: Poetry, Poems, Scotland, Grave Robbing, Social Conscience, Canada, Shakespeare, Montreal, Kingston, Matthew de Lacey Davidson
