Butterflies in
Winter and Other Poems
Allan Glenn Rose
A member of the League of Canadian Poets, Allan Rose's writing stems from a
very simple philosophy: he wants his poetry to be accessible to everyone. In his
writing, as with his spoken word performances, his goal is always to be
informative, thought provoking, and entertaining. If you catch yourself smiling,
crying, or laughing at various points when you read his verse, that is certainly
the point of it all.
The poems of Butterflies in Winter are divided into six sections and focus on
what it means to be human. These writings explore the wide range of human
emotions and experience; they are, in short, the poet's insights into these
themes, based on his observations and reflections over the past fifty years.
Life's triumphs and tragedies, its anxieties and its laughter are all to be
found in these poems. The reader alone will decide what success the poet has
achieved in expressing these traditional themes in these new verses.
The author was born in Toronto in 1946, Allan Rose wears many hats. He taught
History, English Literature and Creative Writing for thirty years. He has been
involved in the hockey world for many years as a player, coach, and scout. An
enthusiastic fixture on the Toronto music scene, he has promoted numerous blues,
New Orleans jazz, and roots country concerts. A dynamic performer, his very
popular readings often include live music to highlight his various poetic
selections.
"Butterflies in Winter" is an attractive-looking book. The design of both
covers is attractive and appropriate for the book's contents. As for the poems,
there is not a "false step" anywhere. The author is a poet who knows what he is
doing. He has the talent he needs to sustain the poems he writes. The poetry
deserves to be read from a platform or a podium, as the poems and verses beg to
be "heard." There is wit here, a donnish sense of humour, and "shaggy-dog"
approach to life and literature. There is also a sense of fun with life and
words and pretensions that I like, conveyed by the child's smiling face on the
front cover. -- John Robert Colombo
Other Books by the same author
