Even as an adult, ‘englynion’ scare me. I’ve never felt ‘clever’ or ‘literary’ enough to be able to enjoy them. I’d almost go as far as saying I never felt like I had a right to. Many of your everyday average Welsh speakers probably feel the same– that poetry is for ‘clever’ people and the Welsh literati. I hope this book will succeed in persuading you otherwise…
After I read Fy Llyfr Englynion twice from cover to cover, I’m pleased to be able to say that I am no longer afraid of ‘englynion’, and that having done so, I now have a much better idea of one of Wales’s best kept secrets. I’m not quite sure yet if I’ll be able to write my own but I’m going to challenge myself to do so by the end of the year!
The book is smaller than I had imagined, but, having thought about it, this is the perfect size for a pocket or a bag – this book shouldn’t be collecting dust on a shelf, but be used and enjoyed by the next generation of poets. An englyn itself is small and short, and should not be judged on its size alone. They contain such wealth and this volume if full of treasures. In terms of the book itself, it has a hard cover and you also get a ribbon bookmark– a nice little touch.
I’m quite embarrassed to say that I didn’t fully understand what an ‘englyn’ was before today. I’ve heard of them, yes, but never really ‘looked under the bonnet’ about how they are put together. It was very interesting to learn about the rules that make such unique bits of poetry, where every word counts. What a great idea it was to create a colourful volume, which introduces young children to a very important part of our culture and traditions in Wales. It’s a treasure trove of lovely short poems, some old favourites by poets such as Dic Jones and Thomas Richards, and other, more contemporary ones by poets such as Karen Owen and Tudur Dylan Jones. The book also works as a bit of a ‘how-to guide’ at the same time. This is one of the book’s strengths– rather than just presenting the englynion as they are, the book goes a step further and offers an explanation of the unfamiliar words with detailed notes explaining the meaning of the poem. I love the fact that the book takes the time to explain and does so without being patronising.
The editor, Mererid Hopwood, has mentioned several times the importance of memory, and I very much hope that children will try to remember some of their favourite englynion because they are things that can, and should be passed from generation to generation by word of mouth.
The power of an englyn is that it takes a real thing, feeling or event and highlights the remarkable little details – it draws our attention to things we might take for granted. Many of the poems are about things in our everyday lives, but the englyn looks at them from a different perspective, making us see them in a new light.
The englynion themselves are complemented by Alice Samuel’s colourful and delicate illustrations. The pictures really add to their beauty. ‘Y Gorwel’ by Dewi Emrys and ‘Nyth’ by Roger Jones are some of our favourites.
Congratulations to Beirdd Bach, a new children’s publishing division of Barddas, on their first publication. Given the standard of their first book, I anticipate a prosperous future for them and I look forward to the next publication.
Englyn (pronounced [ˈɛŋ. lɪn]; plural englynion) is a traditional Welsh and Cornish short poem form.