The best recent poetry – review roundup
A poetry review roundup considers recent collections by John Cooper Clarke, Mary Mulholland, Ian McMillan, Roger Robinson and Carolyn Forché. The supplied review discusses Clarke’s Have It, describing its mix of social satire, humour and punk-influenced writing across subjects including urban life, environmental decline, money, ageing, fascism, popular culture and the NHS.
The roundup examines five recent poetry collections: Have It by John Cooper Clarke, The Dodo Stories by Mary Mulholland, Red River Valley by Ian McMillan, Some Sacred Harbour by Roger Robinson and Otherwhere by Carolyn Forché.
The supplied review focuses on Clarke’s Have It, published by Picador at £16.99. It describes the collection as presenting the poet’s characteristic swagger and northern humour, combining social satire with jokes and what the review calls brash wit.
According to the review, Clarke writes about contemporary urban life, the erosion of nature and the environment, money and the possibility of a cashless society, death and ageing, fascism, bachelorhood, popular culture and the NHS. The collection also draws on punk-rock values and includes both doggerel and comic writing.
The review says Clarke presents writing as a passion and emphasizes his performance skills and ability to play to an audience. It also describes the collection as advocating for what Clarke calls the “blood royal of the working class.”
THE QUESTIONS THIS EVENT LEAVES BEHIND
How might the roundup’s focus on one collection shape readers’ expectations of the other four books?
What assumptions about poetry audiences underpin the review’s emphasis on performance and crowd appeal?
How could the collection’s treatment of social and environmental themes be received differently by readers from different backgrounds?
What role does humour play in determining whether the poems’ political subjects are seen as satire or commentary?
Would the review’s assessment change if the poems were read privately rather than performed for an audience?
YOUR QUESTION
Does this story leave you with another question?
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GLOBAL CURIOSITY MAP · SEPTEMBER 2026