The Argument of Geoffrey Hill’s Odi Barbare

Geoffrey Hill’s recent collections of verse are parts of a longer sequence called The Daybooks. Each volume tends to have a particular focus or argument. Odi Barbare (2012), the volume examined here in depth, is no exception. Its fifty-two quasi-modernist odes deploy a poetic form gleaned from Philip Sidney’s Arcadia. Though diverse in subject matter, these lyrics highlight notable themes: evil, historical memory, the failure of capitalism, the role of art, and the presence of the divine in nature. These themes cohere into the exposition of a larger Christian vision, both personal and profound.