THE SCHOP

 

The Poetry King, is a thematic collection of poems whereby the author swears, “…were handed to him from somewhere atop Mount Helicon” (even though he has never been there). Nonetheless, Schop’s words come from his heart and soul if not directly from the Heliconian muses themselves.

The work explores and meditates on the human notions of creativity and love in a playful typeset format that celebrates books in English from the early 1600s, more specifically Shakespeare’s sonnets and first folio.

Avery Peerson climbs to the top of a mountain and attempts the unthinkable: to quiet the king of poetry.

This rude interruption of the ultimate invocation fortuitously enacts a play of poems that reveals the true nature of love and a poet’s many loves and inspirations. Both ephemeral and eternal yet in constant change, love lives within this poetic paradoxical juxtaposition.

All are welcome here. Come along with muses and goddesses and listen every person!

 

PAPERBACK

 

PROFESSIONAL REVIEWS AND READER COMMENTARIES

A play, a collection of poems? Not many authors define a whole new genre in the execution of their work. Not many authors/poets/dramatists have the skill, range, and complexity to do so. Gregory Schop does. “The Poetry King” resonates across forms made classical through centuries, but make no mistake about it, Schop’s elegance with language and theme are wholly owned by his unique gifts. He has the poet’s soul and a narrative skill that can enchant any audience. Read him for sense, read him for music and delight – it works either way!
Thomas Sullivan, USA Today best-selling author of CASE WHITE and THE PHASES OF HARRY MOON
The poems in this collection hearken back to a better age of poetry when diction and meter meant more than overly academic allusions or mimicking “hashtag” trends. Each poem in the collection stands alone in its structure and imagery; however, the true power of the work comes as a whole. The Poetry King’s journey through infatuation, love, betrayal, and redemption is both haunting and relatable to any who have a relationship with the muses.
James K., Teacher
Love the catch words, the typography, and the ornamented initial letters and the illustrations. The style and sentiments are informed by the old days too, with the deliberately antiquated feel and the high, noble sentiments, and the rhymed couplets: "When life holds no soul, I, in doldrums stroll..." It was so kind of you to send this book, which I shall treasure for itself and as a memory of old times. May our world last long enough for both of us to enjoy things like this.
Roger Lathbury, Orchises Press