Thoughts On... Ouroboros by Dennis Jelen
A book of poetry about mental health and the journey taken by those who struggle with illness.
Today I share my thoughts and feelings about Ouroboros, a remarkable book of poetry by Dennis Jelen.
Description:
“Ouroboros” is a poetic odyssey in which the author Dennis Jelen captures the tumultuous dance between sorrow and resilience, despair and hope, suicide and desperately clinging to life. Like the ancient symbol of the Ouroboros, the eternal serpent devouring its own tail, these poems and their illustrations trace the relentless cycle of the human psyche.
Thoughts and Feelings
Ouroboros by Dennis Jelen is a book of poetry tightly focused on using mythology as a setting for the exploration of mental illness. The poems carry you through a cycle of despair, healing, and triumph (at least temporarily).
This book has distinct, clear sections that detail a narrative of sorts. It opens with reflections that are often angsty, filled with sorrow and shame. Guilt for sins of the past seeps from the lines as we journey through various Greek and Norse mythological characters.
This is followed by a shift toward taking hold of one’s own fate and fighting for it. Healing begins to present itself, even as more Christian allusions are mixed into the stanzas.
And while this book pushes toward a triumphant and hopeful conclusion, it does so while acknowledging how mental illness doesn’t always present itself in such a linear fashion. I was impressed by how skillfully this was pulled off.
Many individual poems stand out for their beauty or emotion, but more importantly is how they all work together to create a poignant whole. If you’re a poetry enjoyer, Ouroboros is a book you must have on your list.
Bought a copy of it. I like how it isn't linear, because yeah, it really isn't. Feels more like a rollercoaster at times. Great review write up.