The Parliament of Poets (ePub)

"One I seek, One I know, One I see, One I call." -Rumi​

Thirty years in the making, The Parliament of Poets: An Epic Poem, by Frederick Glaysher, takes place partly on the moon, at the Apollo 11 landing site, the Sea of Tranquility.

In a world of Quantum science, Apollo, the Greek god of poetry, calls all the poets of the nations, ancient and modern, East and West, to assemble on the moon to consult on the meaning of modernity. The Parliament of Poets sends the Persona on a Journey to the seven continents to learn from all of the spiritual and wisdom traditions of humankind. On Earth and on the moon, the poets teach a new global, universal vision of life.

One of the major themes is the power of women and the female spirit across cultures. Another is the nature of science and religion, including Quantum Physics, as well as the "two cultures," science and the humanities.

All the great shades appear at the Apollo 11 landing site in the Sea of Tranquility: Homer and Virgil from the Greek and Roman civilizations; Dante, Spenser, and Milton hail from the Judeo-Christian West; Rumi, Attar, and Hafez step forward from Islam; Du Fu and Li Po, Basho and Zeami, step forth from China and Japan; the poets of the Bhagavad Gita and the Ramayana meet on that plain; griots from Africa; shamans from Indonesia and Australia; Murasaki Shikibu, Emily Dickinson, and Jane Austen, poets and seers of all Ages, bards, rhapsodes, troubadours, and minstrels, major and minor, hail across the halls of time and space.

That transcendent Rose symbol of our age, the Earth itself, viewed from the heavens, one world with no visible boundaries, metaphor of the oneness of the human race, reflects its blue-green light into the blackness of the starry universe.

Reviews

"Like a story around a campfire." -From the Audience

"A great epic poem of startling originality and universal significance, in every way partaking of the nature of world literature." -Dr. Hans-George Ruprecht, CKCU Literary News, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, author of numerous books and articles on Goethe, Thomas Mann, Borges, etc.

"A remarkable poem by a uniquely inspired poet, taking us out of time into a new and unspoken consciousness..." -Kevin McGrath, Lowell House, South Asian Studies, Harvard University, author of several books on the Indian Mahabharata

"Glaysher is really an epic poet and this is an epic poem! Glaysher has written a masterpiece... Easy to understand and follow. I strongly recommend his poem." -James Sale (UK), The Society of Classical Poets

"Mr. Glaysher has written an epic poem of major importance. Truly a major accomplishment and contribution to American Letters. Once you enter, you will not stop until the end. A landmark achievement." -ML Liebler, Department of English, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan

"Am in awe of its brilliance. Everyone must read this book." -Anodea Judith, Novato, California

About the Author

FREDERICK GLAYSHER is an epic poet, rhapsode, poet-critic, and the author or editor of ten books.

Glaysher studied writing under a private tutorial, at the University of Michigan, with the poet Robert Hayden and edited Hayden's prose and poetry. He holds two degrees from the University of Michigan, has lived in Japan and traveled widely in China, and was a Fulbright-Hays scholar to China and a National Endowment for the Humanities scholar on India.