Common Carnage (Penguin Poets)

Common Carnage by Stephen Dobyns is a collection of sixty-nine poems that explores the complexities of human nature. Published by Penguin Group USA in 1996, this first edition spans 127 pages and is presented in English. The work addresses the intricate relationship between love and the world, contrasting various aspects of existence, from the spiritual to the bawdy, and the courageous to the cowardly.

Readers will find that Common Carnage delves into the dualities of life, aiming to understand the often conflicting emotions that define our experiences. The poems reject traditional decorum, instead mapping the “common carnage” of daily life. Through this lens, Dobyns invites contemplation on the challenges of loving a world filled with both kindness and cruelty, making this collection a thought-provoking addition to the realm of contemporary poetry.