‘To yield is a power:’ Christina Pugh and the poetics of ‘Revelation’

Introduction to Christina Pugh's Poetry

Apocalyptic writing has always grappled with the question of what language can reveal when the world seems on the verge of collapse, a theme that also drives poetry.

In her collection "The Right Hand", Christina Pugh transforms this tension into an inquiry of both spirit and body, inheriting the intensity of "The Book of Revelation" while moving through the material world.

To yield is a power

Her poems bring an alert and visionary calm to the concept of apocalypse, turning it into an opening rather than an ending.

As French philosopher Gaston Bachelard said,

to read poetry is essentially to daydream
, and in Pugh's work, this daydream joins reality and imagination into one deep current.

This current runs through each poem, breathing the ache of revelation into ordinary matter, such as needles, basil leaves, marble, and skin.

Author's summary: Christina Pugh's poetry transforms apocalyptic tension.

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The Daily Lobo The Daily Lobo — 2025-10-20

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