Nine To Noon Book review: Lyrical Ballads by Bill Manhire
Mar 16, 2026
Harry Ricketts, critic and literary commentator, reviews Bill Manhire, New Zealand’s premier poet. He explores the book’s playful nod to Wordsworth, Manhire’s lyrical rhythms and formal tricks. Short readings reveal surprising images and teasing ambiguity. Wide-ranging themes from grief to Gaza keep the collection startling and varied.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Manhire's Range Defies Simple Labels
- Bill Manhire's poems resist a single summary and instead blend lyrical sound with everyday oddities.
- Ranging from love and death to colonoscopies and Gaza, his work mixes lyricism, story fragments, and offbeat humor.
Title As Playful Literary Reference
- The title Lyrical Ballads is a playful reference to Wordsworth and Coleridge while signalling Manhire's lyrical leanings.
- He pairs occasional traditional metre and rhyme with storytelling impulses across pieces.
Buying A Bend In The River
- The title prose poem Lyrical Ballad narrates buying a bend in the river and cherishing its 'reliable surprise.'
- The image is slightly surreal and suggests poetry's role in turning life around a figurative bend.