A Roman water nymph made of bone
tries to summon a river out of
Event Details
A Roman water nymph made of bone
tries to summon a river out of limestone
Inspired by an artefact in the Corinium Museum in Cirencester, Dunt tells the story of a water nymph and the Dunt, a once large river in Gloucestershire that has dried to a small stream. As the river spirit tries repeatedly to work her magic, we are swept up in the desire to create, contemplating the loss of the river, as though the tiny bone figure itself is being turned over in our hands.
Dunt is one of Alice Oswald’s most celebrated poems, winning the Forward Prize for best single poem in 2007. Over the course of two hours, we will work towards a deeper understanding of the poem through repeated readings, analysis and discussion.