V (a poem)

Tony Harrison is a Leeds born, bred, and educated poet of international reputation.

The remarkable long poem 'v' is a meditation in a vandalized (by Leeds United fans among others) Leeds graveyard, written during the miners' strike. It created such a stir when it was broadcast on television in the late 1980s. It remains a powerful and deeply moving piece of writing. First printed in 1985.

There are a great many modern reprints of this poem, (Try 'V and Other poems' printed in 1990) and his poetry cover subjects from class warfare to the Gulf War. Try his "Selected Poems" for another good starting point.