The White Silhouette by James Harpur

The central focus of The White Silhouette is a lyrical, meditative poem inspired by the Book of Kells, which explores the spirit of medieval Celtic art and its inner and outer landscapes, including those of Iona and Kells. Like Kells's interlacing lines, Harpur's four-part poem follows a number of threads, such as the nature of the divine and its relationship to art, how beauty is more a moment than an 'object', and how the pilgrim's destination cannot be found on earth. The title poem, 'The White Silhouette', is a powerful and haunting journey of 'missed encounters' in the spiritual landscapes of Tipperary, Wiltshire and Patmos and describes the poet's - possibly futile - search for spiritual truth.