Rage and Passion

FOREWORD: It is a rare occurrence indeed when a publisher begins to write a foreword to the Eleventh book, not least full-length book of poetry, from the same author. Such is the case with Jean-Yves Solinga's book, Rage and Passion. The cover and title of any book, more so with a book of poetry, often brings together aspects of an author's collective thought processes, concepts and perceptions into close proximity and focus, in a visual form. What might seem to be disparate, mutually exclusive entities and concepts to the casual observer are in the mind of Jean-Yves brought together to stand logically together and in harmony. This particular cover image is of a statue of the Greek God Prometheus, by American sculptor Paul Manship, who gifted life to humanity from clay, then immeasurable enhanced this by the stolen gift from Zeus of "fire." Of the many 2D and 3D representations of Prometheus, Jean-Yves selected this modern interpretation of a young man, as could be seen anywhere today: Eschewing the highly muscle-bound dominating male figure often used. It is interesting from the view point of an existentialist that the Greeks, most famously and in the absence of the christian God, conveniently and necessarily constructed a panoply of celestial characters to explain the absurdities of existence and humanity. Prometheus, was responsible for creation itself and the innate human trait of seeking knowledge, exploring, and continuous growth through his special act of benevolence on the one hand and the thief of its most unique qualities... without which maybe this book would not exist! Whilst there are obvious flaws in this explanation, I, like Jean-Yves find myself fatally attracted to the romance... maybe we would all have applauded Hercules as he freed Prometheus from his torment. In Jean-Yves' first book Clair-Obscur of the Soul (2008) I wrote in the foreword that I had enthusiastically accepted his first manuscript for publication, "...because of its intensity, lyricism and insight into the essence of what it is to be human, in fact beyond and through to the heart and soul." The writing and publishing of ten books, to arrive at this point, has not diminished my thought about Jean-Yves. I have always wondered why he has not been more widely recognized as the poet of high quality, working assiduously at his art to reach even further into the soul of what it is to live in this world. I once described Jean-Yves, in another foreword, as a "fearless," and I can think of no other fitting epithet more becoming a poet who is constantly reaching and searching for new ways to express his thoughts. Thankfully in that regard we are all the wiser, and knowledgeable, while being sublimely entertained.