Marine Robert Warden's first collection of poetry, Beyond the Straits, was originally published by Momentum Press, in 1980. The title poem, "Beyond the Straits", sets the tone. The reader accompanies a young sailor on an odyssey as wild with monsters and temptations as anything in Homer, but the symbolism is contemporary. Warden's descriptive skills are precise and painterly, and support his compassionate human visions. As the collection concludes, love expands into a sense of the history and detail of the world. Warden is deeply romantic, always searching for meaning. At the same time, he is a complete realist. It's all here, the compassion, the music, and one of the last great romantics, ready to engage a new audience.
