Kings and Queens: Or Life in the Palace (1850)

In Confidence is Jim Tilley’s first book of poems, ranging from lyric to narrative in form. About half of the 60 poems are open-form sonnets, most of which fit a broad theme of personal and societal dislocation. The collection covers a variety of subjects, from father-son and husband-wife relationships to issues of politics, the economy, and the environment. Stephen Dobyns cautions readers to look beyond the apparent calmness and elegance of the poems to the dangers that lurk beneath the surface. Many of the stories have unhappy endings. Several of the poems are presented in pairs with the same underlying setting or situation but markedly different development, exhibiting a kind of quantum picture with both states existing at the same time, not surprising since the poet was formerly a physicist. Billy Collins claims that Jim Tilley wins readers’ confidence by keeping a steady hand on the poem while maintaining a steady gaze at the world. This is a book of poems in which readers will find bits and pieces of their own lives.