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Abstract
Compelled to Ascend is a collection of poems and short stories by Scott Simpson, a native of the Great Plains of Nebraska. Among other things, the collection addresses the themes of childhood, family relationships, sexual discovery, Alzheimer's, parenting, and the death of a friend. The poems and stories are grouped into three main sections titled, "Water," "Earth," and "Sky," each title defining a unifying element for the section. The collection moves symbolically from water to earth to sky, using the concept of ascension as a metaphor both for growing up, and for the struggle to achieve new perspectives of self in relation to others and the natural environment. Compelled to Ascend includes an introduction in which the author discusses the genesis of this collection and of poetry in general, quoting from the works of William Carlos Williams, Wallace Stevens, and Wallace Stegner.
