Book Review: Boleyn by Juliette Sebock
By: Juliette Van Der Molen
Tags: Psychology, Review, Poetry, History, Books

Photo by Felix Mittermeier on Unsplash

Perhaps my narrative will be redeemed’

poetic justice for Anne the queene. -Anna Bolina, Juliette Sebock, Boleyn

Boleyn, by Juliette Sebock, offers a peek into the precarious life of one of Tudor history’s most controversial queens. The poet carries us through 19 poems filled with a cacophony of emotions and chaos that surrounded the rise and fall of Henry VIII’s second wife. Though much has been written about Anne Boleyn, this unique inspection through poetry allows for the reader to set traditional narrative aside and sit with verses that ask us to contemplate Anne as a woman intent on finding her footing in a world where life and death are balanced precariously on the thumb of a king.

What about Love?

I do not know

if I truly know

of love.

But I believe that life

with you

would be something close. -My Love, Juliette Sebock, Boleyn

Written for Henry Percy, this poem hearkens back to a younger and less calculating version of Anne. For me, the importance of peeling back the layers of history, lies in the understanding that we all share some basic human instincts. For Anne, Henry Percy was a promise of hope for her future. Through all of the scheming and chess playing at court, the only certainty was that she might be able to choose who would have her heart. Their secret engagement must have been a hope that filled her heart and through this compact verse, Sebock allows us a glimpse into Anne as hopeful. However, within the same poem, we are slipped into the sharp turn of the second half, where hope is gone and Anne swears revenge on those that have come between the two lovers. Sebock’s ability to pull the love card, then reveal a devastating blow in quick succession is accomplished and leaves the reader spinning.

This is where I sit and contemplate and commune with the younger Anne. How many times have my hopes risen only to be dashed in the space of a moment? If we can allow ourselves to take away royal titles and the fact that this happened so long ago, perhaps it is not so difficult to see how devastating this must have been. In this way, the poet makes Anne more real to me and less of a character in some long ago story.

The Blame Game

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He cries witchcraft,

as if an amorous glance

calls for an elixir of death. -Bewitching, Juliette Sebock, Boelyn

Prepare to be infuriated by this story if you don’t know it already. Anne, sent from England and exiled to the French court as punishment for her secret engagement with Percy, is finally returned to favour. When she returns to court, she finds that King Henry is fixated on her. There are two things that Anne has learned prior to her return. One, is that she is a pawn for her family and subject to their greed. Two, is that if she wants to exert any influence over her life, she needs to place herself as closely as possible to the most powerful man in England.

The French court taught Anne skills that she may never have fully developed in the culture of the English court. Her wit and charm could be utilised in a way that would give rise to the lust of a King with an insatiable appetite. And let’s be clear, it’s not as if Anne wanted to go to the French court. She’d been banished and the very people that sent her would bear the brunt of that decision.

But, in this poem, we have the argument put forth by Henry when things eventually fall apart. He’s broken with the Catholic Church and formed a new religion, where he is in charge of it all. He’s done this so he can divorce his wife, Katharine of Aragon, and take a new wife. But he can’t be held responsible. It’s not his fault. He was bewitched by Anne.

The inability for leaders to take responsibility for their actions is something that tumbles through history and the collateral damage is astounding. In this case, it cost a woman her life. And the question hangs on me long after I’ve finished the book– if Henry truly believes that Anne has cast some sort of spell on him, then why didn’t he go back to the Pope and come together with Rome?

Or perhaps, he was never bewitched at all?

What’s in a Name?

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Bitch.

Belle et la bête.

Brought up better.

Bad idea. -Boleyn, Juliette Sebock, Boleyn

In the preface to this poem Sebock mentions that in a museum gift shop she saw a set of pearls with Anne’s “B” on them, which is also pictured on the cover of her book. Someone asks her what the “B” stands for and this poem is the result. This string of words is nothing short of sensational and damning. Strung together like pearls, each line ends with the finality of punctuation, which made me think of knots that separate a string of precious pearls. What also comes to mind is the cliché of pearls; pearls of wisdom.

It’s clear that there is no wisdom in these pearls, only judgment. Anne is often described as a scholar. I wonder what she would have said if asked what the “B” stood for; I’m guessing not half of what is on this list. However, Anne doesn’t get a say and that seems fitting in this poem where all of the same old descriptors are used against her.

On first glance, this poem just looks like a list and could easily be dismissed in its simplicity. However, when I start to look at this poem in a more meta sense I am conscious of how carefully knotted each line is and of the weight of words. Sebock seems to understand that words are loaded and singly perhaps they can be brushed aside, but pulled together they become a litany for those hell bent on persecution. The language we choose to use matters.

Take a moment. Think about your name. Think about the first letter of it. What does it stand for? Ask your best friend to make that list. Make it for yourself. Imagine your enemies making that list. We are much more than single words knotted together in a string. I believe we exist more accurately in the spaces between words.

In Conclusion

These poems are not just about Anne Boleyn. They are about the fact that every person we think we know from history, has a story. We know so much about the circumstances that led to Anne’s execution, but if we try to dig further back the details become fuzzy. I’ve read a lot about this queen and the court of public opinion has been deeply polarised. Perhaps this poet can give us the opportunity to consider a more nuanced memory. Is it possible to peel back the dramatic layers and look at the person held within? Boleyn, by Juliette Sebock, may raise more questions than answers. But, that’s a good thing.

Boleyn by Juliette Sebock is available for purchase through TwistiT Press