Of Mutability by Jo Shapcott

1. Jo Shapcott has said that the presiding spirit in this collection is that of the artist Helen Chadwick. Did you see her influence in the collection beyond the poem “Piss Flower? 
2. What did you think were the main or recurring themes in the collection? 
3. The poem “Piss Flower” is inspired by a work of art by artist Helen Chadwick – do you think the poem works as a stand-alone poem or do you need to be familiar with the artwork? Why do you think that he author chose this as the last poem in the collection? 
4. One of the themes of the collection is that of Shapcott’s diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer – how did you feel that the author dealt with this difficult topic? Did you find these poems depressing or uplifting? How did they make you feel?
5. The title poem “Of Mutability” takes its title from an artwork by Helen Chadwick and also takes as its inspiration the sonnet “Mutability” by Shelley. The poem is about the author’s diagnosis of cancer (although it doesn't mention it directly). Were all these themes and influences evident on reading the poem? Do we, as readers, need to know what influenced the poem? 
6. Shapcott never refers to her cancer directly – does this matter? How do you feel about the power of understatement in poetry – is it a useful too? Does it make the work any more or less powerful or affecting? 
7. What was your favourite/least favourite poem in the collection? Why? 
8. It has been said that Shapcott’s writing is very tightly controlled – would you agree with this? Did you enjoy the author’s style of writing? 
9. Would you recommend this collection to someone who was ill? 
10. The poem “Night Flight to Muncaster” addresses the reader directly and asks us to imagine that we are an owl flying over the land to the sea. Did you like/dislike this device? Why? Does it work?