The book contains poems by me, Benjamin Robinson. It includes the poem fake happiness.
Fake happiness,
acting out this feeling, being untrue,
pretending to be happy when it is not true,
oh, how often we do it,
but why is there such misery,
now, I have not a clue,
for it truly baffles me,
and it irritates me too,
and oh, how silly it is, how silly,
and I wish the world could see,
a reflection of the physicality,
of all the miserable people in the world,
displayed before them,
and then, maybe they would realise,
there is something seriously wrong with society,
and take it seriously,
because the mental health of the world,
is not as good as it should be,
but people amble on blindly far too often,
and often are their own worst enemies,
and so many instead fake happiness,
and oh, how I wish society was happier than it is,
and there were not so many problems plaguing the world,
and how I wish there were not so many people,
having to fake happiness to placate people,
and how I wish there was more happiness in society,
I truly do,
I truly do.
Literary Critique: “An Empty Glass” by Ben Robinson
“An Empty Glass” is Robinson’s theatrical lament—part social performance, part private eulogy. The clown figure introduced in the title poem encapsulates the entire collection’s ethos: a suffering self laughed at, ignored, but defiant.
Themes and Motifs
The book explores performative suffering, societal apathy, and emotional invisibility. Robinson’s speaker is both jester and prophet, wounded but still delivering truth. Poems like “An Empty Glass,” “Careless Driving,” and “This Battle” illuminate the absurdities and brutalities of contemporary life.
Style and Structure
The language is theatrical and evocative—often narrative-driven with parabolic overtones. The collection plays with persona and mask, offering poetic vignettes that mimic performance art in their structure and tone.
Tone and Voice
There’s a sardonic edge here—Robinson’s voice is more playful, even while drenched in sorrow. The emotional register alternates between solemn and satirical. This tonal dynamism adds dramatic weight and memorability.
Imagery and Poetic Devices
Recurring symbols include glass, masks, stage lights, and environmental wreckage. The clown, acting as a scapegoat, is a powerful central metaphor—drawing from both classical tragicomic and modern existential traditions.
Standout Poems
- “An Empty Glass”: A tour-de-force on spectacle and suffering.
- “Acting”: A sharp meditation on social masks and mental health.
- “Fury”: Visceral and unrelenting in its critique.
- “Ultraviolet”: A surprising, almost hallucinatory ode to perception.
Conclusion
“An Empty Glass” is a brave, bitter, and brilliant performance. Robinson’s poetic theatre of anguish and defiance demands attention. This is protest poetry as tragedy—piercing and unforgettable.
About The Author
