ElectricLighttravelswidelyintimeandspace,visitingthesitesoftheclassicalworld,revisitingthepoet'schildhood:ruralelectrificationandthelightofancienteveningsarereconciledwithintheorbitofasinglelifetime.Thisisabookaboutorigins(notleasttheoriginsofwords)andoracles:theplaceswherethingsstartfrom,thegroundofunderstanding-whetherinArcadiaorAnahorish,thesanctuaryatEpidaurusortheBannvalleyinCountyDerry.ElectricLightrangesfromshorttakes('glosses')toconversationpoemswhosecunningpassageworkgivesreinto'themustanddriftoftalk';otherpoemsarearrangedinsections,theirseparatecargoesdockedalongsideeachothertorevealahiddenandcurativeconnection.Thepresocraticwisdomthateverythingflowsisheldintensionwiththefixitiesofremembrance:elegisingfriendsandfellowpoets,naming'therealnames'ofcontemporariesbehindtheShakespeareanrolestheyplayedatschool.Thesegiftsofrecollectionrenewthepoet'scallingtoassigntothingstheirpropernames.Theresultingpoemsarefullofdelicatelyprescriptivetonalities,whereHeaneycanbeheardextendinghisword-hoardandrollcallinthis,hiseleventhcollection.