Posts Tagged ‘Poetry’
- In: Poetry
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30 Poems, 30 Days: Inside a Poet’s Mind by A.D. Joyce
It’s surprising what comes to you out of the blue sometimes.
At the beginning of this month I received this book of poems by A.D. Joyce. They are a gift not just to me but to the world. The poet asked me if I would like to review them. I read them and said, yes, I would.
I wrote yesterday that poetry is very hard to review. That post was partly to establish my credentials. I have never reviewed poetry before. But I would like you to take my review seriously.
These poems are free but they are not to be valued lightly. I have read them with pleasure, read them for comfort and read them with tears in my eyes. They are short but they show an extraordinary range. Some are funny, some are light, some are sexy and some make you think. There is a weight of emotion in some of them that, as in much great poetry, lies “too deep for tears.”
Let me share just one of them with you.
Sensation (Day 19)
you can
pick up the
reddest apple on
display
touch it turn
it around
inspect it for
marks or bruises
but biting
is the only
way to
really know
“This poem,” says the poet, “is about the danger of taking chances and the need to take chances.”
I like it for many reasons.
First, it is about sensation, one of my favourite things. And it has a very physical quality, which is achieved through a subtle use of enjambement (yes, you see, I know the technical terms).
Secondly, it reminds me of how I approach my self-imposed task of reviewing books. Covers, reviews, blurbs and blogs are all wax and polish. What you’ve got to do is start reading. Bite. That’s the only way you know if a book has substance.
Thirdly, it is about the creative life. Try writing a poem a day for 30 days as this poet did. Don’t think about it. Don’t prevaricate. Just begin. Once you start writing, without waiting for inspiration, you’ll be amazed at what you discover. The imagination is an infinite resource.
And, finally, it is about life. Bite. It is a very double-edged metaphor. Sometimes you need courage to bite because some people, some things, life itself, bite back.
A.D. Joyce is a poet/writer/editor living in New Jersey. Her blog, Sweepy Jean Explores the (Webby) World, showcases her poetry and discusses topics such as the writing life, women’s issues, and personal observations.
Staying alive
Posted on: October 14, 2011
- In: Hot Stuff
- 2 Comments
Staying Alive: Real Poems for Unreal Times by Neil Astley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Poetry is very hard to review and even harder to anthologize. Many editors are guided by tradition. The same old poems turn up time and time again. Most poetry doesn’t sell well, so what editor would take a risk on including poets most readers have never heard of? This means that finding fresh, good poems is really hard and can be expensive.
Enter Neil Astley, an extraordinary man and the founder of Bloodaxe Books. He has spent a lifetime devoted to other people’s poetry. Unlike many literary men, he has an open mind, vast experience, breathtaking vision and colossal self-assurance.
It was in this book that he first gave us the benefit of that unusual combination of qualities. Staying Alive is a large book, well-organised, stimulating, surprising and accessible. It was published in 2002 and is still fresh.
It was followed in 2004 by Being Alive and in 2008 by Being Human, both equally good and equally vital. Many people buy all three.
These poems are varied and various, consistently good, and striking without being difficult or obscure. I particularly like the way Neil places poems with contrasting viewpoints side by side. It is typical of his approach, inclusive, balanced and pluralistic. If reading so much poetry can lead to this kind of enlightenment, let’s all read more poetry.
Here is one that plays with the contrasts and contradictions within a single word and is almost therefore representative of the whole collection:
Lightness
It was your lightness that drew me,
the lightness of your talk and your laughter,
the lightness of your cheek in my hands,
your sweet gentle modest lightness;
and it is the lightness of your kiss
that is starving my mouth,
and the lightness of your embrace
that will let me go adrift.
Meg Bateman
Translated from the Gaelic by the author.
