Poems Books


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Poems Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

Poems
Grasshopper Pie And Other Poems (All Aboard Poetry Reader: Level 2)
Published in School & Library Binding by Rebound By Sagebrush (2004-02)
Author: David Steinberg
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A Fanciful and Whimsical Piece of Children's Literature
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2004-07-24
Though i am now growing older I can still remember the books that captivated me as a child. Now that my children have begun to discover reading I found that Grasshopper Pie is an excellent addition to their book collection and a creative way to nurture and develop their reading skills. The illustrations are also great and help my kids learn and comprehend. I hope both the author and illustrator of this book continue to publish books so that my children and I can enjoy themin the future.
Sincerely,
Boe Guse (new york)

I liked it... Funny stories and humorous pictures.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2004-06-21
"Grasshopper Pie" is a very good children's book and I highly recommend it. My six-year-old daughter was able to practice her reading skills with it and enjoyed the illustrations very much. My daughter and I are eagerly awaiting the next book Mr. Steinberg and Mr. Sinnott do together.

Simply Fantastic!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2004-06-20
This book is a wonderful collection of poems for children. I love the illustrations by Adrian Sinnott because they match the writing perfectly. They are silly, fun, and creative. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Shel Silverstien.

Sinnott is on his way to becoming the next Shultz....
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2004-06-19
The poetry in Grasshopper Pie is wonderful for youngsters just learning how to read. The vivid illustrations drawn by Adrian Sinnott make the whole learning-to-read experience a much more enjoyable and fun one. It was so clever to have a grasshopper hidden on every page!! I am first grade teacher in Boston, and the kids in my class loved reading the book and looking at the pictures. Sinnott really inspired them to get into art and draw on their own.

A Fun, Whimsical Book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-06-20
Grasshopper Pie and Other Poems is a collection of whimsical stories by David Steinberg. Brought to life by cartoonist Adrian Sinnott, the tales and illustrations will captivate children and parents alike. My two daughters loved the Grasshopper chronicles-- from the title story to a tale about an upside-down boy and an "Alien in My Soup." My oldest daughter, age 7, found the cover illustration fun to study, with grasshoppers playfully swimming in the kitchen sink, lounging in the silverware drawer, munching on a blueberry pie, etc. Anyone who has children knows that children love looking at the details of any given drawing and spotting the various activities depicted by the artist (there's a "Where's Waldo?" quality to the cover). As my oldest daughter said, "The drawings are cool and the stories are funny." Thankfully, Grasshopper Pie does not have any politically correct adult moralizing, and instead emphasizes children's imaginations. I recommend Grasshopper Pie for children ages 5 to 8, and for adults who wish to revisit the way they once thought when they were young.

Poems
Late Wife: Poems (Southern Messenger Poets Series)
Published in Hardcover by Louisiana State University Press (2005-09-30)
Author: Claudia Emerson
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One of my best reads of the year
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-18
Claudia Emerson, Late Wife (Louisiana State University Press, 2005)

I've had very little patience with review-writing for the past six weeks or so, and thus I let this review go unconscionably long (I finished the book on April 30th and am writing this on June 10th). Thus, I've forgotten most of the phrases I was turning over in my mind. I do know, however, they all involved heaping a great deal of praise on Late Wife, Claudia Emerson's most recent book and the winner of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. I often find myself wondering what the judges were thinking giving the prize to book X instead of book Y; not in this case. The details may be a little fuzzy in my head this far after the fact, but the book itself is pure gold, that much I remember. Emerson has a wonderful eye for detail and that all-too-rare quality in a poet of not letting the story get in the way of the description:

"I'd run that course/so many times I imagined myself/a goat encircling an invisible stake//of the baseball diamond's off-season/desolation, scoreboard blank before/the lightening sky." ("The Practice Cage")

That, right there, is some language, folks. This is a book you want to read. Likely to be on my ten best reads of the year list. **** ½

Well Worth a Careful Read
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-16
I read about this collection by Claudia Emerson on a list of recent Pulitzer winners, and its marital themes appealed to me, so I gave it a try. These poems seem deceptively simple upon first reading, but as I've reread and lingered over them, they have grown deep roots. There is indeed a lot going on under the surface here.

The first two sections of this slim volume offer restrained yet poignant snapshots of a marriage viewed in retrospect--domestic moments that serve as subtle metaphors for a failing relationship. For instance, Emerson describes various homes that she and her husband occupied--houses that appear sound on the surface, but that include occupants like spiders, bees, bats, and termites, suggesting a marriage that is internally unsound. "Natural History Exhibits," for example, describes the newlywed poet opening up her silverware drawer to find a coiled snake. Rather than killing it, she hesitates and eases the drawer shut, letting the snake exit the way it came, but washing "every fork, spoon, and knife" afterwards. Her misgivings and her attempt to overlook the event mirror her handling of her early marital regrets. Another recurring image involves trapped birds--an orphaned cedar waxwing, a hawk caught in a batter's cage, and, in "A Bird in the House," the poet herself as a bird... the displaced "late wife" that her ex-husband's new wife chases out.

In the collection's final section, Emerson opens a window on her current relationship--one haunted by the ghost of her beloved's deceased "late wife," yet ultimately hopeful. In "Leave No Trace," a conscientious hiking trip becomes a meaningful metaphor for the subtle footprints we can't help but leave in each others' lives, yet Emerson's eyes are fixed confidently on her companion "on the trail just ahead."

This lovely, empathic collection is well worth a careful reading.


Poignant
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-28
This author knows how to capture the nuances of life that most of us can relate to. I found that I could not put this book down. I will be re-reading this approachable "story" many times.

A Word Is Worth A Thousand Pictures
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-08
Claudia Emerson's precise use of words to convey images and to stimulate reflection is an artform. The simplicity of the poems and their ease in reading them mask the depth that is in each. This is key to a poet's success. The ability to appeal to all audiences by conveying a clear picture, yet not giving away too much, allows for the preservation of the reader's ability to use their own imagination. Imagination is the precursor for reflection. When room is made for reflection, each poem takes on a life of their own and the experience becomes unique for each reader and a connection is made. Connection is what poetry is all about. Not only did I make strong connections with these poems, but I truly enjoyed them just for the pure pleasure of reading them. The descriptions and images were so beautifully conjured through the artistic use of words that like admiring a great painting, they encourage you to be artistic as well.

Wonderful
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-21
I was a student of Claudia Emerson's at Mary Washignton College, and find her ability to honest and genuine in the classroom translates in her work. I remember her discussing "Late Wife" just as her previous collection "Pinion" was released. It is exciting to see the conversations she had among her students, now present in the art. My favorite poem is her metaphoric look at the batting cage and the hawk escpaing. Perhaps, because I have run around the fields myself, or maybe, because I relate to the universality of feeling like exhibition, and desiring to be the hawk with its talons and break free. She is a wonderful poet, and I look forward to reading every word she writes.

Poems
Lightning Should Have Fallen on Ghalib: Selected Poems of Ghalib
Published in Paperback by Rupa & Co (2005-01-01)
Author: G.D. Thapar
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Outstanding translations of an outrageous, funny, clever, and great poet
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-24
Ghalib lived in very turbulent times. The Mughal empire in India was on its last legs and the British empire had tightened its clutches over India. Ghalib even lived through the horrendous 1857 "Sepoy Mutiny" of the "First War of Independence" (depends on whose view you believe in) and saw decimation of Delhi, a city he loved. The anguish of his poems is extremely hard to convey in a sterile language such as English. In any case, Robert Bly and Sunil Dutta's translations are over and above what else is available in the market. Excellent job.

"THE HEART IS AN ENTHUSIASTIC PURCHASER OF HUMILIATION"
Helpful Votes: 12 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2004-07-17
Ghalib's playful poetry in Urdu is fascinating, such as the line in the caption of this review, a fact most Indians are privy to. But having his quirky, self-effacing romantic gems in English is a delight of a different order altogether. The translation is thankfully quite interesting in and of itself which lends this book an amusing, page-turning quality.

Couple of notes:

(1) Get the Ecco Press version if you can find it, the paper quality is less annoying. The Amazon site (this page) advertises a publication from "Rupa Co." which has crummy pages that I regret buying.

(2) Also, the Ecco Press version of the book contains interesting translation notes from Sunil Dutta, which are fun to read. Robert Bly is listed as the editor, and while he hogs the credit, he simply performed the role of revising and redecorating Dutta's copious translation notes.

Either way, I highly recommend this thin volume for people who appreciate poetry in general or "shayari" in particular. I'd gladly pay for more than 30 samples of Ghalib's prolific work.

Best introduction to Ghalib's poetry
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-01-04
Although Ghalib is not as well known as the famous Sufi poet Rumi and great Persian poet Hafez, in my view he is even better in some ways. His Urdu poems are sometimes very complex and he was a master at exploiting subtleties of Urdu - a language in which one can write couplets that can be interpreted in several different ways. Furthermore, Ghalib could exploit the Urdu by using ambiguities - one doesn't know whether he is longing for God or his lover in his couplets. Several people have attempted to translate Ghalib and I think it will be next to impossible to get the same color and taste once an Urdu couplet gets changed to English - In my opinion English doesn't have the poetic capacity to absorb the richness of Urdu. Despite these limitations, Bly and Dutta have done a great job. I understand both Urdu and English and therefore I can say with confidence that this book contains the best translations of Ghalib's poems.

Outstanding book, paperback is even better
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2003-03-04
The paperback version of this book contains the Ghazals in English, Devnagari, and Urdu script. Go for the paperback and see how the original poems look in Urdu. For those of us who can read Urdu, it is a delight to read the original verses and match them with the English translation.

Beauty pours out of these poems
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2003-03-02
Ghazals are Urdu poems that have at least five couplets. Interestingly, the couplets within a Ghazal generally are not related to each other and stand on their own. Ghalib is probably the most loved Urdu poet. He was a master of Urdu poetry and his considerable linguistic skills in Urdu and Persian allowed him to create subtle and extremely complex metaphysical, existential, romantic, sad, and biting poems. One reason why Ghalib is not as well known as Rumi (though, a better poem, in my opinion) is the fact that his poetry never received good treatment from other translators. In fact, when I read some of the translations of Ghalib's poem, I sometimes laugh at the idiotic interpretations and mediocre quality. Even when an Urdu scholar translates Ghalib's poem, the problem is that this scholar is often mediocre poet and poor in English penmanship. The results are horrendous (read the translations by Ghalib Academy, New Delhi and see what I mean).

This work by Bly and Dutta is simply marvellous. I think the credit probably goes to Bly as he is not only a great poet, he also has deep experience in translating poetry. I doubt anyone else could have done a better job than this. Well done and thanks.

Poems
M the Missing Letter Poems
Published in Paperback by Wasteland Press (2005-11-30)
Author: Christian M., Jr. Benedetto
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Four Second Free Fall
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-08
"M" the missing letter poems is the latest in the collection of works since Christian Benedetto's "War Cries" -cri_es. Setting the tone with an opening quote from Hemingway, what proceeds is a stark, brutal and unrelenting force; where liberation is embedded within a four second free fall -suspended serenity; that which is a lifetime. [from "Aeolian harp"]

Like "War Cries", "M" moves within the collective conscience of those who have experienced war firsthand. Benedetto's grave scenarios -illustrated through close-ups, silhouettes, isolation and voyeurism - create a topsy-turvy world that seems to echo a not so distant past -present? At times my stomach turned with flashbacks of the graphic footage by embedded reporters from the early developments of the "Campaign". The cover artwork by Arielle Sandler is a perfect accompaniment to this turbulent force.

As "M" advances one becomes aware that each poem's dedicatee is a number -a body count? -Comrade? Foe? "Rescue" -for Lucy, threw me a bit as I was expecting the subject of this rescue to be -if at least only metaphorically - about a woman or in memory of, when in fact it was a gendered weapon. I immediately wondered how the readings from Benedetto's "Beauty & The Beast" might change if they were read with a similar perspective -inanimate objects assuming a role of mutual sympathy, a phantom partner projected into reality under excruciating circumstances.

"M" the missing letter poems is an experience of very real and raw emotions. As B. Levy wrote "...the only thing left to do is say a silent prayer - for the author, for the fallen..." Having served honorably in the United States Marine Corps, the 24th MEU SOC (Marine Expeditionary Unit-Special Operations Capable); Benedetto is a decorated combat veteran and life member of Disabled American Veterans.

M is Mostly Metaphysical
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-30
On first blush,the reader concludes that the poems carry us through a heart of darkness.The sixteen poems certainly contain more murder and mayhem than old time Sunday Thrillers or several levels of X-Box.
What's the appeal?What's the Hook?It's the spirituality.Not in a go to meeting fashion,but more in a meet your maker dialogue.
The works cover a canvas of emotions:"Rescue" is romantic and chivalrous
"Ziveli"salutes his fallen foe
"Lee Harvey"conveys thoughts of both the hunter and the hunted
"Aeolian Harp"brings to mind a similarly titled work by Thoreau
"Light Weight",a particularly timelypiece,speaks of redemption through self improvment
"Looking Glass"reflects on the ephemeral nature of our fate
"Fail Trade"addresses justice ,coming back to haunt the prosecution
"Uncivil Servant"finds the individual self,through rebellion against the state
These works take us through war,love andviolence.It's not always pretty and not often easy, but it is about the discovery of the spiritual in the 21st century.

Poignance and power
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-25
"M the missing letter poems" by Christian Benedetto presents with poignance and raw power the reflections and remembrances of combat. Moving way beyond personal battlefield reflections, each verse reaches deep down into the spirit of the author. A decorated Vietnam veteran, Benedetto effectively and colorfully presents allies and enemies, each with a sense of camaraderie or menance -- or sometimes both. I liked this collection of short poems a lot, especially because the author was so effective in cultivating conflicting feelings through his own images of conflict.

Eye Opening and Poignant
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-09
This is another heartfelt book of poetry from Christian Benedetto. For those of us who have never experienced war first hand, Mr. Benedetto takes us on a harrowing journey on to the modern day battlefield and into the mind of a solidier who has been there. These are unforgettable statements about the human experience.

M the Missing Letter Poems
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-08
The book was fantastic! It is not often that a combat soldier takes the time to put his thoughts into extremely raw, yet justified, poetry.

Poems
Poems of Survival
Published in Paperback by Chipmunkapublishing (2003-04-14)
Author: Sue Holt
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Average review score:

Moving Poetry
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-07-25
Sue Holt's poetry is truly inspirational. She shows how faith can overcome great difficulties, and that no matter what, survival is possible. Everyone will find strength in her poems.

POEMS OF SURVIVAL - SUE HOLT
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-07-25
Holt submerges her life experiences of manic depression within her deeply moving and inspirational poetry. Her language is dark and grabbing and she is a highly skilled poet at evoking pathos. This is my favorite book of poetry and I recommend it to anyone.

touching poetry...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-07-07
Sue Holt's book gathers dozens of vibrant poems. She has that gift which only great writers possess, that makes you very concerned about what she's talking about _in this case, mental illness_
A very emotional journey...

Snot and Tears
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-03-15
"Snot and Tears"

Sue Holt's portrayal of Jesus Christ is courageous to say the least. Sue admits to feeling no repentance to not describing Jesus' love through reverent verses in " Poems of Survival". Sue describes her encounters with God through "snot and tears", and makes no apology for the offence this may cause others, for Sue this was the reality surrounding her conversion to knowing the living God.
Sue knows that Jesus was with her in situations, which many may shy away from. To her Jesus is not the "untouchable" God often portrayed; He is her rock and deserves to be acknowledged through her painful choice of words. Sue knows you may find her reality uncomfortable, but her greatest wish is that you will discover the reality of God's love shining through her honesty.

These poems gives you a frisson
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-02-14
Dark and uplifting poetry concentrating on manic depression, abuse, love, pity, bewilderment and love. Holt's Poetry gives you a frisson and puts a tear to your eye. Christianity gives her the faith to bounce back and rejoin life. Although it must be said that the writing process itself seems to have made a magic wand for us the reader as well.

Poems
Poems: Love and Yore
Published in Paperback by AuthorHouse (2001-05-31)
Author: Arman Nabatiyan
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A splendid read
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2004-11-22
I bought this book along with the 'Hours of Youth.' I really liked both collections and very similar to the second volume of work, I found the poetry in the first book to be a rich display of passion & intimacy and a deliverance of sheer literary music. Well worth the money spent.

Ou est tu?
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2002-09-05
Arman,

C'est Viktoriya. Je suis a Chicago et je cherche de toi, je voudrais te voir et parler avec toi.
J'attendrai ton lettre ou ton appel.

Et pour le "review", tu deja connais que j'adore ta poesie :)

There are nuggets to be had.
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-22
A pretty decent book. I liked the first half more than the second half. I thought that the love poems were too cheesy and kinda read all the same. But still I would recommend it for the good ones that it contains.

Lovely verse
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2002-09-21
An excellent collection with much character to it. I enjoyed the love poems quite a bit, though not all of them are as powerful in emotive strength as the others. But still this does not detract from the overall excellent style of the book.

A Mystic Experience
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2002-06-14
This book is not like any particular current style that I have come across but still it reads with a modern voice almost dare I say, with a timeless voice, a transcending narrative of an age. I am not sure what to make of the book on the whole, but I liked many of the poems, especially the love poems a lot. I am not surprised that others liked them too.

Poems
Selected Poems
Published in Paperback by Liveright (1994-10-19)
Author: E. E. Cummings
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not even the rain has such small hands
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-27
Everyone should read ee cummings, even non-poetry lovers will love cummings whimsy and clever wordplay. He has also written the most beautiful, most romantic poetry of anyone in the English language.

It's e.e. cummings for heaven sakes
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2002-12-05
It really is a great collection of e.e. cummings - certainly everything I wanted.

But what's to review - it's e.e. cummings, it's great

Now I must get back to my toboganning into know

Enjoy.

P.S. e.e. cummings was emphatic about his name being in lower case, so I do have to criticize the Editors of this book for putting his name in caps

e.e. rules!!!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2003-09-08
One of the great poets of the 20th century gets a nice treatment here. A few of my favorites were not included (disappointed!!), but all in all this is a solid, representative anthology.

EEEEEEEEECAPITALEEEEEEEEEE
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 17 total.
Review Date: 2003-04-08
This is not a review. It is a complaint about the review I just read critisizing the editors of this fine collection. E.E. Cummings HATED that his publishers put his name in all lower case. He was not emphatic about it. He thought it was gimicky and exploitive of his publishes.
Whoa, when'd this horse get so high. ooop
S.

"life is more true than reason will deceive"
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2002-04-06
This review is from a strictly prose guy, as poetry usually goes right over my head. In my efforts to understand poetry, I have discovered that the work of e.e. cummings breaks through the stylistic barriers that make many people shy away from poetry altogether. cummings' use of bizarre spacing, punctuation, and phrasings keeps the reader away from the "sing-song" routine that tends to damage the credibility of many a poem, and cummings uses the art of style to say many things and make many points in just a few words. The most fascinating aspect of cummings' work is letting the small number of words in a poem really sink in until you gain many insights. This book usefully arranges cummings' most noteworthy poems into categories so you can more easily dwell on his major areas of subject matter. cummings did not live the hard life of many noteworthy poets, so a good number of his poems are musings on abstract concepts like life, love, mythology, and mortality. However, his much sharper observations on war, prostitution, politics, and the dark side of urban life can be truly shocking once you delve into their deeper meanings. Contemplating the title of this review, which is also the first line of the poem on page 181 of this book, will help any poetry-fearing reader to dive into cummings' world.

Poems
Talking Like the Rain: A Read-To-Me Book of Poems
Published in School & Library Binding by Topeka Bindery (2003-12)
Author: X. J. Kennedy
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Poetry book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-01
This is a wonderful book filled with poems by well known authors.
Wonderful for children who enjoy poetry. Highly recommend!

Educators Recommend
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2004-03-15
The Kennedys have done a superb job in selecting the poems for this read-aloud. The titles run the gamut of sweetly simple (Langston Hughes' "Piggy Back"), to the powerful (Georgia Roberts Durston's "The Wolf").

There is something for everyone here. Readers will find old favorites-"The Purple Cow"-as well as a few not-so-well-known but soon-to-be favorites such as William Jay Smith's lovely and lyrical "Polar Bear."

The book is divided into nine, themed sections: Plays, Families, Just for Fun, Birds, Bugs, and Beasts, Rhymes and Songs, Magic and Wonder, Wind and Weather, Calendars and Clocks, and, finally, Day and Night.

Making their appearance are, among others, Robert Louis Stevenson, Joan Aiken, Jane Yolen, Gwendolyn Books, A. A. Milne, and Wallace Stevens.

Jane Dyer, as always, does a magnificent job with the illustrations. There are full-page pictures and spot art throughout, extending and enriching the text. Readers will want to linger over the realistic, charming watercolors.

Highly recommended.

Reviewed by the Education Oasis Staff

Every Child Deserves This Beautiful Book
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2001-12-13
This large, gorgeous picture book contains 123 poems perfectly suited for youthful excursions into the land of poetry. You will find many favorites here as well as bountiful opportunity to make new friends. Emily Dickinson, Rachel Field, David McCord, Jane Yolen, Christina Rossetti, Langston Hughes, Elizabeth Coatsworth, and Robert Frost are just a few of the amazing talents that grace the pages of this book. From the very beginning where a qote from Isak Dinesen's "Out of Africa" explains the title of the book, we are swept up in a cavalcade of imagery, sound and experience that is a true delight and feast for the imagination. Not only is this a wonderful introduction to poetry for children it is a giant step forward toward learning about creative visualization and self-expression. It is a fortunate child who learns to evoke response from others through the mastery and selection of words. There is no better way to teach the art than to provide a child with the opportunity to experience the magic first-hand. The splendid illustrations in this book cheerily invite one to venture closer and then become the magic carpet that sweeps one from place to place within the book. The subject matter covers a broad range of topics, humorous and thoughtful, and can serve as a wonderful catalyst to further discussion about poetry and the use of the imagination. After a long and satisfying relationship with this book, may I suggest that you place a special magical pen and a blank tablet of paper in the hands of your child and discover the wonders it has helped to deliver. This book is truly an ambassador to creative expression.

Great Book of Poetry For Children (and Parents)
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2002-07-11
Last night, my not-quite-three-year-old daughter spontaneously recited a couple dozen poems from this book to my wife and me. We were astounded. She's been requesting that we read TALKING LIKE THE RAIN to her day and night since I bought it last month, but we had no idea how deeply the poems had sunken in. What better endorsement can one give to such a book? We plan to buy several more copies as presents for my daughter's friends . . . and their parents.

X.J. Kennedy is a terrific poet as well as a top-notch editor. I highly recommend his own children's poetry books, particularly his irreverent BRATS, as well as his poetry books for adults, which include the excellent DARK HORSES and CROSS TIES.

A Beautiful Anthology with a Wonderful Variety of Poems
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2002-11-15
This is a beautiful book both visually and in content. The watercolor illustrations are in the realistic style painted in fine detail. My daughter loves to look at the pictures closely as we read the poems aloud.

The poems selected cover a wide range of topics, themes, and moods. There are funny poems like limericks, serious poems about the seasons, poems about how children sometimes feel (such as the one about the boy who didn't do anything right yesterday, so he's not getting out of bed today) bedtime poems, and poems about child play.

This book was a gift and I love it so much I've since given it to other parents and children to enjoy. Everyone has been enthusiastic about it. When my daughter selects this book (which is often) it's fun for us to browse through the pages and pick poems based on the illustrations or on our mood. We'll say, let's read about sleepytime poems, or let's read funny poems. She never tires of this book. There are hundreds of poems to choose from, but the scope is not overwhelming either.

I give this book my highest recommendation. Every home should have some poetry on the shelf!

Poems
Yoga Poems: Lines to Unfold By
Published in Hardcover by Stone Bridge Press (2000-06-01)
Author: Leza Lowitz
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Average review score:

YOGA POEMS WINS "PEN" AWARD
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-14
THIS BOOK RECEIVED THE PEN/OAKLAND JOSEPHINE MILES AWARD FOR BEST BOOK OF POETRY.

ALSO, PACIFIC RIM REVIEW OF BOOKS, SUMMER 2007 WROTE:

"In this beautifully written book, Leza Lowitz seeks to share the inner landscape of her yoga journey and to inspire others to take this same journey from individuation to unity...She accomplishes this by capturing the spirit of yoga with strong images and simple free verse firmly grounded in the experience of practice in mind, body, and spirit...This is not the yoga of the hip and trendy, but the yoga of a true seeker--an ordinary woman who has discovered her Self through movement, and has found acceptance and grace through allowing her body and soul to unfold with yoga. Named after yoga postures and breath work, Lowitz's poems capture the spirit of yoga again and again. In "Sutra Hasta Majoriasana (Threading the Needle)," simple yet powerful metaphor reveals the essence of the pose in body, mind and consciousness.

...untangling a knot
that is my life
the knot becomes my teacher...

the needle that is sharp
at dawn
might be broken by dusk...

The thread that is straight today
doesn't know
it will be knotted tomorrow.

The knot
that is tangled today
could be woven into gold
ten years from now.

That is why
I thread the needle,
honoring the odds
steadying my arms
softening my breath
working the knot,
trusting.

Any reader will recognize the moment when challenges are viewed as an opportunity to learn and grow. A yoga practitioner will recall the pose and know that each moment on the yoga mat is a metaphor for life. Lowitz's words inspire us to embrace each posture as an opportunity to remain mindful of each moment, to learn and grow, and to cultivate faith."

--Christine Morita Clancy, PRR Issue Six, Summer 2007

Yoga Poems- Lines to unfold by
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-18
Yoga Poems- Lines to Unfold By... is a glorious collection.
These poems bring a beautiful perspective to each asana.
At the end of a practice, I select a poem of an asana of focus for the day. I quietly share this with the class during relaxation, as the mind is open and the body calm. It is truely heartening to me to see the soulful, connection it often brings to the receiver.

This book is ideal to sell in your studio as well as a simple and delightful gift for anyone in your spiritual community...

laughter, love and light in Colorado

Late Blooming Yoga Practice
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2004-01-02
As someone who came to Yoga after 60, I have found Yoga Poems:Lines to Unfold By from author Leza Lowitz inspiring! Not only has she given a beautiful voice to the asanas but she has given me the desire to go even deeper into the heart of Yoga practice. I can visualize the poses in her poetic imagery. The poems are as serene as Yoga is meant to be. I loved the illustrations and only wish that each pose had its own rather than just those introducing the various sections.
Donna Mendelsohn

108 Stars for Leza Lowitz Yoga Poems!!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2003-07-02
This is a delightful, delicious, exquisite book. I could nibble on it all day long! Leza's Yoga Poems are lovely to read while sitting in Upavistha Konasana (Seated Wide Angle Pose) or while eating an icecream sandwich after class. It is wonderful company if you are eating dinner alone. This books structure beautifully reflects the eight "limbs" or stages of yoga. Each inspired poem is named after an asana, (the Sanskrit term for a yoga posture), or a breathing practice. Like the other reviewers who practice yoga, I was amazed by how well Leza Lowitz captured the spirit of each asana. She has successfully united her passion for yoga with her love of poetry. The illustrations by yoga teacher and artist Anja Borgstrom are perfect. This is a magical book that also makes a most romantic present. If you are looking for a gift for the special Yogi or Yogini in your Life, or a perfect present for your teacher, I promise, this book will please them!

Suza Francina, author, "Yoga and the Wisdom of Menopause" and "The New Yoga for People Over 50."

the poetry of yoga
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2003-07-02
Yoga Poems: lines to unfold by
tell the truth about more
than the poses they limn;
they tell about we
who unfold in the poses,
our moods
our aspirations
our whims;
lines to unfold by
are lines to live by;
as we learn to unfold the lines
as we learn to unfold the poses
we unfold ourselves.

Poems
The Barista Diary
Published in Paperback by BookSurge Publishing (2007-07-25)
Author: Michelle Murphy
List price: $18.99
New price: $18.99
Used price: $15.17

Average review score:

Didn't Want to Put it Down!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-02
This is a great read especially for people who LOVE espresso. This book makes me want to live in the mountains of Washington and open an espresso/gift shop. The journal entries are simple, funny, and fun to read. I highly recommend this book and am looking for a similar read since I am 3/4 done with this book.

The Barista Diary
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-31
What an INCREDIBLE read!!!! Gals and guys alike will enjoy this book!! I even gave it to my husband to read after I was finished and he's been laughing with it and sharing some of these fabulous stories with his co-workers (all male by the way). Truly an amazing, wonderful, joyful read -You will not want it to end - I surely didn't!! When you start reading this, plan on spending a great deal of time because you're going to be HOOKED!!

Best, funniest, hilarious book in a long long time! Women everywhere will love and relate!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-23
To all (men & women) everywhere. You will relate to this laugh a minute book about the Barista challenges/stalkers, hilarious male/female issues.
Real life, honest to a fault, too funny for words. You don't want to put down and you can't wait to see what antics the next day holds.
Recommend recommend recommend.
This would make a #1 top selling MOVIE! Sandra Bullock is the ONLY one who could do it justice.
Fun fun fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mo
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-21
A good beach read! Christy is a survivor who has faced life's challenges and the many colorful characters she has encountered with honesty, self-reflection and humor. What a gal!

Chick book, but fun fun ro a guy to read also.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-20
It's a chick book, but if your not to thin skinned it's funny and a lot of fun for a guy too. Christy tells it the way she sees it and I'm sure the gals love it and if you just look at the humor in it a guy can laugh at what she has to say also.


Books-Under-Review-->Arts-->Literature-->Authors-->G-->Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von-->Poems-->8
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