Poetry Books

I love this book!!! Leonard Cohen is the arguably the most touching writer alive today. I always feel a real connection with his writing, and it always leaves me in total awe.

Because I had bought and read his latest book I decided to buy an old one. Since his songs are poems set to music this book is prose brought to the level of poetry. Short thoughts on his relationship to a higher being or muse or idea. Thought provoking. A pleasure just to read. The man has spent his life finding the right words and metaphoric language for his deep thoughts on love and meaning and life. Thank you, Leonard

Perhaps Leonard Cohen has never been a King, as was David, but the passion of his reflections truly invites comparison.

Cohen struggles with G-d, in the finest tradition of Judaism-- indeed, of all spiritual combat. So he both speaks to G-d, and he listens. His listening compels me to listen with my own feeble ears.

This is a book for all spiritual combatants, whether Jewish, Christian, or Muslim. Or any faith that is "of the book."

Leonard Cohen, always the great poet, has done a masterful job of expressing the spirit of the Psalms in modern prosaic, poetic form. And like the son of the chief psalmist, Cohen has traveled a road that has taken him through many life experiences, only to come through them to arrive at the knowledge of that which truly matters. Book of Mercy is not only a literary gem, but a book of enlightening and thought provoking inspiration for Jew and Christian alike, not to mention that person we often refer to as a seeker.

Although Book of Mercy is written in prose, its soul is poetic.
To try to describe it I must point at the Moon -- there are no words
in me, experience it for yourself. My best friend's roots are Jewish,
mine are Catholic, we have evolved into an inclusive state of being,
yet Book of Mercy shows us the origins of our religions respectively --
althouth it is beyond either.

Here are some publisher's quotes: "An eloquent victory of the human spirit in combat with itself." (Globe and Mail)
"One of the most honest and courageous attempts in Canadianwriting to grapple with ultimate truth." (Books in Canada)
"Resplendent evidence of an arduous spiritual journey." (Maclean's)

Nobody else in our times reaches the tundra of the soul's journey as does Cohen. A wonderful love-version of the Star of David graces the cover.

This book expresses old fashioned love in contemporary poetry.Some think they are in love but have not experienced what Notshulwana articulates in verse.He's prose is brilliant, he shares with the reader his most intimate feelings about the love of his life.Congratulations, Veza, for finding what the world is searching for.. TRUE LOVE.

"The Bouquet of Roses is an inspiring expression of a man's love and a tribute to the relationship of a man and a woman."

Barbara Lackey, Professor of Psychology
Southern California University for Professional Studies, USA.

Reference to cashmere cloth might not mean a thing to one who is not exposed to the culture of the Xhosa people in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. When a young man wants to ask his loved one's family for her hand in marriage, symbolic items are wrapped in black cashmere cloth, to be presented by the delegation to her family. The covers of this book are the embodiment of that tradition, as the pieces of poetry they contain are representative of that gift of love. I recommend it even to those averse to the subject of love, as they surely will be converted after reading this collection.

"Someone once said that life is a song and God writes the words. This collection of love poetry has just confirmed that. These poems could have been songs, for they are beautiful and profound in every way."

"Someone once said that life is a song and God writes the words. This collection of poetry has just confirmed that. These poems could hace been songs, for they are beautiful and profound in every way."

Nosipho Kota, Colunmist, East Cape Weekend.

Susan Browne's book Buddha's Dogs is worth your time, your money, and your open heart.
You can check out some of her poems by googling her name; but if you like your poetry direct, observant, and (dare I say it?) emotional, you'll be happy with this collection.
I just finished it and want to start reading it again, right now.
This is one very talented and honest woman.
She will make you laugh and cry; she will touch your soul.

I have a small shop where I carry a few fine books. My customers are loyal and careful about what they read. In three years of business I've received only one hot check. No one has ever stolen from me.

One afternoon, an attractive young woman walked in wearing a shirt that said "RENO!" and carrying a large shopping bag from the clothing store down the block. She asked me if I had something wonderful to read and I replied that I did. I asked her if she was in the mood for poetry. She said yes.

I handed her my last copy of Buddha's Dogs by Susan Browne, a collection of poems that can make standing difficult after first reading. She took the book to the love seat in the corner and grew so quiet that I'd forgotten she was there. I went about my business serving other customers.

After several minutes, the woman rose and moved slowly to the exit. She looked sad, happy and a little disoriented when she nodded goodbye. I was disappointed that she didn't buy the collection I'd recommended but thanked her as she waved her shopping bag out the door.

I searched for Buddha's Dogs the rest of that afternoon. I retraced the woman's steps through the store, checked all of the shelves where she'd browsed, looked under the couch cushions. Finally, I accepted that the book was gone and that I'd encountered my first book thief. I've never seen the woman again.

So, this is my review and I'm not sure I could offer Buddha's Dogs a higher rating. This book of poems is so good that it can make you a criminal. Buy it but don't lend it.

Susan Browne was my creative English teacher at DVC and to this day, I still think she is the finest teacher I have ever had, bar none. It wasn't just how she encouraged us to sing, standing on our desks, laughing in a yell "Worlds above, worlds below, the world has never seen anyone like me!", or how she taught us to see Whitman, mottled in sunlight on a beautiful spring afternoon, but it was how she was/is a fearless example of her own philosophy. To see her book published makes me feel very proud (go Susan, go!), and reading her poetry validates my admiration of her Self and her work. :)

As I am also a former student of Susan Browne's, I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I only recently got around to buying this fine book. I'm pleased to report that the collection is shot through with the kind of wry, sad, eyes wide open approach to poetry that Susan has always employed. She is an ardent believer in the healing power of the poem, and Buddha's Dogs, whether it is provoking smiles or quietly tearing your heart out, reflects that faith.

I think I heard about this book through reading Kim Addonizio's poetry (which I highly recommend). When I read the review the person wrote about the girl stealing the book from her book store I knew I had to buy it. I'm SO glad I did. This is one of the best books of poetry I've read this year. It's soul-affirming, gritty, honest, down-to-earth, searing, heart-wrenching and just plain FABULOUS! I'm eager to read more of Ms. Browne's work.

I am a librarian at a small public library with a very multicultural community base. In order to increase our poetry collection I branched out and ordered new authors. Mr. Daisy's book made it worth my while. Ever since receiving his book in early 2002, we have not been able to keep it on the shelves. People of all ages, races and backgrounds have found his poetry, "moving and inspiring", "comforting", and feel "he understands my world". This book is a wonderful addition to anyone's library, whether public or your home collection.

Kyran Daisy has captured the emotions that come hand in hand with strength, frustration, misery, rage, tenderness, desire, love, heartache, and heartbreak and shared them with his readers in a mesmerizing flow of phrases. Each new poem brought a new rush of goosebumps to my skin. I fully experienced his joy and his sorrow through his brilliant words.

I don't think there is a soul on earth who would not find their own personal truth in the experiences of Mr. Daisy. As one reads the verses, one wonders if the poet was actually right there, experiencing these emotions right beside them. There is so much wisdom in the words of this young man. He has such talent, and so, such a future in poetry!

I THANK KYRAN FOR CREATING A TRULY INSPIRATIONAL BOOK OF POETRY. IT MADE ME OPEN MY EYES TO THE EMOTIONS CAPTIVATED WITHIN EVERY STORY. THE BOOK IS BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED AS IS THE MAN HOW WROTE IT. WITH EVERY WORD ON THE PAGE ONE COULD TELL HIS LOVE FOR POETRY. THE BOOK MAKES YOU REFLICT ON THE PURPOSE OF POETRY; TO REACH DOWN INSIDE YOUR SOUL AND LET GO OF THOSE POWERFULY FEELINGS YOU NEVER KNEW YOU HAD. I HOPE THAT KYRAN FINDS THE MOTIVATION TO WRITE ANOTHER DELIGHTFULLY, MOTIVATING BOOK.

I cannot give enough praise and words to express my feelings for Mr Kyran Daisy's book of poems, Can't Nobody Take Me Away.His poetry is heartwarming, sensitive, perceptive, and emotional. Mr. Daisy is a creative writer. I highly recommend his book because it is a wonderful reading experience.

I cannot give enough praise and words to express my feelings for Mr Kyran Daisy's book of poems, Can't Nobody Take Me Away.His poetry is heartwarming, sensitive, perceptive, and emotional. Mr. Daisy is a creative writer. I highly recommend his book because it is a wonderful reading experience.

If you'd given me a sheaf of Chiyo-ni's haiku before I read this book, I might have had a "so what?" moment rather than a "haiku moment." Writer Patricia Donegan and translator Yoshie Ishibashi teamed up to present us with an invaluable scholarly introduction to the life and work of the great Chiyo-ni. The 65 pages of biographical and cultural information bring Chiyo-ni and her contemporaries vividly to life, providing a context for the 100 haiku to follow. For example, Chiyo-ni was friends with prostitutes, and this was not considered unusual for a Buddhist nun; prostitutes were not shunned, for one thing, and both nuns and prostitutes had greater freedom than most of the women of Japan of that era.

The poems are presented in sections for the four seasons, each one in both phonetic and script Japanese, with an English translation, identification of the kigo (the season word), and sometimes notes on Chiyo-ni's life at the time she wrote the poem, the mood being expressed, or cultural references with which a Westerner would not usually be familiar.

The book is paperback but lovingly produced. An indispensable reference work for haiku readers and writers, and for those interested in the lives of women who managed to find personal and artistic freedom within societies that greatly restricted the lives of women.

I really enjoyed this beautifully written biography of Chiyo-Ni, as well as the the banquet of her exquisite haiku. In addition, there are many examples of drawings/paintings done of her by her contemporaries. I would highly recommend this book, and have re-read the haiku many times. Chiyo-Ni is truly a master of her art and it is so fortunate that her works have survived for our enjoyment.

Simple and delicious. A treasure. My favorite poem, "clear water / no front / no back" No more needs to be said.

There is no logic at all to what goes out of print...this book should be out there forever, it is so rare and remarkable. Buy it now, though, and add Far Beyond the Field, a survey of 20 historical and modern Japanese women haiku poets, including Chiyo-ni. If you write haiku or just love to read it, you'll find a unique inspiration in these two wonderful collections.

This biography of woman haiku master Chiyo-ni is interwoven
with beautiful translations of her haiku as well as intelligent background material on the form itself. A must-have.

I had the opportunity to hear Michael Ondaatje read his poem 'The Concessions' from this book at the Blyth Festival season launch and this poem is very beautiful. Not only is it a connection that is like no other with the area that it was written for. Ondaatje has really gotten into the sprit of the area as he pin points local figures 'the mystic from Millbank' we all knew who these people were that he was pin pointing which was very lovely. I was very pleased to have had the opportunity to have hear that poem that I went out and bought this book right away because of that poem. I recommed that you buy this book there are many other lovely poems but that one 'The Concessions' will forever stand out in my mind.

The wonderful collection of poems that comprise The Cinnamon Peeler were written by Michael Ondaatje during a twenty-year period. They are works of deep intimacy and dazzling beauty.

Not being a poet myself, I enjoy reading Ondaatje's gorgeous poetry to my novelist wife.

More than love poems, these works contain wonderful twists and turns that are both painful and funny. Ondaatje has obviously turned to both Rousseau and Wallace Stevens for inspiration, but he also contributes his own sense of the novel and his awareness of social strata.

This is a charming book, with a muted sense of humor. With The Cinnamon Peeler, Ondaatje takes us deep inside his own mind and heart. It is trip worth making.

Michael Ondaatje knows how to mix humor, beauty, sadness, and acute observation together to make lovely works of art. This collection contains a great variety of poetry, from simple and touching observations about his children, to deeply imagined distant moments of wonder. My favorite is "Pure Memory/Chris Dewdney" which actually made me cry twice for two different reasons when I first read it. I will say no more here. "Elimination Dance" is also a fun one to read out loud. "The Cinnamon Peeler" itself is a fantastic love poem. There is so much good stuff in this.

Michael Ondaatje knows how to write poetry. Primarily, he is a poet. Secondly a novelist. This collection contains a great variety of poems about day to day life, love, marriage, deep observations about children, humour, history and many more.

My favourite poem is ""To a Sad Daughter" which has a universal appeal. Once, I read this poem to my wife just replacing the poet's daughter's infatuation: ice hockey players with our daughter's hobby. My wife remarked: "Great poem. So you write good poetry too!"

I also like other poems including "The Cinnamon Peeler", "A House Divided", "Women Like You", "Billboards" and "Postcard From Piccadilly Street".

Michael Ondaatje shares his great intimate moments with us including love, his recollection of places and relationships with us. If you want to understand Ondaatje's prose, one must begging with his poetry. For anyone `The Cinnamon Peeler' is an entry into a dark and deep labyrinth painted with human experience. When you come out of it, you'll be a different person.

This book is a one I read over and over again when I'm both sad and happy!

I don't have much to say, but I must state my immense admiration for micheal ondaatje and his thought...his way of thinking reminds me of my own, like when he says in one of his poems with no name, "how we moved from thin ceramic to such destruction". I feel such romance and love from almost every single poem, even rat jelly! He doesn't restrict himself to using a certain amount of lines in his stanzas, and there's no rhyming. That makes his poetry more "true" and honest, like all poems should be. His works read rather like a novel and he could probably write a novel for each poem he's written, but they'd all be thrown in together eventually into one book, since they're all in a way connected. I love reading his poetry over and over again, the effect never wears out. I can't remember the name of my favourite poem from this book, but it's simply about him and his wife kicking each other in bed for the covers and the space, and how he says that she got pregnant, he's sure, just so she could get the space...it's such a simple subject that no one else would think of writing about...no other poets that I've read have succeded in being able to pour out their thoughts in a way that I would actually be interested to read them. I applaud you, Micheal Ondaatje...all my love.

Housman's poetry is very gloomy; considering that all the pictures I saw of him in my high school English IV class looked as if he has a stick shoved up his __. I recommend "To an Athlete Dying Young" number 19 in his collection called A Shropshire Lad. Still strangely relevant since it's first writing way back in 1896, it's just a really good example of really vivid poetry done by a master.

Absolutely necessary reading for any poetry lover. If by some terrible mistake you have so far missed Housman, you should make up for it immediately. Don't waste your time reading reviews, just get the book asap!

I remember first discovering A. E. Housman in school when I read "A Shropshire Lad" and was rather impressed.

My favorite of his poems is "To An Athlete Dying Young". It moved me because it has a special connection with me, since now that my athletic days are over and I'm no longer a part of any team, I understand and can identify with the athlete who is once so glorious and yet his glory can be so short-lived.

David Rehak
author of "Poems From My Bleeding Heart"

A.E., Housman's superb poem, "To an Athlete Dying Young", cannot help but bring to mind all the young men who perished in aerial combat. You knew some. I knew some. We are now moving off stage and we cannot help but hope and pray that others will carry on the task of remembrance. I drive by Putterham Circle in South Brookline, Massachusetts, frequently and I note that the wooden sign dedicating the traffic circle to my old friend Staff Sgt. Frank Ryan is in need of replacement.

What brings this to mind is a letter from a Fred Farnsworth (email address: FredieF@aol.com) of Los Alamos, New Mexico. He is interested in the life of his late cousin, Lt. Everett Farnsworth, of Stillwater, Oklahoma. His cousin and Jimmy Stewart were close pals and used to double date the English girls who lived near the air field. I should note here that I have yet to hear one note of criticism of Jimmy either as an Airplane Commander, actor or as a human being.

Our correspondent says Jimmy told his cousin that he would honor him in a movie Stewart would make when he got back to the States. He gave Everett the name George Bailey in the movie we all have seen probably more than once. Its title was "It's a Wonderful Life".

Everett did not live to see the movie in which Stewart kept his promise. He was killed on a bombing mission when his badly shot- up Fortress went down in a Swiss lake. The name of the lake was Greifensee. Everett and one other were killed in the crash. Four other crewmen who had been ordered to bail out did so and survived. The plane was a B17G -serial no. 384BG/5545BS and it went down April 4, 1944. Anyone with information concerning the plane and its crew can forward it to "Vapor Trails".

As long as I am still here to tell the tale let me home you in a bit on my pal Frank Ryan. He was a rich kid from a very patriotic family. He had a U.S. Marine brother who fought on Tarawa if my memory serves. Frankie went to "Cranwell", a lahdeedah Jesuit boarding school in the Berkshires. I went to Boston College High, at that time a Dickensian Jebbie prep school in Boston's tough South End. It is still close to my heart after all these years. We both wound up among the very few Radio Operator Gunners who could read Latin. (I can say this without fear of correction because all my Latin teachers are dead.)

We both joined the Army Air Corp in Brookline but didn't see each other again until a couple of years later when we luckily met on a train back to Brookline. We were beginning the furloughs you get just before going overseas and presumably into combat. Frankie went to the Eighth Air Force whereas I wound up in the Tenth. I sent him a V-Mail from the 7th Bomb Groups airbase at Pandeveswar, Bengal soon after I got there. By this time the European air war was winding down. I wrote Frankie that he was one lucky guy because his war was just about finished whereas fliers in the CBI had a long way to go.

I sent the same note to Nate Douglas of Georgia whom I had met my first day of Basic Training and had been to CTD, Sioux Falls Radio School, and Gunnery School at Yuma. We said goodbye in Savannah where he was assigned to train on B17s and I was across town at Chatham Field training on Liberators.

A few weeks later I was sitting in front of a sweltering straw-roofed basha in Bengal, India, when a mail orderly came by and handed me the self-same V-Mails I had sent Ryan and Douglas. The orderly muttered "Sorry". Both V-Mails were stamp "Killed in Action."

Smart lad(s) to slip betimes away from fields where glory does not fade...
John Brennan, editor

I don't know what I'd do without this book. I stumbled on Housman more or less by accident in an anthology and just fell in love -- so much emotion so perfectly crystallized in such lovely little lyrics, beautiful regardless of what connection you make to it. I can't recommend this highly enough; somehow, despite the melancholy, Housman's verse retains a power to comfort and assure in even the most dire of situations. That, I suppose, is why it was written years ago "for those unhappy fellows, unborn and unbegot, for them to read when they're in trouble and I am not."

Surprisingly neglected, especially in the academy, Schuyler will soon be recognized as one of the most gifted poets of his generation. The deluge of doctoral dissertations cannot be far off; I encourage readers to beat the rush.

Except for his last poems, JS is one of the best poets ever and deserves more attention. If you're unfamiliar with his work, look at the cover and it'll tell you almost everything you need to know before you bask in the light.

James Schuyler's COLLECTED POEMS is a great volume of poetry. Ranging from aspects of daily life (such as plants, walks in the countryside, friends, urban life, etc.) to contemplation of death, life, one's interiority, and God, Schuyler's subjects are compelling and relevant. What I especially like is his ability to take a mundane, everyday object or concept (like a view from a building) and give it a new, intensely personal perspective. This is his major gift. One aspect that I didn't like about some of his poems (and this is true for all poets) is his tendency to be obscure at times (though only a small portion of his poems are abstruse) and his long, rambling prose poems, like "Hymn to Life." "The Morning of the Poem," though, is a fantastic and imaginative piece of literature, broad in its scope and revealing of Schuyler in its tone and subjects. Overall, this volume of poetry unites the works of a superb poet, who valued the artist's perspective and his or her obligation to record a view of the world different than that of the average person. This volume will, I fervently hope, remain in the continuum of literature and in discussions of it for many years to come.

This collection should establish Schuyler as one of the great poets of his generation. I particularly admire his tautness--precise names and descriptions, inventive phrases--as well as his flexibility--a wide-ranging eye and ear and a free-flowing memory. Throughout these poems there lurks a clear intention to inform, to connect, to synthesize. I look forward to returning to this book many times for refreshment and illumination.

These sparkling poems mimic in their movements the springtime light that's always raining down around this poet, despite whatever woes he might have had. Read the long "Morning of the Poem" and tell me it isn't one of the most moving poems in the history of poetry.

This is an excellent edition of the collected poems of Octavio Paz, with English translations facing the Spanish originals. I purchased this as a gift for my Spanish teacher and she was delighted! My favorites are his poems written when he served as a Mexican diplomat in India and Japan. His sensitive mind absorbed the nuances of place and religion, which are recreated for us in the poems. His efforts at haiku en espagnol are enlightening, pun intended.

I bought this book after reading an excerpt of one of Paz's poems at a camp. I didn't know what poem it was from, so I bought the book and scoured it until I found the poem. It was Brotherhood. The poetry is beautiful and moving. It is the type of poetry you can read and enjoy no matter if you understand what it is saying, the writing is that beautiful

Octavio Paz has since passed through this world leaving behind a beautiful web of words with the tapestry of things seen and unseen. Paz does an ambidextrous job of mixing in elements of surrealism with the bone of natural objects and that which is very real. His, and the translator Eliot Weinberger ... along with the help of other poet translators to include Bishop, Levertov, Tomlinson--all of their words come alive with beautiful language. The translation seems true to the intent.

What is essential about this book is that each poem comes with the bilingual translation in English and accompanied by the original works in Spanish. Two years of high school Spanish, as well as two years in college, has rendered me with a woefully inadequate ineptitude of all words and understanding of that language. But I don't think that the translation can ever capture the sound, the alliteration, the true tongue/la lingua and fluid language that Paz meant in his original Spanish. Even if I don't understand a lick of what's on the left side of the page in Spanish at least it can be read for it's beautiful sound. Listen to this, "Through the conduits of bone I night I water I forest that moves forward I tongue I body I sun-bone Through the conduits of night" and then on the even-numbered page, "Por el arcaduz de hueso yo noche yo agua yo bosque que avanza yo lengua yo cuerpo yo hueso de sol Por el arcaduz de noche."

What are you doing still sitting here reading my crappy writing when you could be reading Ocatavio Paz? Go get the book...you'll see.

Example 1: "Un cuerpo, un cuerpo solo, sólo un cuerpo,/un cuerpo como día derramado/y noche devorada". Example 2: "Lates entre la sombra/blanca y desnuda: río." Octavio Paz is one of the first voices of the xxth century mexican poetry. He is the most important blend between clasicism and the modern trends in poetical expresion. He lived in France and thus, he experienced surrealism and mingled with the likes of Breton, Éluard, et al. In México he estimulated the literary critic and reviews to new standars of excelence. Read O. Paz.

Paz' poetry is sublime, and elegant. The words and ideas simply slip off the page. Its like taking a bath in chocolate.

Paz consistently suprises the reader with new ideas, form, language. Paz creates an atmosphere that is soothing, and enchanting. I would highly recommend this work.

Kees is a brilliant modernist poet, who describes the world he sees in dark and apocalyptic tones, filled with biting satirical wit. He poems read like photographic images of the dark reality in which he lives. His style is inventive and original. The world around him is hollow and meaningless, as seen through the eyes of bathers, lovers, scholars, soldiers, politicians, businessmen, actors, and Robinson -- the caricature of the average man of the cold-war era. His vision is the opposite Whitman with a vision that's closer to Kafka and Samuel Beckett, expressing the pointlessness of war and mechanistic civilization. As he writes: "If this room is our world, then let / This world be damned. Open this roof / For one last monstrous flood / To sweep away this floor, these chairs, / This bed that takes me to no sleep. / Under the black sky of our circumstance, / Mumbling of wet barometers, I stare / At citied dust that soils the glass / While thunder perishes. The heroes perish / Miles from here. Their blood runs heavy in the grass, / Sweet, restless, clotted, sickening, / Runs to the rivers and the seas, the seas / That are the source of that devouring flood / That I await, that I must perish by." Kees is one of the best American poets and deserves a wider audience.

--Alexander Shaumyan, poet, author of "Spirit of Rebellion"

If the passive despair of Prufrock (or should we say Eliot in a Prufrock mood) could be entwined with the searing wit and rage of S. Plath, the result might resemble Weldon Kees' unforgettable best poems -- twenty of them perhaps, all included in this book. And the comparison with Plath is fair I think, not because both lives ended in suicide but because both were spectacularly inventive imagists and masters of the craft whose poems peer into the abyss. Although this collection contains some of the most harrowing English language poems of our times -- the final poem in the "Robinson" series, certainly -- flashes of black comedy ensure that this book is as pleasing as it is troubling. I for one, find the following lines from "The Crime Club" devilishly pleasing: "Consider the clues: the potato masher in a vase,/The torn photograph of a Wesleyan basketball team,/...The unsent fan letter to Shirley Temple,/The Hoover button on the lapel of the deceased,/The note, 'To be killed this way is quite all right with me.'"

Kees is a master of image, and has a profound sense of time and place--his language has the direct and unselfconscious quality of a newspaper headline, and his meters are natural and terse. There is a lumious, jarring quality to his work that makes you feel like you'd found something important that's been lost for a long time. You have. This is the first collection of his work that has ever been generally available.

It would have been sad indeed if the work of Weldon Kees had disappeared into obscurity, as it was dangerously close to doing. Nothing escapes this poets' dark, razor edge sensibility;
the whole thing reads as a kind of pessimistic culture shock. Taking his cues from Joyce and Eliot's "Waste Land", he is pitiless in his assessment of the human condition and civilization.

He is not, however, tiringly depressing like Philip Larkin. He has a voice all his own and it is compelling and vivid. It is pretty obvious that his "Robinson" poems are autobiographical, at least in terms of Robinson's perceptions of the world around him. "For My Daughter" is a poem you will not soon forget.

For my part, I do not believe Weldon Kees is still alive. After reading and re-reading this collection I can't help but see that as wishful thinking. You can't fake this kind of sincerity. I would liken him to Leopardi, Beckett, and other masters of poetic darkness, but he has a voice so individual that he needs no predecessors. An absolute must read.

Weldon Kees has been recommended to me by more than one person. And the reason is that he is a very dark poet, and a very interesting one at that. Kees is slightly outside of academia, though his reputation is getting bigger. I found his earlier work to be better than his later work, that's not to say that there isn't good stuff in his later work, just that I preferred his early work. I'd also recommend you did up a good biography of Kees, since he also has an interesting life.