Poetry Books

I truly enjoy reading the classics. However some classics must be translated. Some translations loose meaning since you can not translate word for word. Only the meanings can be translated and with the evolving English language sometimes words can have skewed definitions. John Ciardi is the best Dante translator I have read. Signet has done a good job at this price point. The Devine comedy is a book set that will expand your understanding on many uncannonized ideas. The Inferno (Signet Classics)The Paradiso (Signet Classics)The Purgatorio (Signet Classics)

Dante travels through the heavens growing ever closer to the source of all things, God. He learns a host of things from the spirits there who want to give nothing but love to Dante, to God, and to adore God. It is their pleasure to help Dante. For example, towards the end of the poem he learns about Adam and how long he abided in the Garden (the one from the end of Purgatorio and from which they begin their last journey in the Paradiso).

In order to experience some of the things in the heavens Dante needs to go way beyond normal human perception. The experience of heaven is so great that apparently all that he relates to us about it is but a shadow of how he saw it. It's experience is stamped forever on his heart, but Dante says its detail dissipates. I think of it like when you have a dream that you remember always, but the details do not necessarily stick in your mind though it is imprinted there nevertheless.

To me Dante seems to have guided his audience on a mystic journey. Whether he was a mystic or not I'm not clear on, but like other poets he reveals to us the truth of things.

Travel to the most light-forbidden spot on Earth.

Wait for night to fall. . .

Look up at the sky. . .

and count the stars.

That's how many stars I'd give John Ciardi's wonderful translation of Dante's Paradiso (indeed, the whole trilogy, but especially this)!

When reading this book it's almost impossible I'd say to not feel the same sense of awe as Dante does as he beholds the splendors of Heaven. This book makes you feel uplifted, upbeat, almost as if you're being catapulted through the Heavens right alongside Dante himself.

Of course, to get the full effect from reading this book you have to understand most of what goes on. And that is where the John Ciardi translation really shines. Just as Beatrice is Dante's guide, so is John Ciardi your guide through Heaven.

The Divine Comedy was written in the 1300's and how many people can honestly say that they understand Italian politics and history from that time period? Maybe Umberto Eco does (of "The Name of the Rose" fame), but that's a huge minority. But fear not, for every Canto opens with a short summary of what is about to be revealed next to Dante. One need not worry about this summary spoiling the story, either, as there really are no plot twists in The Paradiso. Although I have to admit that the last scene involving Dante and Beatrice was a bit shocking (to Dante, too) and even managed to form a few tears in my eyes.

After the summary there is the Canto itself and what I like most about this is how everything rhymes (ABA ABA, etc.) and still is rather easy to read. This text is uninterrupted, which is great if you happen to be an advanced reader of Dante and don't want to stumble into little numbers next to words referring you to footnotes all the time.

Again though, not many of us can say we're "Advanced readers of Dante", so for those of us in that crowd each Canto is finished with a healthy amount of footnotes that do an excellent job of explaining the politics and history in simple terms. You very well might still finish the Canto not understanding everything 100%, but you'll be much better off than if you tried to understand everything on your own. Think of it as Cliff's Notes already built into the book itself. Wonderful idea!

If you're still wondering if you should read this book, don't.

Trust me.

Everything is better in Paradise.

Translators, according to the Italian proverb are traitors.
There is no way around it, something is always lost in the
leap from one language to another. You can consult a modern
'adaptation' of Shakespeare to get the feel of what has to
be surrendered.

John Ciardi decided to keep the original rhyme scheme: 'aba'
in which the poem is divided into groups of three lines of
which the first and third rhyme. In Italian, this is fairly
easy, in English a great deal more difficult.
So in order to keep the feel of the tercets (as they're called)
Ciardi sometimes had to stray a bit from the literal
meaning. Nothing vital is lost, but the specialist will
surely find some points to dispute.
For the rest of us, this is a first-rate view into a world
we can barely otherwise imagine. Ciardi's notes and glosses
on the cantos are breezy, illuminating and approachable.

There are other, more correct translations- Mandelbaum's
is first among them -that might be better for the specialist
or the student of the Italian Language. I notice, however,
that when I want to spend a pleasant few moments in the
Poet's company that this is the translation I usually reach
for.

--Lynn Hoffman, author of New Short Course in Wine,The and
bang BANG: A Novel ISBN 9781601640005

+++++

(Note: this review is for the book "The Paradiso" translated by John Ciardi and published by Signet Classics in 2001.)

In book one containing part one (or "canticle" one) of Dante Alighieri's (1265 to 1321) three part "The Divine Comedy" entitled "The Inferno," a journey of spiritual enlightenment is begun by Dante by descending into Hell and discovering the reasons for eternal suffering of souls. In book two containing part two entitled "The Purgatorio," Dante ascends the mountain of Purgatory where there is purification of sin. In this book (book three), Dante ascends to Heaven to experience "the Love that moves the Sun and the other stars."

Dante begins this part of his journey by stating the following:

"Whatever portion time
still leaves me of the treasure of that kingdom
shall now become the subject of my rhyme."

Dante is saying that in the time left to him, the subject of this part of his "rhyme" or poem will be "that kingdom" of heavenly Paradise.

There is an introduction by Professor John Freccero. (We are not told what university he's associated with.) He does a good job of highlighting key aspects of this poem.

The late John Ciardi, former poet and professor at Rutgers and Harvard universities, translated this poem from its original 1300's Italian into English. He states that he has translated this poem for one major reason: for "the pleasure of a beginning student reading in translation." The poem's translation, he admits, is not over-scholarly. Scholars and purists may thus not appreciate Ciardi's translation. I, however, enjoyed his rhyming translation.

Dante's heavenly Paradise is based on an Earth-centered model of nine spheres (individually called "heavens"). Going outward from the Earth, they are as follows:

(1) the Moon
(2) Mercury
(3) Venus
(4) the Sun
(5) Mars
(6) Jupiter
(7) Saturn
(8) the Fixed Stars
(9) Primum Mobile (Prime Mover)

The Prime Mover is the sphere that contains the divine power to move these heavenly bodies. Beyond the Prime Mover is the Empyrean (pronounced "Em-pi-reen"). The Empyrean is God's realm of pure light and is Dante's final destination.

Thus, this heavenly paradise that Dante travels through consists of ten parts that comprise thirty-three episodes (or "cantos").

Unlike parts one and two, Dante takes the majority of this final journey with his guide and former love Beatrice. Along the way, the travelers and the reader encounter such things as biblical figures and references, philosophers, people of Dante's time, legends, saints, and angels.

As with parts one and two, this part is a narrative poem whose greatest strength lies in the fact it does not so much narrate as dramatize its episodes. It is a visual work that sparks your imagination.

Ciardi's mini-summary in italics before each episode gives the reader a glimpse of what to expect in a particular episode. His (foot)notes at the end of each episode highlight our understanding of key passages within each. For me, Ciardi's mini-summaries and notes that accompany each episode are the cornerstone to understanding what Dante was attempting to convey. As well, Dante can be challenging and tedious to read at times. These mini-summaries and notes help the reader meet the challenge and overcome the tedium.

There are three illustrations in this book. They increase the understanding of and add another visual dimension to the poem.

I should mention the impressive art on the cover of this book. It has a reproduction of the 1825 painting by William Blake showing Dante in the Empyrean. It has a river called the River of Light. Dante is shown drinking from this river.

It is possible to read this part without reading the first two parts. However, to experience the full impact of this part, I would recommend reading the first two parts first before reading this part.

The only noticeable problem I had with this book is that it did not have a diagram of the heavenly Paradise to help the reader know beforehand where this journey was going. The first two parts have these helpful diagrams.

Finally, as I mentioned, this is a very imaginative poem. Thus, I recommend "The Dore Illustrations for Dante's Divine Comedy" (1976) by Gustave Dore. This book will add another vivid visual dimension to the poem.

In conclusion, don't miss this final phase of Dante's amazing journey. This brilliant translation allows the reader to experience what Dante was attempting to convey when he wrote this poem almost seven centuries ago!!

(published 2001; acknowledgements of translator; introduction; 33 cantos; poem, canto mini-summaries, and canto (foot)notes comprise 345 pages; 3 illustrations)

+++++

Divine Subjection: The Rhetoric Of Sacramental Devotion In Early Modern England by Gary Kuchar (Assistant Professor of English, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) is a blend of theoretical analysis and close readings in historical context in order to better understand the connection between devotional literature and early modern English culture. Chapters discuss the "gendering" of god in the poetry of Richard Crashaw, representation and embodiment in John Donne's "Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions", representation of the recusant soul in the works of Robert Southwell, and concepts of body, word, and self as written by Thomas Traherne. A meticulous and scholarly text for intermediate to advanced history, theology, and philosophy students, Divine Subjection treats its subject matter with psychoanalytical expertise and in-depth examination.

Divine Subjection: The Rhetoric Of Sacramental Devotion In Early Modern England by Gary Kuchar (Assistant Professor of English, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) is a blend of theoretical analysis and close readings in historical context in order to better understand the connection between devotional literature and early modern English culture. Chapters discuss the "gendering" of god in the poetry of Richard Crashaw, representation and embodiment in John Donne's "Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions", representation of the recusant soul in the works of Robert Southwell, and concepts of body, word, and self as written by Thomas Traherne. A meticulous and scholarly text for intermediate to advanced history, theology, and philosophy students, Divine Subjection treats its subject matter with psychoanalytical expertise and in-depth examination.

Divine Subjection: The Rhetoric Of Sacramental Devotion In Early Modern England by Gary Kuchar (Assistant Professor of English, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) is a blend of theoretical analysis and close readings in historical context in order to better understand the connection between devotional literature and early modern English culture. Chapters discuss the "gendering" of god in the poetry of Richard Crashaw, representation and embodiment in John Donne's "Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions", representation of the recusant soul in the works of Robert Southwell, and concepts of body, word, and self as written by Thomas Traherne. A meticulous and scholarly text for intermediate to advanced history, theology, and philosophy students, Divine Subjection treats its subject matter with psychoanalytical expertise and in-depth examination.

Divine Subjection: The Rhetoric Of Sacramental Devotion In Early Modern England by Gary Kuchar (Assistant Professor of English, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) is a blend of theoretical analysis and close readings in historical context in order to better understand the connection between devotional literature and early modern English culture. Chapters discuss the "gendering" of god in the poetry of Richard Crashaw, representation and embodiment in John Donne's "Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions", representation of the recusant soul in the works of Robert Southwell, and concepts of body, word, and self as written by Thomas Traherne. A meticulous and scholarly text for intermediate to advanced history, theology, and philosophy students, Divine Subjection treats its subject matter with psychoanalytical expertise and in-depth examination.

Divine Subjection: The Rhetoric Of Sacramental Devotion In Early Modern England by Gary Kuchar (Assistant Professor of English, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) is a blend of theoretical analysis and close readings in historical context in order to better understand the connection between devotional literature and early modern English culture. Chapters discuss the "gendering" of god in the poetry of Richard Crashaw, representation and embodiment in John Donne's "Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions", representation of the recusant soul in the works of Robert Southwell, and concepts of body, word, and self as written by Thomas Traherne. A meticulous and scholarly text for intermediate to advanced history, theology, and philosophy students, Divine Subjection treats its subject matter with psychoanalytical expertise and in-depth examination.

100% pure, unadulterated Cronk! You will not be disappointed.

No sob story here, Cronk relates with unblinking candor and clever turn of phrase the pain, disillusionment and consequences resulting from the choices she's made. What is so compelling about this work is that amid the gritty reporting of her foibles and of those close to her, is the sense that she's through with the self-destruction, and that through her honest introspection which is so clearly expressed in this book, she'll not only survive, but thrive.

This collection of writings is thought provoking to say the least. Each one, no matter how brief is a novel of thought. Want to know what it's like to be on the inside of a troubled life looking out, this book is the picture window. If you are fan of the poetry of Jim Morrison this is required reading.

The most original, gripping piece of work I've ever seen. There are some books you read that you never forget, and THIS is one of them. Very profound and mesmerizing. I don't normally read poetry, yet I couldn't stop reading this! The brilliance of words is playfully thought out. The author's humor shines despite all the pain.

For any desperate junkies out there, you have a chance. There's no excuse for anyone who dies with a needle in their arm. Drug Deal With God will open your mind, once the despair wears off. The impression I got, is that the world doesn't do anything to you...it's how you choose to react to the world. I now realize, that any misery I've experienced, is strictly self-imposed. This book will literally open the prison cell your mind has locked you in, and let you out!

I picked up this book and put it in my guest room, on the bedside table. There are terrific tributes and uplifting magical stories in poetic form. The cheerful and enchanged stories are the perfect gift for anyone who is feeling down and would like to get away and retreat to a fun and magical world, to get their mind off of the heavy things in life!

The Twinkle Collection
From beginning to end this is a really enjoyable fantastic read, Yes as you walk through the pages of The Enchanted Doorway you will feel yourself absorbed in the fantasy of Willowby...This is a book that will delight any reader and it is one you are so proud to own and to be able to share in all the imagery this poet so wonderfully creates...Each time you read it you get more from it... like a real good movie you want to see again and again... Patricia Ann Farnsworth-Simpson:

***** 5 stars



"The Enchanted Doorway" is a lovely book that has magical story qualities. The poet takes you to various places with her main character, Willy the Monkey. The adventures are quite mystical and have great enchantment as he is both mischievous and helpful in many scenarios. There is great emotion in each episode and lots of imagery within the words she uses in her poetry. She expresses herself well and lifts your spirits as you are taken to a world that is make believe. There are other poems that are tributes to people in her family.. She has some lovely spiritual poems that bring you the feeling of peace and well being as you read. I especially loved the poems written for those that have passed over and are watching from a cloud above. They brought tears to my eyes as I read of the love in her heart she was sharing with her readers. She is a remarkable poetess that has great talent and this book can be appreciated on all levels. I especially liked the poem "Mother, "My Storybook Grandfather," "The Two of Us," "Inner Peace and Joy, and "To Pet Lovers." Then of course I loved the entire series of "Willy the Monkey." I would highly recommend reading this book. I found it enchanting and written well in poetic verse. As a Poet myself, I highly recommend this collection from Katheen Zvetkoff. I am the Author of "My Walk with Jesus" by PublishAmerica. Christina R Jussaume

Kathleen Zvetkoff brings the reader into an enchanted world. You will visit a place created in her own mind, called Wilowby. There you will find enchantment that can only be found in dreams. You will feel delight through your visit. Willy The Monkey will also grab your heart and take you into a world that only this talented author could bring to life. I have this book and treasure it. Many times I have opened it, just to escape into a place created by Kathleen's mind.
Daveda Gruber (author of "The Blonde Who Found Jesus", "Castle of Ice", "A Blonde View of Life", "Tales of a Tiny Dog", "More Snapshots" and "Snapshots ...a Blonde View")

Enter "The Enchanted Doorway" and journey through several new worlds straight from the mind of Kathleen. A poetic journey sure to please all ages. Taking you through the land of Willowby, to the Willy the Monkey series, you will find moments of laughter and joy, and sometimes tears. Real life moments delivered in an enchanting fashion.

Tom & Tess Hannah have written a book for all of us, young and old. Their sense of humor and love for children and animals is quite apparent. It shows us everyday situations that viewed from above are very funny! I particularly liked, "Get in Shape." There is a familiar theme there that we all can look at with a smile. Every parent does it and to see it written so lightly, immediately makes you remember raising your children and wanting them to be a circle or a square or a triangle. I would place this book on my gift list for my children and also their children.

We are lucky that Tom and Tess Hannah can be so silly and that they have great imaginations. The result is 'The Endless String', a fun collection of silly poems for children of all ages(including adults). Many of the poems are accompanied by the zany illustrations of Tess, but even the non-illustrated poems have the reader picturing very vivid images that add to the humor. A great book for kids and fun for everyone!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and illustrations. Reminiscent of Shel Silverstein, it is as enjoyable for adults as for children. Reminds us all of the everyday joys and difficulties of growing up.

I received this book as a Christmas gift and have been chuckling ever since. This book is a wonderful and whimsical view of the world and common situations. It's obvious the authors are "kids at heart" themselves, what with the creative poetry and precious illustrations. A great deal of time and love was obviously put into this publication, which is apparant from the intricate line drawings and witty poems. What a great book for both kids and parents to enjoy!

The Endless String is a continuous enjoyment of entertaining and humorous poetry. Readers of all ages can enjoy these creative poems that reflect childhood pasttimes and funny events that can pertain to everyone. I have read these with my children and to myself on a treadmill. The giggles that come out of my children while listening to me read the poems is an endless smile to me. I read a lot to my children, who are all ages, but also was brought up with entertaining poetry. So with this in mind, I myself am also a number one fan of The Endless String. Poetry can be just as fun and exciting as reading a good book with your children. So if you are caught up in the rat race of today's craziness, enjoy this book, and I hope you too enjoy a good laugh with your kids.

I found this book by accident and it has become a personal favorite. I casually opened it while standing at the counter in my kitchen and found myself still standing until it was finished. Have given it to all my children and most of my friends. Poignant without being overly sentimental, the poetry evokes tender feelings and allows us to ponder anew the experiences we have had in our own lives, and those yet to come. Some books come and go...this one is a keeper...can't lend this one as I read it everyday.

Reading this book is like sitting down with a comfortable friend who knows all the poems you'd like to hear and many more that you've never come across, but should have. Here's a friend who doesn't mind sharing all sorts of interesting tidbits of knowledge about the poet and the art, but is never didactic. Dr. Hardy has chosen well, selecting poems that span both millennia and miles. The book includes poems that cover the great range of familial relationships, and the resulting interesting and complex emotions. His concise comments on the poets and their circumstances enhanced my enjoyment and understanding of the material, though all these poems can stand alone. A great read for the glancer-througher and for the serious reader alike. Highly recommended.

Grant Hardy's collection of poems, some of which he translated from the Chinese, gave me comfort and perspective at a crucial time in my life; I read them in a hospital awaiting exploratory cardiac surgery. I had read many of the poets before, but only one of the poems, so there was a freshness to the experience. Mr. Hardy's biographical insights are printed on the same page as the poems, providing interesting connections between poet and poem. The experience led me to look back and forward on my life and prepared me for whatever the future held.

I was so moved by the poems in this collection. Because of his obvious knowledge of the Chinese language, he brought forth poems that I would never have had access to before. Having experienced the birth of a child and the loss of the loved one in the same year, it was a wonderful experience to read the poems relating to those life changes. It is so wonderful to read poems compiled by an author who values family!

Janice Johnson

Grant Hardy has created a collection of poetry that is accessible for the casual reader of poetry, while being a pleasure for the serious student of literature as well. Through his tasteful selection of poems, Mr. Hardy captures the beautiful and sometimes painful gamut of emotion that family life can entail, without lapsing into sentimentality. Mr. Hardy's helpful footnotes give insight into the poetry, and more importantly, into the lives of the poets themselves. The effect is a book that I continually read for wisdom, perspective, and enjoyment. I have given it to family members and friends of all ages, since the poems cover all different stages of family life, so there will always be a topic that one finds pertinent. This book will be a cherished volume in anyone's library.

Lisa Haynes has a way of luring readers with refreshingly intense language, and endings that offer subtle and veridical power. Enhancing her imagery through a skillful play of metaphors, the psychological complexities behind her poetry are as haunting as they are bracing. Another key characteristic of Haynes' poetry is lyrical honesty as she maps-out the vast landscape of human loss, not forgetting that she herself is woven into its scenery. In Lisa Haynes, we witness an astonishing writer who knows intimately the power of human language. This Seattle-based poet comes with my highest recommendation.

The subjects covered in this book are innumerable. Loss, grief, love, love affairs, anger, suicide, dreams, hope, amnesia, racism, sexuality, divorce, caregiving, illness, politics, online relationships and so on. This is a good book to get if you are one of the hundreds of thousands of people who are looking at aging parents and wondering how caring for them is going to change your life. If you are already in that situation you would benefit from this book. It will reassure you that you are not alone. It is a powerful book. One poem will leave you feeling raw and then the next one will leave you feeling full of life. Sometimes I felt like crying, sometimes laughing, and sometimes I just sat quietly nodding to myself. GET THIS BOOK!!

If Pablo Neruda is "the people's poet" then Haynes' may well be the "poet of the human heart." This first collection of her work is a comprehensive journey into the deepest pools of loss, love, sorrow and honesty. She is fluent in the language of Emotion. One poem, entitled "What You Didn't Know, N'ser" is startling in its heartwrenching language. It is the story of a lonely woman who longs to be kissed and escapes into the magic and ultimate heartbreak of a short-lived affair. I continued to be amazed through the intensity of poems like "Shooting At Demons" (about a young man's suicide) and "Loud and Surly Ghosts" (when love turns to homicide) only to be caught up in the wonder of good love to be found in such poems as "Afraid of the Dying" (about losing someone to illness) and "Weather In The Bones" (the fond recounting of an ex-lover). There is a wide range of poems in this collection, all of them acutely sensual. While I don't know if the poems are autobiographical, one can certainly imagine them so. It is a a wonder to follow along as the poet grows from a sensitive young woman whom you want to protect from the brutal world to a mature, confident woman who has drank the bittersweet wines of love and loss and emerged on the other side, whole. I feel like I know her. I know that I would like to know her.

The stereotypic poetry review discusses the poet's craft, and the masterful way in which the poet deals with issues of loss and lack. This "language of poetry review", well hackneyed, renders a meaningful review of a skillful book about loss and lack difficult to write. Lisa Haynes' "Ex-Lovers and other More Important Losses" addresses a wide range of themes and emotions, grouped in related sets of poems. Whether she writes about a police pursuit, a fading relative, life on a native American reservation, or love relationships, she brings to each poem a wonderful ear, and a way of drawing vivid imagery in straightforward language. Her work lacks the pretension that give some works a "poetry workshop" quality, but neither does she try to write a "know nothing" feel-good "emotion of the week" type of poetry. She brings a sure sense of how to write poetry to a set of ideas worthy of a poet's voice.

The works here largely are written in free verse, although she does play with other formats in some effective ways. Although the poems are entirely contemporary, they have a timeless quality about them, a sort of well-formed stateliness. The poet does not mince words here, but neither does she fail to appreciate their power. Instead of elaborately constructed rocketships incapable of ascending Heaven, she builds instead more earthbound and serviceable pieces, capable of transporting.

This is a book for people who like their poems straightforward, real, and yet filled with satisfying imagery. Lisa Haynes has done a good thing here, and I hope more people will discover her work.

There are poems in this volume that will make you laugh, more that will break your heart, still more that will make you gasp in amazement, and still more that will make you recognize you've just made a huge discovery in Lisa Haynes.

The poems each carry an individual power, but their collective effect is exponentially more intense. It's been a while since I've read a book of poetry that really feels like a book, a whole, an entity. This one is its own complete experience.

Lovers of American poetry in particular will enjoy this book, and recognize antecedents in William Carlos Williams and others. Even without that categorization, though, the sensuality, compassion, forthright honesty and unsparing language here is refreshing and often astonishing.

"Examination of My Sole" is an eclectic mix--everything from meditations on fatherhood to meditations on a banana split, poems that are rollickingly funny to poems that are pointed and poignant, and essentially whatever you can imagine in between. There is something for about everyone and anyone here, unless poetry gives you hives. In fact, even if poetry gives you hives, I'd still get it; it's worth taking the benadryl to be able to read it...
Besides being a fun read, it's also an opportunity to get a degree of insight into a complex, multifaceted, and interesting mind.

I ordered this book expecting some "okay", but not "really excellent", poetry. I must say that "really excellent" is exactly how I would describe Ridley's work. I have read every poem at least one time, and several of them a dozen times over. The work is very beautiful, and I can tell that this man has used every ounce of life in the creation of this book. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something that is not just "okay". I give this one a full five stars. Keep up the good work Ridley!

On a technical level, Ridley is the consummate word-smith, weaving complex and unique rhyme schemes and rhythm patterns, and overlaying them with a visual dimension that punctuates and illustrates the concept or theme at hand. He makes rich use of all the tools at his disposal to orchestrate a truly beautiful reading experience. Ridley's ample vocabulary is expressive, bringing to life a wide range of images, from such gleeful moments as those found in "'Nanner Split" (Banana Split), to the shocking boldness of "Blessed Are the Meek". Even the organization of the volume into sections creates an impact.

While he writes in his opening note, that his "true desire is that at least three or four of these offerings strike a chord with each reader", I found that poem after poem resonated with me. The poems resonate because they are distilled from a lifetime of experiences that have either been embraced with joy, or met with courage. Ridley voices a deep appreciation for life and the simple joys of nature and of living, and offers positive insights into the lessons of life that all of us can relate to. He touches us where we live...each in our own "sole".

Ridley makes the volume an even more personal journey by including some notes about the events that inspired his work, and in so doing opens a window to his life that is both appealing and inspiring. The result is a book that is uplifting and thought-provoking.

In short, Ridley is all that a poet should be, and this book is a true gift.

I have read this book and have thoroughly enjoyed it. As with any poetry, not all of the poems speak to a person, but with this book, the many thoughts of the author strike a cord within me. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves poetry!

I have read this book and have thoroughly enjoyed it. As with any poetry, not all of the poems speak to a person, but with this book, the many thoughts of the author strike a cord within me. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves poetry!

The two things you should know about Heather McHugh's "Eyeshot" are that it can be difficult to understand what many of her phrases and even entire poems mean at first glance, and that it can be very rewarding when you do get into them, rereading them five, ten times, and start sorting everything out. McHugh deals with language in a number of different ways (she considers sounds, etymology, idiomatic phrasing, slang, techno-speak, and more) and often brings up multiple language issues at once. In addition, she is actively obscuring pieces of her poem, like the strict iambic meter and the concrete details. So what she ends up with are formal poems telling narrative stories or capturing real images, but hidden away behind free-verse explorations of words and wordplay, and the reader must work to figure everything out. And it can be hard work indeed. But, since McHugh excels not only in both of these modes of writing, but in the marrying of them together, it can be very satisfying once the words and images start falling into place. As other reviewers have mentioned, images and themes of eyes and sight are covered throughout the book, and this adds an additional challenge: once you start solving the puzzles of the individual poems, you can begin to consider how they relate to each other.

Two of the more accessible poems in the book are "Goner's B*ner" and "The Retort Room," which feature McHugh's signature style in phrases like "Is it a mistake / or a misgiving?" and "past eking out, past aching in," and I would recommend that a reader new to her writing start there.

Eyeshot is a collection of free-verse poetry. The common theme of the wide range of human blindness - from literally being unable to see to willfully refusing to see what lies before one - permeates these often dark verses, sometimes brooding and anxious, sometimes laced with black humor. "Through" (After Sully Prudhomme) In blue or black, all lovely and beloved, / Some countless human eyes have seen the dawn. / They're sleeping at the bottom of the grave. / Here comes the sun. // But far more delicately than the days / The nights ignite in countless eyes a spark. / The stars are always sending out their rays: / Eyes fill with dark. // That they should lose their glimmer, one and all- / No way. It simply isn't possible. / I say they've turned toward the side we call / Invisible. // And like the stars that must incline to set / They too are somewhere out there in the sky; / The eye-lights may go down at times and yet / They do not die. // All lovely or beloved, in black and blue, / To any dawn's immensities disposed / On earth's far side they're seeing through / The lids we closed.

Eyeshot. Earshot. Snapshot. I shot. Eyes shot. eYes... hot. Heather McHugh's latest book is--aye--hot. Written toward a readership as enamored with language as she, Eyeshot (exa)mines language at the level beneath ordinary diction for its twinkling possibilities, its intersections, its coincidences. McHugh's poetry recognizes (and flowers forth from) root alphabetic patterns and cadences in the music of her own speech: puns, anagrams, homonyms, iambs, internal and end rhymes, words spelled backwards that make other words, words contained within other words, words suggested by other words. Pupils. Blind dates. An "eye-gulp" (seen in a flash as "eye-plug"). As lush and seductive as the "purple burning overspill[ing]/ the porch-side torches of the lilac," McHugh's voice at once defies boundaries and leverages traditional form to accentuate sound, sight, and meaning.

In fact, she seems just as interested in what the eye and ear can do with language--how they receive and process linguistic information through distortion, dissection, truncation, and recombination--as with the understandings that emanate organically from such radically experimental seeing and hearing. Her poems are not self-consciously epiphanic, rather exploratory, inquisitive, ironic, and progressive in the most literal sense: that is, they arrive at meaning through a progression of linguistic play and connections. For example, the simple phrase "You're your/ own owner, no?" opens into much more than a cute case of phonic repetition and reversal, where the ghosted "know"--do you know yourself?--inherits its semantic weight from the visual and aural convergences in these two lines.

While many of her poems deal seriously with such themes as love, displacement, and death, humor is the overarching characteristic that sustains McHugh's elaborate project: "Somebody spell us! Help!" Accident and absurdity seem to govern her universe. Bird calls are deciphered in the most outlandish ways: "Potato chips!", "Who cooks for you?" and "Quick, quick, give me the raincheck!" And who else would address a brain in a jar, outrageously, as "O single-minded/ one!" Still, McHugh's work remains grounded in poignant moments of arrival, where "on the one hand... in the scheme of things we matter/ marvelously little; on the other,... we are// the scheme of things."

McHugh's "Eyeshot" is a jungle of puns, double-entendres, triple-phrase-turns and bizarre zingers. Its title alone announces the kind of humorous (though not exactly light-hearted) indeterminacy McHugh sets whirring to get her through each poem. This book is as entertaining and admirable an example of linguistic bootstrapping as any, as in "Iquity": "No need for misery: in cine-pop / a little extra nookie on the side; in cine-mom your / hubbie hurries home. (Hi, hon.) Your honor, honest, / is not implicated. Soothers / must, by definition, say / no terrifying truths." All McHugh needs to jump into higher gears is her ear and/or dictionary.

Few books of "serious" poetry inspire outright laughter, but be prepared for numerous outbursts: "I pray / this baby we are seeing walloped, wiped and winningly anointed, / turns out dumb as oakum-and more sinister. That way / he can crown a tranquil life by being / appoined a cabinet minister." ("After Su Tung P'o") McHugh is masterful at dropping in rhymes at just the right moment, and her aural/verbal play never takes a breather, much less a breath: "My one / and only: money / minus one. No noun / like a pronoun!-best of all / the jealous kind. Come, come, / company doll, cide with a coin, / one moan, one / more, honey / bunch." ("The Magic Cube") This is a poet for whom the materiality and cross-pollination of words is an endlessly amusing miracle.

Yet McHugh is equally in love with sight: "Years I poured it forth, without / a thought. To left and right / I sprayed the wide world's / spectacle. I made a blue / bird sparkle, and a red tree" ("Out of Eyeshot"). The blur of senses, the blur of seeing, and the blur of being form the central concern of this book. McHugh finds nothing so serious, either: "Downline, it's not / our substance pours away: / it is our shine." ("Mind's Eye"); "The world / itself is worried. Trees stand out, spectacularly / branched: the mind's eye grows alert: this thing / could hurt." ("Fido, Jolted by Jove") Perception shapes reality-and this cliché sheds its banality in McHugh's deft leaps. Not often does one encounter a book of poetry so saturated with exuberance, for language or for living.

Heather McHugh, Eyeshot (Wesleyan, 2003)

The best thing about Eyeshot is Heather McHugh's amazing use of language; it's like reading John M. Bennett without the dyslexia and cut-up/fold-in stuff. McHugh has one of the strongest senses of rhythm, both in formal and free verse, I've come across in quite a while, and it usually manifests itself without drawing attention to the form (in those poems where one exists in this collection; the forms here are usually on the loose side anyway), an amazing achievement in a time when formal poetry may not be dead, but is lying in hospice, suffocated by the weight of a million teen-angst poets who think sonnets are for sissies and have never heard the word "canzone." Read this. **** ½

Chris's letters sure touches me, bringing about the wonderful memories of myself and my love. Sad or happy they may be, I am smiling now while thinking of them. His letters, again may seem simple but it's what you will have been through in your path of love.

(First off, I am not into much 'romance' stuff, never have, so prose like this doesn't very often move me.) The poetry, letters and diary entries are wonderful, loving, romantic thoughts to a girl deeply loved. With the nature of the prose and the descriptive words, I can 'see' the scene set in many of the entries. Deep, heartfelt thoughts some bitter, mostly sweet though and a good read.

I like the tile because the beauty of love, the passion of romance, the pain of seperation and the healings that comes from forgiveness are all associated to love. Therefore the book will not harm anyone but rather it will assist every reader on how to make the best use of the above important properties of love at the right time.
Everyone will like to go into love by uderstanding its beauty and the persion associated with romane. If you read and uderstand the pain asocited with seperation in a relationship you will not like to go into it, and since you dont want to pass through it, You will not like your partner either. This will help in building a healthy relationship. Everyone will forgive his love one when he or she uderstand that there is healing that comes from forgiveness and there by building a relationship more stonger. [...]

After reading the book, I felt sure that Chris had failed to express his love by himself. As a result, he has joined hands with nature, with deep and vast oceans, with stars and the sun that fall and rise, with golden fields, with rivers and windmills, and with trees and their virgin shadow so that he can love and adore his beloved properly. His honest love demands all the universe for its expression. His poems impress both mind and heart. In short, I found his poems hauntingly lovely.

Chris always seems to amaze me by the way he can play with my emotions. One minute he has me smiling, the next minute I'm crying, then I'm smiling again (or laughing !). Very few writers I've read over the years have had the ability to do this, and I would have to put Chris among the elite few.