Customer Reviews

Between Silences: A Voice from China (Phoenix Poets Series)

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Ha Jin is probably better known as the author of a critically acclaimed novel, Waiting, than for his poetry. Xuefei Jiin uses the pen name of Ha Jin, and this book of poems arose from his experiences in the Chinese Army during the Cultural Revolution. Many of the poems can be applied to situations other than China at that time, such as "Because We Dare Not be Ambitious." How many of us have expressed the desire to be president as did the child in this poem? But no matter where one lives, children can be cruel and Ha Jin acknowledges this when he ends this poems with the child being ridiculed for his dream. Some of his poetry is easy to understand and relate to as a non-Chinese person. But some pertain only to Chinese Army experiences during those turbulent times, and for those who did not live throught this period, the poems may not be as meaningful. Many of the poetery in this volume deserve more than a cursory reading and are poems which can be read again and again, and each time more insight is gained. This is a book which is recommended for those lovers of poetry who want something beyond simple verse.