Corporal Works [Paperback]

Lynn Domina (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

This first book, chosen by Stephen Dobyns for the Four Way Books Intro Series in Poetry, chronicles a Dantesque journey. Over the course of the poems, the poet/narrator poses variously as Charon, Virgil, and Dante -- visitor to the region where the dead and tormented lament. The quest here, too, is for a transformative love. In Domina's world, "Only the woman with the oars / is real and she is the only one / who recognizes the other figures / and sees through them;" thus only she is capable of re-imagining herself -- the others are all sentenced to eternal grief. These poems, mythic in their reach, are appropriately characterized by a shadowy sense of mystery and a persuasive tone of objectivity. The one shortcoming is an over-reliance on the word "grief," as if any single word can encompass all life's losses and disappointments.
Copyright © 1996, Boston Review. All rights reserved. -- From The Boston Review

Review

"Lynn Domina's ffirst book of poems has a number of striking virtues: authority of language, a wide variety of subjects and strategies, compelling emotional content, clarity without obviousness, diversity without diffuseness, mystery without vagueness. . .These are carefully crafted, deeply moving poems. They are a great pleasure to read." (Stephen Dobyns, judge )

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Product Details

• Paperback: 88 pages
• Publisher: Four Way; 1st edition (April 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1884800033
• ISBN-13: 978-1884800030
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,481,461 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lynn Domina is a poet currently living in the western Catskill region of New York state--after stints in Michigan (where she was born), Alabama, and Illinois. She has earned degrees from Michigan State University, The University of Alabama, and the State University of New York at Stony Brook. In addition to her books, she has published poetry, reviews, and other articles in numerous periodicals. Among other honors, she has won the Intro Series Prize from Four Way Books and a Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Creative and Scholarly Activity from the State University of New York. She states that the best thing about being a poet is that you get to stare out of the window for hours at a time, all the while claiming to be working.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Moving, Lyrical Poetry, May 23, 2001

By 

"villanellesestina" (Pineville, LA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Corporal Works (Paperback)

These poems are deceptively quiet on first read. Beneath their finely honed surfaces is a deep and abiding passion. Grief is the pervasive element here, but it is not an ephemeral grief but one deeply tied to an embodied world. Love of other people, of beauty and place--all are mapped out in Domina's complex, deeply moving first book.

5.0 out of 5 stars incredible images, May 27, 2003

By 

"elizabethbishop2003" (mid-west) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Corporal Works (Paperback)

These poems are best described by the poet's use of vivid visual images. The series of poems, "Objects from Still Lives," which are spread throughout the book, are among my favorites. This poet writes persuasively from both the perspective of a child and an adult, especially in terms of relationships between parents and children. Highly recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars vivid, imagistic poetry, May 25, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Corporal Works (Paperback)

These poems are stunning in their use of imagery. I particularly liked the poems from the series "Objects for Still Lives." Domina writes about both adult and childhood relationships and psyches extremely persuasively. The writing here is accessible yet rewards multiple rereadings.