Customer Reviews

Florida Poems

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Regional collections of poetry can often be so narrow that only people that are from or living in that region can appreciate. However, McGrath's "Florida Poems" is an exception. Perhaps it is because Florida is a state that most Americans visit at some point, even if it is just to visit Disney, McGrath doesn't just show the beautiful side of the state or only the ugly side of it either, but a beautiful coherent combination of both. Not only is the colonization of Florida explored, occasionally lamented, but readers step inside Chucky Cheese's and the geography of Florida itself. While there are two long poems in this collection, they are well worth reading, and especially the first one, "A City in Clouds" provides, if not retells, a myth of Florida. I especially enjoyed "William Bartram Beset by Crocodiles," "Hemingway Dines on Boiled Shrimp and Beer," and "Trouble With Miami." I previously read "Road Atlas" just before this collection, which is another book I would highly recommend. So even if you never set foot in Florida itself, "Florida Poems" is an excellent way to visit Florida from the bookshelf.

I love poetry that is full of imagery...combinations of vivid words that can take your mind's eye far away from reality. McGrath's 'Florida Poems' is FULL of this type of poetry.

EXCERPT:

The last night, as always, the moon
from among the wheeling stars cast down its unfiltered gaze
onto the great sky-prairie,
a place at last subdued, defeated, bereft
of all but the thin shrouds and tattered shreds of cloud
upon which the city perched.
_____

McGrath has taken me back to the amazing atmosphere that Florida is: the boats, the water, the beautiful clouds, the beach, the city life. McGrath captures the essence of Florida and writes it out in beautiful lines. If you like poetry and the Florida lifestyle then I definitely recommend this book.

5/5