Customer Reviews

At the Gate (Provincetown Poets Series)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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Martha Rhodes' first book, _At the Gate_, traces a lingering sense of menace from childhood through adulthood. While the parents seem a probable partial cause, the speaker identifies herself as a perpetrator as well. The rich ambiguity of these lyrics makes them inexplicably haunting. A strong book

This collection is as good as poetry gets -- this debut by emerging poet Martha Rhodes shouldn't be missed. The short, haunting lyrics relay the speaker's experiences from child-to-adulthood with clarity and complexity. The sequence ORBITS spins out from the mouth of a child speaker and moves toward the voice of the adult. The movement, from one poem to the next, is impressive. Rhodes is a virtuoso of the short lyric.

AT THE GATE by Martha Rhodes is a collection of short lyrics that deserves attention. These short lyrics are startling yet stunning, emotionally far-reaching and complicated but acccessible. Rhodes' music never misses; she has perfect pitch.

This collection of poems lingers in the mind long after the book has been put down. They are luminous yet have a foreboding quality.

Lovely book. Don't miss it.