Customer Reviews

Gatherin' Emily: Poems of the Heart

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Gatherin' Emily: Poems Of The Heart is a superbly moving collection of forty-three unabashedly romantic poems by Jesse Wilder. Wilder's lyrical poetry ranges from the passionate to the playful. Tell Me: Tell me what part of me first caught your eye/that night when goodness found her home in me./What made your heart perform a double-take/and keeps you captivate to this day?/Tell me why I still paint your face a smile/with just the simplest whisper of your name/Or when we trudge all bundled through the park,/Snow's perfect blanket left in disarray./While silent flurries hug our quiet night/the fire pirouettes to pass the time,/Until I sigh and steal a glimpse at you/ to always catch you stealing one my way./Tell me that you'll know my words forever/and late at night your curve will know my joy./Then right before sleep apprehends our dreams/just tell me that your love is here to stay.

As a student of Victorian literature, I read and came to love the poetry of Robert Browning, Tennyson and Rossetti, so I was pleased to find poetry in the same vein being written today. Although I enjoyed reading the entire collection, my favorites are "Wishes" and "At First Sight." In both, the poet is able to paint a deep sense of eternal commitment from one person to another.

The poems are wonderfully romantic and evocative, and would make a great gift this upcoming Valentine's Day--or anytime you wish to communicate your love and devotion.

'Gathering Emily' by Jesse Wilder is a book of poetry reminiscent of the love expressed in depth by Robert Browning for his wife, Elizabeth. The title is taken from one of a collection of over forty pieces of work that chronicle, in words, the love found and embraced by the author and his wife.

Each piece is beautiful on its own merit, but experienced in their entirety, they tell a love story that is clear and breathtaking to the reader. Poignant, playful and deeply passionate, 'Gathering Emily' is a rare peek into a true and honest love. Wilder is generous and unselfish in allowing the world to see into the recesses of his heart and soul. His words give life to his work in such a way, that the emotions rise up from the page to enfold and enrapture his reader.

The book's beautifully crafted cover, is just an indication of the beauty contained within. It is clear the publisher handled this publication with the class and care befitting such a body of work. This is truly a book that belongs in the possession of all who have had an admiration of poetry, romance, and talent.

Every year for Valentine's Day, a local bookstore sponsors a night of poetry readings by area celebrities. One of the poems excerpted here, Tell Me, was read by a radio personality. I loved it. The crowd loved it. I found the rest of the collection equally enjoyable. Jesse Wilder's poems convey a whole array of emotions, joy as well as apprehension (as in Tell Me). It was, and is, a wonderful Valentine.