Customer Reviews

On the Great Atlantic Rainway: Selected Poems 1950-1988

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When one takes the time to read Koch's poetry in depth, it is an incomparable experience. The first time I read "To Marina", which is arguably my favorite of all poems, I was drawn in. I can read it again and again, constantly analyzing but at the same time feeling (and feeling deeply) the poem. Despite the number of times I have read "To Marina" each reading touches me anew and at times can move me to tears.

While one cannot put limits on creative expression, I was a bit put off by the fact that many of Koch's poems are several pages long and often his imagery strikes me as repetitive (although, in fairness, it is used differently).

Koch, when at his best, is simply too large and various to be adequately accounted for in this space. In the wasteland of contemporary poetry, those unfamiliar with Koch's genius may think he is exactly the kind of poet he so brilliantly parodies. For serious readers saddened by the predominant makeup of contemporary poetic demeanor, Koch is the perfect remedy.