Customer Reviews

Morning Poems

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The concept of this book (to write a poem before getting out of bed) bubbles as subtext under each stanza. There is slow contemplation and sleepy humour throughout; the thoughts of an old poet waking. Among my favourites were "The Russian" and "November". This was my first experience of Bly, but it will not be my last.

Robert Bly was in Seattle as part of Seattle Arts & Lectures' 2006 Poetry Series. I decided it was time to read a book of his poems. I chose Bly's 1997 book Morning Poems because of the poem "Reading in a Boat". The book is broken up into six sections; each very different in style. And yet the poems as a whole focus on specific topics: growing old, death, and reflections of the years gone by.

Section IV, my favorite section, has eight poems in which Bly discusses his love of writing poetry and his joy of finding just the right word to use, "To nudge a poem along toward its beauty."

I wasn't really inspired by the other sections of Morning Poems. Many of the poems were too simplistic for my taste, such as the final poem in which he talks to a mouse about sleeping positions. Others relied too heavily on religious references such as "Making Smoke," which is basically a modern version of Jonah and the whale.

Still, there are enough beautiful lines in this collection that make it worth reading; "The joy of being alone, eating the honey of words."

First book I've read by Robert Bly. Found myself loving many of the poems. They're succinct and clever. Each pulls an emotional string, which I love. Looking for my next book today.

The idea alone of writing poems in the morning right away is a challenging one. Perhaps Bly is more of a morning person than I. Overall the poems in this collection are excellent. Bly was recommended to me for a poet to study prose poems, but beyond that he captures thoughts and emotions that often have a universalism to them. I don't like every poem in this collection, but that shouldn't hold anyone away from reading it.

I was not familiar with Robert Bly until I read his poem Things to Think in Oprah's magazine last month. I was so touched by his thoughts that I just had to have more! This is a great book of deep thoughts, put into prose form. Great food for those wtih open minds and open hearts.

Enjoy!