Customer Reviews

Renunciation : Poems (The National Poetry Series)

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Wow! my creative writing instructor suggested I buy this book and she knew what she was talking about. Philip Levine selected it for the National Poetry Series and, unlike so many contest winners, this one deserved the prize. Marks' book is a real accomplishment for a first book; most third books aren't this good! At the book's center is the kind of poem all poets wish they could write, the moving homage "For Keats, After Keats." And there's the long title poem, a kind of spiritual meditation which contains subtle echoes of George Herbert. These poems are resonant, dense, formally adept, and full of exploding passions. Get this book!

A book of narratives of remarkable clarity. Hard to believe someone so young can tell stories with such grace. Corey has the strangest distance between author and event I have ever read: Swear it was his hand moving things, but he is still surprised, and still humble. Terribly, terribly moving.

At the heart of this great book is the heart of a pure poet. Marks writes with respect for his work and subject, bravely stepping out of the way of his words so they can stand on their own. Unlike most young poets, Marks writes with humility, yet without apology: in a time when our poetry follows at the heels of our confused culture, Marks steps away to name and clarify his place in it. Renunciation is good poetry from a writer with a good heart.

Corey Marks's work provides great aestetic and intellectual pleasure. The deceptive clarity of these poems guides the reader through the maze beneath the surface with a gentle and passionate hand. The book has aspects of the growth of the young man and of the artist, and we want to know both, though the voice and talent are already mature, able to negotiate authority and uncertainty. Marks's knowledge of music and art enrich these poems that are comfortable in urban and natural surroundings. There is a spiritual quest that pervades the work, as well, and Marks does not shy away from the larger questions of existence and purpose, while the poems remain appealingly tethered to evocative image and subtle narration. The only disappointment of this book comes when it ends.