Customer Reviews

Small Boat with Oars of Different Size (Carnegie Mellon Poetry Series)

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

 

 

This is a delightful and thought-provoking set of poems from a highly-talented poet. The energy in the lines and their musicality make them excellent for reading aloud. Humor is used in conjunction with serious philosophical thought, and there is a delightful lack of pretension. 'Looking forward to more work from Thom Ward.

A wonderful collection of poems from Thom Ward, an accomplished poet and editor at BOA Editions, Ltd. I took a poetry workshop taught by Mr. Ward recently; he is also most generous with sharing his gifts and insights with students.

Some of these poems are among the finest I've read recently, and I've had more than my share. I'll read these poems again and again; this small gem of a book is an education in itself.

Thom Ward is a poet to watch

These are "good" poems but little more, I could use them as classic cases of the type of work produced in countless minor MFA programs, simple narratives that strive for lyric intensity, but fail due to their obvious neglect of more sophisticated uses of language. Don't get me wrong, there is some good here, and Ward offers a few fine portraits of the daily life lived, but they falter in so many places due to the lack of deep engagement I encountered. I feel as if I have read too many of these poems too often, sucb a safe and so consequently careless art he practices, solemnity with so little surprise.