Words Under the Words gathers into a single volume the finest poems by one of the most exciting, accessible poets in America today. This long-awaited collection draws from Naomi Shihab Nye's three critically acclaimed books: Different Ways to Pray, Yellow Glove, and National Poetry Series winner, Hugging the Jukebox.
| |||||||||||||||
Browse our Bookshelf Favorites store for big savings on popular fiction, nonfiction, children's books, and more. |
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
A political, spiritual Palestinian-American from Texas, Naomi Nye illuminates some of the subtler aspects of human experience in this volume of poems drawn from three previous collections. She ponders everything from the donor of a now-broken music box to a little girl clenching her fist against death, using absolute clarity of imagery and a gentle, authoritative voice to make her visions accessible. She also poses such unanswerable questions as "What makes a man with a gun seem bigger/ than a man with almonds?" -- making it a thought-provoking read.
From Library Journal
While Nye's technique is nearly flawless, this is not the mere shaping of superficial little boxes. Lyrically, calmly, she describes an Edenic landscape where "hands are churches that worship the world." Nye is philosophical, yes, but too delighted with her own findings to impose them on a reader. Instead, we find integrity, sincerity, and gentleness: the poet trying to remember who gave her a now-broken music box, the little girl making a fist against death, the woman who can "find holiness in anything/that continues." The poems in the last third of this book focus directly on Nye's Palestinian American heritage, as the poet tours the Mideast, inquisitive and frustrated. Drawn from three previous collections, this selection coincides with the publication of Red Suitcase, a volume of new work (BOA Editions, 1994). All in all, an accomplished writer still searching for a unique voice.
Rochelle Ratner, formerly Poetry Editor, "Soho Weekly News," New York
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Rochelle Ratner, formerly Poetry Editor, "Soho Weekly News," New York
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
More About the Author
Naomi Shihab Nye, poet, essayist, anthologist, has been a recipient of writing fellowships from the Lannan Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation and the Witter Bynner Foundation/Library of Congress. Author of more than twenty volumes, her recent books inc
Customer Reviews
Share your thoughts with other customers
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
38 of 39 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Naomi Shihab Nye is Palestinian-American and currently lives in Texas. Words Under the Words is a collection of works from three earlier books: Different Ways to Pray, Hugging the Jukebox, and Yellow Glove. In this collection, her poetry celebrates the interconnectedness of the human spirit and the ordinary world. A stranger's eyes, once met, become the eyes of a fellow (Eye-to-Eye, p. 11); a serving woman's lined face tells a story of great worth (The Indian in the Kitchen, p.4); and images of Guatemala eulogize the passing of indigenous culture in service to the industrial world (Getting Through the Day, p. 69).
Nye's poetry is informed by her sense of place: Kindness (p.42) could have been written nowhere but from Colombia. Before you learn the solemnity of kindness, she writes, you must see a dead person lying roadside. "You must see how this could be you/how he, too, was someone/who journeyed through the night with plans/and the simple breath that kept him alive." Many of the poems in this book have been written from different Central and South American countries-others in the Middle East, in the United States-there is even a poem about being lost in Kansas.
In an interview with Rachel Berenblat, Nye said she has written poems from childhood. "I liked the portable, comfortable shape of poems," she said. "I liked the way they took you to a deeper, quieter place, almost immediately." It is no surprise, then, that these poems are accessible and harmonious, written in the language of empathy and compassion.
26 of 27 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Ms. Nye brings together so many elements of her life, one
is sure to strike a chord with everyone who reads this
book. Her words, while descriptive, never fail to invoke
more than just their surface meaning. I find it best
to read each poem three times, right in a row. The first
to absorb the flavor and place, the second to garner the
depths and colors that are only implied, and third to
bring its meaning home, to own the poem as if it
were my own words. Her beautiful style is simple and clear,
yet embroidered with care for meaning and love for
language. I highly recommend this book to poetry lovers
others who enjoy pictures made with words.
is sure to strike a chord with everyone who reads this
book. Her words, while descriptive, never fail to invoke
more than just their surface meaning. I find it best
to read each poem three times, right in a row. The first
to absorb the flavor and place, the second to garner the
depths and colors that are only implied, and third to
bring its meaning home, to own the poem as if it
were my own words. Her beautiful style is simple and clear,
yet embroidered with care for meaning and love for
language. I highly recommend this book to poetry lovers
others who enjoy pictures made with words.
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
By Umber76
Format:Paperback
I have always felt that I couldn't "understand" poetry, but these poems spoke to me. I came across this book by accident, but once I started reading it, I couldn't part with it. I felt compelled to buy a copy. The beauty of Ms. Nye's poetry lies in its unpretentious yet eloquent simplicity. The poems are full of everyday events, people, emotions - yet express such profound ideas. They are full of humanity, good-will, and self-discovery. This is a book that would appeal to even the most "unliterary" person.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ahhhh Poetry!
Poetry must be explored with the heart, the ear, and then the brain. Naomi Shihab Nye's work touched me deeply in all these places.
Published 29 days ago by Barbara W. Huntington
5.0 out of 5 stars
phenomenal heart and mind
Everytime I read an incredible and insightful poem, it turns out to be written by Naomi Shihab Nye.
This is one gifted and lovely individual. How does she do it? Read more
This is one gifted and lovely individual. How does she do it? Read more
Published 3 months ago by Michael Byrne
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful Collection
I was told about this book by a friend at an Artist Retreat. I had the opportunity to read a few poems by Naomi especially "Happiness". Read more
Published on October 21, 2007 by Kate
5.0 out of 5 stars
Magnificent poetry
Initially I was attracted to this book because of the photo on the cover, and took it out from the library on a whim. Read more
Published on July 26, 2007 by Kelly Loring
5.0 out of 5 stars
A warm, intriguing collection of poetry.
The Words Under the Words is certainly one of my favorite books of poetry. Nye writes with a warmth and gentleness that is calming, thought-provoking, and increasingly rare in... Read more
Published on January 18, 1998
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
