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drivingman's review
3.0
Hmm, I'd like to revisit this, especially her book The Triumph of Achilles.
From Marathon:
"6 THE BEGINNING
I had come to a strange city, without belongings:
in the dream, it was your city, I was looking for you.
Then I was lost, on a dark street lined with fruit stands.
There was only one fruit: blood oranges.
The markets made displays of them, beautiful displays—
how else could they compare? And each arrangement has, at its center,
one fruit, cut open.
Then I was on a boulevard, in brilliant sunlight.
I was running; it was easy to run, since I had nothing.
In the distance, I could see your house; a woman knelt in the yard.
There were roses everywhere; in waves, they climbed the high trellis.
Then what began as love for you
became a hunger for structure: I could hear
the woman call to me in common kindness, knowing
I wouldn't ask for you anymore—
So it was settled: I could have a childhood there.
Which came to mean being always alone."
From Marathon:
"6 THE BEGINNING
I had come to a strange city, without belongings:
in the dream, it was your city, I was looking for you.
Then I was lost, on a dark street lined with fruit stands.
There was only one fruit: blood oranges.
The markets made displays of them, beautiful displays—
how else could they compare? And each arrangement has, at its center,
one fruit, cut open.
Then I was on a boulevard, in brilliant sunlight.
I was running; it was easy to run, since I had nothing.
In the distance, I could see your house; a woman knelt in the yard.
There were roses everywhere; in waves, they climbed the high trellis.
Then what began as love for you
became a hunger for structure: I could hear
the woman call to me in common kindness, knowing
I wouldn't ask for you anymore—
So it was settled: I could have a childhood there.
Which came to mean being always alone."
celeste57's review
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.5
Louise Glück is a former Poet Laureate and winner of both the Pulitzer and the Nobel Prize. So I knew that when I embarked on my year of poetry, she definitely had to be includes. As the title states, this book collects her first four published books of poetry in one bind-up. I found it very interesting to follow her career from the very beginning, and to see how her style changed and solidified as she grew into her own voice. I’m not a huge fan of this type of blank free verse, as I tend to gravitate towards poetry with a meter and rhythm I can hear in my mind, but that’s a personal preference. Her work grew on me as I progressed further into her career.
There were quite a few pieces in the final portion of this collection, The Triumph of Achilles, that I quite enjoyed. Some of these were “Baskets,” “The Reproach,” and “A Parable.” Something I’ve realized about myself as a reader of poetry is that I’ll always appreciate works that are retellings or inspired in some way by a myth or a folktale or an actual historical event, which I think is why this last book of poems in the collection resonated more with me than the first three. While I didn’t enjoy the entire collection as much as I had hoped to, I do very much respect Glück’s work, and it’s easy to see why she’s so lauded. I’d be interested to read some poetry from later in her career to compare to these.
There were quite a few pieces in the final portion of this collection, The Triumph of Achilles, that I quite enjoyed. Some of these were “Baskets,” “The Reproach,” and “A Parable.” Something I’ve realized about myself as a reader of poetry is that I’ll always appreciate works that are retellings or inspired in some way by a myth or a folktale or an actual historical event, which I think is why this last book of poems in the collection resonated more with me than the first three. While I didn’t enjoy the entire collection as much as I had hoped to, I do very much respect Glück’s work, and it’s easy to see why she’s so lauded. I’d be interested to read some poetry from later in her career to compare to these.
nicoleisalwaysreading's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
4.0
niecierpek's review against another edition
Nothing like the later collections of poems, which are alien to me in their expression, but flawless in their craft and emotional charge.
elianachow's review
4.0
Glück will always be one of my favorite poets. :’) Of the four books in this collection, “The Triumph of Achilles” was my favorite.
bibliozabs's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
These are difficult poems. Force you to look at uncomfortable moments and maybe uncover truths you’d rather keep buried. Sometimes too hard and uncomfortable and unforgiving.