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allysw's review against another edition
5.0
Every time I reread this, I'm older and I understand more and I'm haunted and broken even more by it. What a brilliant poet she is.
kvothes's review against another edition
4.0
really one of our best contemporary poets. i might add this book to my syllabus
aishathebibliophile's review
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
In part inspired by the death of her mum and all black regiment of the civil war (The Louisiana Native Guards) composed mainly of former slaves who unironically guarded white Confederate war prisoners. It’s divided into three parts with 1 focused on the personal and loss of her mum. I liked this poem best, others felt more abstract
“AFTER YOUR DEATH
First, I emptied the closets of your clothes,
threw out the bowl of fruit, bruised
from your touch, left empty the jars
you bought for preserves. The next morning,
birds rustled the fruit trees, and later
when I twisted a ripe fig loose from its stem,
I found it half eaten, the other side
already rotting, or—like another I plucked
and split open—being taken from the inside:
a swarm of insects hollowing it. I'm too late,
again, another space emptied by loss.
Tomorrow, the bowl I have yet to fill.”
Parts 2 and three are much stronger pieces, the titular poem Native Guard and “Scenes from a documentary of Mississippi” are among notable standouts.
Short collection but worth the read
“AFTER YOUR DEATH
First, I emptied the closets of your clothes,
threw out the bowl of fruit, bruised
from your touch, left empty the jars
you bought for preserves. The next morning,
birds rustled the fruit trees, and later
when I twisted a ripe fig loose from its stem,
I found it half eaten, the other side
already rotting, or—like another I plucked
and split open—being taken from the inside:
a swarm of insects hollowing it. I'm too late,
again, another space emptied by loss.
Tomorrow, the bowl I have yet to fill.”
Parts 2 and three are much stronger pieces, the titular poem Native Guard and “Scenes from a documentary of Mississippi” are among notable standouts.
Short collection but worth the read
clairebearrich's review against another edition
3.0
The cool thing about being an English major is that you get to read so many books that you normally wouldn’t pick up. This collection of poetry by the United States’ current poet laureate is definitely something I never would have considered even looking at if it weren’t for my Southern Women Writers course.
See the reason I wouldn’t have picked this book out for myself is that I hate poetry. Okay, that’s not completely true. Hate is a strong word and I don’t hate all poetry. For me it’s just that I don’t get into most poetry like I do books. I’m a fate of Yates and Keats and Dickinson, but most poetry doesn’t suck me in. I don’t have the emotional connection to it like I have with novels.
That being said, I’m definitely not the best person to judge Tretheway’s poetry, but I have a few comments anyway. First off, I enjoyed the poems in this book about Tretheway’s mother. Her mother was murdered when Tretheway was 19, and the first section of the book focuses mainly on that experience. These poems are beautiful and from the heart; I found them easy to connect with. However, the rest of the collection comes up short. Rather than coming from the heart, the remaining two sections seem like they’re trying too hard to be meaningful. I don’t feel the emotion in them I like I did her more personal poems.
Tretheway has a way with words, but sometimes she just seems like she’s trying way too hard. As someone who doesn’t like poetry, I wasn’t impressed. (My professor seems absolutely smitten with this collection however, so it just might be me.)
Favorite poems: “Graveyard Blues,” “Photograph: Ice Storm, 1971,” “What is Evidence,” “Myth,” “You Are Late,” and “Monument.”
3/5 stars
See the reason I wouldn’t have picked this book out for myself is that I hate poetry. Okay, that’s not completely true. Hate is a strong word and I don’t hate all poetry. For me it’s just that I don’t get into most poetry like I do books. I’m a fate of Yates and Keats and Dickinson, but most poetry doesn’t suck me in. I don’t have the emotional connection to it like I have with novels.
That being said, I’m definitely not the best person to judge Tretheway’s poetry, but I have a few comments anyway. First off, I enjoyed the poems in this book about Tretheway’s mother. Her mother was murdered when Tretheway was 19, and the first section of the book focuses mainly on that experience. These poems are beautiful and from the heart; I found them easy to connect with. However, the rest of the collection comes up short. Rather than coming from the heart, the remaining two sections seem like they’re trying too hard to be meaningful. I don’t feel the emotion in them I like I did her more personal poems.
Tretheway has a way with words, but sometimes she just seems like she’s trying way too hard. As someone who doesn’t like poetry, I wasn’t impressed. (My professor seems absolutely smitten with this collection however, so it just might be me.)
Favorite poems: “Graveyard Blues,” “Photograph: Ice Storm, 1971,” “What is Evidence,” “Myth,” “You Are Late,” and “Monument.”
3/5 stars
losethegirl's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
4.75
I was blown away by this collection’s masterful use of history, syntax, and powerful emotional imagery. I definitely see how and why it won the Pulitzer Prize. I would definitely recommend this book.
emmareese's review against another edition
5.0
( 5 stars )
read this for my english class and i’m glad i did. amazing poetry.
read this for my english class and i’m glad i did. amazing poetry.
rtwilliams16's review against another edition
I remember reading this around 2008 but can't remember how I would rate it.