Reviews

Poems That Make Grown Women Cry by Anthony Holden

maxinebrigue's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A

3.5

sendlasagna's review against another edition

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At page 210

  1. The Walrus and the Carpenter, Lewis Caroll
  2. Sestina, Elizabeth Bishop 
  3. Unknown Girl in the Maternity Ward, Anne Sexton 

emilysamsharrisreads's review against another edition

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4.0

Love the concept of this book and exploring a different side of masculinity. Would maybe have liked to see more diverse authors included but not a sticking point. Good for reading a couple poems a day, but I didn't find it a "sit down and read the whole thing".

americajane's review against another edition

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informative reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.0

jorpollard's review against another edition

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3.5

trying to get into poetry this is good! but some poems are so long its annoying as shit

chronicloser's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

karlijn_katta's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

gabieowleyess's review against another edition

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3.0

I found a few poems that I ABSOLUTELY LOVED. However, I also skimmed through a few of the longer ones.

gobbeline's review against another edition

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5.0

A beautiful collection. Tears were shed.

philatcs's review against another edition

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4.0

"you can't make homes of human beings
someone should have already told you that"

"you are terrifying
strange and beautiful
something not everyone knows how to love"

- warsan shire, 'for women who are difficult to love' (2009)

this anthology was brilliant. i binge read it maybe too quickly to breathe it all in, but there's plenty of opportunity to read through it again.

i read this to have an insight into feminist poetry for my dissertation, and i think this was the perfect read not only for that, but also just to decide what sort of poetry directly resonates with you.
i'd never heard of warsan shire or her poetry, but taiye selasi's entry was the one which resonated with me most. she writes "i wept for my strangeness. i wept for my beauty. i wept for the beauty of truth plainly told. poetry alone can do this: touch, with the fewest of phrases, our raw beating hearts".

i think that's so fucking beautiful and real. there were so many other entries in the book that were beautifully written, and then the poems that directly effected them. i think that's why in the last few years i've become so deeply connected to poetry. it feels a lot more emotional and personal than prose. i need to get into reading more poetry anthologies

these poems didn't make me cry, but they made my chest ache.