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shaunnow38's review against another edition
5.0
Spectacular collection of poetry for a truly excellent poet. Etheridge Knight's poetry speaks distinctly to a mid-20th century American experience, while having the emotional depth and breadth to maintain universal relevance. Knight's poetry, as other commentators have noted, speaks to the body and a poetics of the belly. His vernacular poetry is musical (at times literally inflected with jazz, blues, and gospel music) and earthy, deeply appealing and accessible when compared to the often cryptic and elusive poetry of other American poets following the modernist movements of the early 20th century.
Knight's poetry is not uncomplicated however, as any thorough reading will suggest. The power of the poems are not in the locking away of meaning behind allusion, metaphor, and complex jargon. Instead, emotional valence, affect, and feeling are allowed to thrive and produce variegated meaning depending on moment and reader. I find Knight to be a really important poet because of the approachability of his verse style, as it seems so unlike poetry in its ivory tower. In Knight I read the beginnings of spoken word poetry of today, as different as early hip-hop to contemporary videos from Button Poetry. They may lack the cerebral and often cold signs that are associated with "great poetry," but they are complex, extremely thought out, and moving pieces of writing.
Knight's poetry has gone on to inspire numerous other voices, and this collection really shows why. I have marked so many poems so I can revisit them with ease. Some particular highlights include: "A Wasp Woman Visits a Black Junkie in Prison," "As You Leave Me," "Dark Prophecy: I Sing of Shine," "Green Grass and Yellow Balloons," "Rehabilitation & Treatment in the Prisons of America."
I recommend this to anyone interested in poetry. I think the collection is just fantastic. If you are already a fan of Etheridge Knight, this is as the title says "Essential." If you are looking for more background material on Knight, I would look elsewhere, as this book has nothing in the way of supplemental materials beyond a very basic gloss about the author, and what can be gleaned from Knight's own personal (if very mask-like) writing. This collection is very useful for those interested in the Black Arts movement, especially the earlier poems of the collection from Knight's time in prison.
Knight's poetry is not uncomplicated however, as any thorough reading will suggest. The power of the poems are not in the locking away of meaning behind allusion, metaphor, and complex jargon. Instead, emotional valence, affect, and feeling are allowed to thrive and produce variegated meaning depending on moment and reader. I find Knight to be a really important poet because of the approachability of his verse style, as it seems so unlike poetry in its ivory tower. In Knight I read the beginnings of spoken word poetry of today, as different as early hip-hop to contemporary videos from Button Poetry. They may lack the cerebral and often cold signs that are associated with "great poetry," but they are complex, extremely thought out, and moving pieces of writing.
Knight's poetry has gone on to inspire numerous other voices, and this collection really shows why. I have marked so many poems so I can revisit them with ease. Some particular highlights include: "A Wasp Woman Visits a Black Junkie in Prison," "As You Leave Me," "Dark Prophecy: I Sing of Shine," "Green Grass and Yellow Balloons," "Rehabilitation & Treatment in the Prisons of America."
I recommend this to anyone interested in poetry. I think the collection is just fantastic. If you are already a fan of Etheridge Knight, this is as the title says "Essential." If you are looking for more background material on Knight, I would look elsewhere, as this book has nothing in the way of supplemental materials beyond a very basic gloss about the author, and what can be gleaned from Knight's own personal (if very mask-like) writing. This collection is very useful for those interested in the Black Arts movement, especially the earlier poems of the collection from Knight's time in prison.
bookishcassie's review against another edition
5.0
Here is my review: http://booksandbowelmovements.wordpress.com/2011/10/13/poetry-books-october-edition/
mlyprc's review against another edition
5.0
WE GOT A NEW FAVORITE POET EVERYONE!!! etheridge has officially dethroned frank o'hara as my second fav poet of all time (after bob kaufman, of course)
talypollywaly's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
3.7
Wonderfully rhythmic poetry.
Wonderfully rhythmic poetry.
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug use