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babblingbooks's review
4.0
I adored this anthology, the mixture of amusing, poignant and powerful poems made it a joy to read, and it is one I will definitely come back to time and time again. Georgia Heard has done a wonderful job of curating, and then framing the works selected for this volume.
The Women in this Poem is an anthology of poems by women, for women, covering topics as diverse as love, motherhood, work, family & friends, and balance. Represented are many famous names in poetry such as Maya Angelou, Margaret Atwood, Emily Dickinson and Sylvia Plath, but I was pleased to fall in love with the words of poets I might not have discovered otherwise.
My resolution for 2016 was to read more poetry, so when the publisher herself, Maggie Goh of Plumleaf Press, sent me a copy of this anthology I couldn't resist starting it immediately. Despite not reading any poetry since high school, and as far as I can recall, never reading a whole book of poetry from cover to cover, I was so absorbed that I read this in two afternoons. I am looking forward to picking it up again from time to time and finding meaning in some of the poems that resonated with me less than others. But here are a few of the passages I love best:
"Now the empty mind is what I seek
the formless shape
the strange off center
sometimes fictional
me"
~ Imperfection by Elizabeth Carlson
"Does a poem enlarge the world,
or only our idea of the world?"
~ Mathematics by Jane Hirshfield
And finally I adored ‘Power’ by Adrienne Rich, about Marie Curie, her life, discoveries and death.
"She died a famous woman denying
her wounds
denying
her wounds came from the same source as her power"
Because it is an anthology and by its very nature it contains a diverse selections of styles and themes there were a few poems that weren’t to my taste. In particular the section on motherhood was a bit lost on me, but I am sure there are many readers who would be very appreciative of the selection in that chapter.
Overall I really enjoyed this collection, and I would recommend it for both poetry lovers and those who, like myself, are simply curious about the slightly intimidating world of poems. It’s suitable for ages 18 and up.
The Women in this Poem is an anthology of poems by women, for women, covering topics as diverse as love, motherhood, work, family & friends, and balance. Represented are many famous names in poetry such as Maya Angelou, Margaret Atwood, Emily Dickinson and Sylvia Plath, but I was pleased to fall in love with the words of poets I might not have discovered otherwise.
My resolution for 2016 was to read more poetry, so when the publisher herself, Maggie Goh of Plumleaf Press, sent me a copy of this anthology I couldn't resist starting it immediately. Despite not reading any poetry since high school, and as far as I can recall, never reading a whole book of poetry from cover to cover, I was so absorbed that I read this in two afternoons. I am looking forward to picking it up again from time to time and finding meaning in some of the poems that resonated with me less than others. But here are a few of the passages I love best:
"Now the empty mind is what I seek
the formless shape
the strange off center
sometimes fictional
me"
~ Imperfection by Elizabeth Carlson
"Does a poem enlarge the world,
or only our idea of the world?"
~ Mathematics by Jane Hirshfield
And finally I adored ‘Power’ by Adrienne Rich, about Marie Curie, her life, discoveries and death.
"She died a famous woman denying
her wounds
denying
her wounds came from the same source as her power"
Because it is an anthology and by its very nature it contains a diverse selections of styles and themes there were a few poems that weren’t to my taste. In particular the section on motherhood was a bit lost on me, but I am sure there are many readers who would be very appreciative of the selection in that chapter.
Overall I really enjoyed this collection, and I would recommend it for both poetry lovers and those who, like myself, are simply curious about the slightly intimidating world of poems. It’s suitable for ages 18 and up.
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