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sanfordc11's review against another edition
5.0
What a blessing, to encounter such a small wealth of grace and art.
alexanderhagen8's review against another edition
4.0
This book ended at a 3.5, but I rounded up.
Although the poetry in this book was beautiful, I went in expecting a book of poetry which it was not. The cover clearly states that this is a poet that "reflects on a century in the garden," and that is what it does. There is maybe 15-20 poems in the book itself, and the rest is pictures and small essay like reflections on the role of the garden in Stanley Kunitz's life.
The reflections are beautiful and give a lot to understanding the poems that come afterwards. Kunitz really goes in depth and opens up the world of the garden. It is not just planting flowers to be a beautiful scene, it is designing something that should be reflective of the natural world around it. Kunitz really shows that every flower placed in his garden, was done so consciously, and that the garden informs the gardener if plants are working in said areas or if you need to reconfigure.
The reflections also gave very beautiful imagery of his connections not only to the garden, but to the natural world surrounding him. He befriended a family of owls and brought them home to his attic to live, he admired and actually saw the raccoons for what they are, and he taught the woods behind his house all of the beautiful words he was learning growing up. The book is beautiful and gives the reader a sense of calmness and ease, as if you were sitting with him in his garden hearing him explain all of his life tied to something seemingly so simple.
The reason it got down to 3.5 is that I loathed the photography. To me, it felt juvenile. There was one too many photos that utilized a low shutter speed to capture movements, photos that needed to be adjusted to give more light, and photos that felt like the photographer was truly just out there taking random photos. I wish they would have omitted half of the photos or given someone else the opportunity to photograph Kunitz in his garden, because by the end I felt very unimpressed and slightly annoyed with the photography being presented.
Although the poetry in this book was beautiful, I went in expecting a book of poetry which it was not. The cover clearly states that this is a poet that "reflects on a century in the garden," and that is what it does. There is maybe 15-20 poems in the book itself, and the rest is pictures and small essay like reflections on the role of the garden in Stanley Kunitz's life.
The reflections are beautiful and give a lot to understanding the poems that come afterwards. Kunitz really goes in depth and opens up the world of the garden. It is not just planting flowers to be a beautiful scene, it is designing something that should be reflective of the natural world around it. Kunitz really shows that every flower placed in his garden, was done so consciously, and that the garden informs the gardener if plants are working in said areas or if you need to reconfigure.
The reflections also gave very beautiful imagery of his connections not only to the garden, but to the natural world surrounding him. He befriended a family of owls and brought them home to his attic to live, he admired and actually saw the raccoons for what they are, and he taught the woods behind his house all of the beautiful words he was learning growing up. The book is beautiful and gives the reader a sense of calmness and ease, as if you were sitting with him in his garden hearing him explain all of his life tied to something seemingly so simple.
The reason it got down to 3.5 is that I loathed the photography. To me, it felt juvenile. There was one too many photos that utilized a low shutter speed to capture movements, photos that needed to be adjusted to give more light, and photos that felt like the photographer was truly just out there taking random photos. I wish they would have omitted half of the photos or given someone else the opportunity to photograph Kunitz in his garden, because by the end I felt very unimpressed and slightly annoyed with the photography being presented.
livingpalm1's review against another edition
2.0
At the time of this book's publication award-winning poet and master gardener Stanley Kunitz was planning his 100th birthday. This book was lovingly conceived by those who admired his long years creating beauty in words and soil. A lovely, relaxing read.
sandyd's review
5.0
Interesting short combination of essays, an interview, photographs, and poetry by a 99 y.o. poet - he had an incredible garden in Provincetown, MA.
Themes include creativity, wilderness vs. domestication, death, and wildlife.
Themes include creativity, wilderness vs. domestication, death, and wildlife.
satyridae's review
5.0
Kunitz in old age is a force of nature, a conduit for purity of language. The only (minor) jarring note in here is a bit of dialogue toward the end where the interviewer comes too much to the fore. The meditations on gardening, on process, on dying and living and love are nearly as lovely as the poetry. Highly recommended.
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