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cheydaytaysaway's review against another edition
4.0
A lot of these are going to stay with me for a good, long while.
zoewhester's review against another edition
5.0
Rose McLarney’s Its Day Being Gone is a cultural gold mine that explores themes in both Appalachia and Central and South America, making connections among places and people that few would have thought even existed. In its three sections: “Folk Tale,” “Another World,” and “Another Telling,” the book explores themes such as a woman’s role and image in the world and the loss of nature through the urbanization of places that might be better off left alone. In “Folk Tale,” we are in Appalachia: mountains, shadow cats, bears, and goats serve to immerse readers in this world. In “Another World,” we are whisked away to a foreign land, where we fight and mourn with indigenous people and species of South America. Poems like “The Language for This” serve as powerful pieces in this section that make the reader aware of the importance of cultural history. In “Another Telling,” we catch glimpses of the author’s personal life through poems that explore her experiences.
In my opinion, the most powerful poem in the work is the profound “Imminent Domain.” McLarney, as an Appalachian poet, connects the Tennessee Valley Authority’s building of dams to those planned for Central and South America. She reminds us that our issues span continents, and that we must choose to fight against them if we want to see change. In the poem, McLarney presents a certain power in her writing. She brings the idea of “power” around continuously, much like how the dams that are in the poem might create electricity. In “Imminent Domain,” both dams and the South Americans trying to prevent their construction are considered powerful. McLarney writes of them, “See the strange proportions / of power, how strong the will to hold back.” Later, she muses over these events and applies them to her own life when she asks, “Who doesn’t live / in the sway of the power of what’s pent up behind them?” McLarney reminds us that our actions have consequences, and that in damming the world, we may be damning it as well. She also reminds us that we become the consequences of actions that come before us. Although Tennessee families, such as those in Fontana, were not successful is preserving their natural landscapes, “Imminent Domain” is an ode, a kudos of sorts, to the activists in the lower continent who stand and fight.
Rose McLarney’s Its Day Being Gone is a book of poetry that will make you feel as if you’re walking through a watershed in the Appalachian Mountains while simultaneously making you feel as if you’re revolting among indigenous people of Mexico or Patagonia. It will make you see yourself in both the insignificance of a lamprey eel and the large, powerful creation of the dam, holding back and creating power. Its Day Being Gone highlights the shimmering and ever moving aspects of both memory and living in the present moment in a hauntingly connected way.
In my opinion, the most powerful poem in the work is the profound “Imminent Domain.” McLarney, as an Appalachian poet, connects the Tennessee Valley Authority’s building of dams to those planned for Central and South America. She reminds us that our issues span continents, and that we must choose to fight against them if we want to see change. In the poem, McLarney presents a certain power in her writing. She brings the idea of “power” around continuously, much like how the dams that are in the poem might create electricity. In “Imminent Domain,” both dams and the South Americans trying to prevent their construction are considered powerful. McLarney writes of them, “See the strange proportions / of power, how strong the will to hold back.” Later, she muses over these events and applies them to her own life when she asks, “Who doesn’t live / in the sway of the power of what’s pent up behind them?” McLarney reminds us that our actions have consequences, and that in damming the world, we may be damning it as well. She also reminds us that we become the consequences of actions that come before us. Although Tennessee families, such as those in Fontana, were not successful is preserving their natural landscapes, “Imminent Domain” is an ode, a kudos of sorts, to the activists in the lower continent who stand and fight.
Rose McLarney’s Its Day Being Gone is a book of poetry that will make you feel as if you’re walking through a watershed in the Appalachian Mountains while simultaneously making you feel as if you’re revolting among indigenous people of Mexico or Patagonia. It will make you see yourself in both the insignificance of a lamprey eel and the large, powerful creation of the dam, holding back and creating power. Its Day Being Gone highlights the shimmering and ever moving aspects of both memory and living in the present moment in a hauntingly connected way.
late_stranger's review against another edition
4.0
I really, really enjoyed the middle section of this collection. The two ends I liked a lot, but wasn't drawn to the individual poems rather than the voice. The middle section had it all.
benevolentelfking's review
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Animal death
losethegirl's review
dark
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
4.0
I loved Forage, so I had high hopes for this book. I was a little let down, but it was still an excellent book. I would definitely recommend it!
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