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A review by woolfardis
Poems That Make Grown Men Cry: 100 Men on the Words That Move Them by Anthony Holden
3.0
This is an anthology of poetry created alongside Amnesty International, presumably with the intention to shatter the stereotype that men do not cry. Whilst it feels rather like a gimmick, and just another way for men to showcase other men's work, it was a lovely way for me to find more poems and explore a medium of writing that I've never previously had time for and am very new to loving.
I'm not sure if I love poetry yet, but there are certainly some poems that I love. One of my absolutely favourites is included in this collection (C.P. Cavafy's Ithaka) though it certainly doesn't make me cry. None of the poems made me cry, though there was a theme of melancholy and loss running throughout. There are 100 poems with 100 men telling us why, when and how their chosen poems make them cry. Some are extremely personal which, whilst aren't going to make me shed a tear just because they make some masculine-type cry, do give a lovely insight to how other people enjoy poetry, which is something I'm quite interested in.
It's a good collection of poetry, from modern contemporaries to the romantics of the 18th Century; from English to Indian and all over the rest of the globe, with a good selection of celebrities who aren't all heart-throbs or muscular, Real Men who are the obvious candidates to never cry. Whilst I can't get behind the naming and execution of the collection, I think it's great these prominent men are sharing their feelings and adding to the belief that it's okay for everyone to cry, not just women and children, but men, too. It's a lovely collection to delve in and out of, to read aloud and see if these can spark some kind of emotion like they did with those who have chosen them.
Notice how none of them analyse too deeply. That's the mistake we make with poetry: you should feel them with your heart, they should reach deep down in to your metaphorical soul and tug at it-or, at least, the ones you enjoy should. If they don't do that they are not worth your time.
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I'm not sure if I love poetry yet, but there are certainly some poems that I love. One of my absolutely favourites is included in this collection (C.P. Cavafy's Ithaka) though it certainly doesn't make me cry. None of the poems made me cry, though there was a theme of melancholy and loss running throughout. There are 100 poems with 100 men telling us why, when and how their chosen poems make them cry. Some are extremely personal which, whilst aren't going to make me shed a tear just because they make some masculine-type cry, do give a lovely insight to how other people enjoy poetry, which is something I'm quite interested in.
It's a good collection of poetry, from modern contemporaries to the romantics of the 18th Century; from English to Indian and all over the rest of the globe, with a good selection of celebrities who aren't all heart-throbs or muscular, Real Men who are the obvious candidates to never cry. Whilst I can't get behind the naming and execution of the collection, I think it's great these prominent men are sharing their feelings and adding to the belief that it's okay for everyone to cry, not just women and children, but men, too. It's a lovely collection to delve in and out of, to read aloud and see if these can spark some kind of emotion like they did with those who have chosen them.
Notice how none of them analyse too deeply. That's the mistake we make with poetry: you should feel them with your heart, they should reach deep down in to your metaphorical soul and tug at it-or, at least, the ones you enjoy should. If they don't do that they are not worth your time.
Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Shop | Etsy