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A review by analyticalchaos
American Melancholy: Poems by Joyce Carol Oates
2.0
This poetry collection is very accessible. Oates uses poetry as storytelling, recalling prominent behaviorist psychologists Watson and Harlow, actor Marlon Brando, her own travels to Germany, a story about a worn down mistress, etc. Oates’s imagery is the highlight of this collection.
Yet when I assess my overall reading experience, I found myself really detached. I felt as if the poems were long and redundant at points; the shorter ones had very overdone themes. It was grating to get through them knowing there wasn’t an interesting conclusion in the end.
I wonder if these would do better in a spoken word medium. That way, the imagery could shine through and the audience would feel more engaged with the content Oates discussed.
Yet when I assess my overall reading experience, I found myself really detached. I felt as if the poems were long and redundant at points; the shorter ones had very overdone themes. It was grating to get through them knowing there wasn’t an interesting conclusion in the end.
I wonder if these would do better in a spoken word medium. That way, the imagery could shine through and the audience would feel more engaged with the content Oates discussed.