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A review by cgcpoems
Head Off & Split: Poems by Nikky Finney
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
I’ve never read any of Nikky Finney’s work before, & I gave this a shot after reading the first poem in the collection & liking it. I quickly found that the first poem wasn’t indicative of the rest of the book.
I could appreciate the rhythmic nature to Finney’s work (even if the poems rarely strayed into different forms), but found that the subject matter didn’t hold up well. I think there’s a risk in writing a deeply political book, in the sense that you’re relying on the reader having necessary context in order to appreciate the poetry. I found that these poems didn’t stand on their own without their context, and came off as a little one-note.
I’m glad to have read this because the title poem is fabulous, but I don’t know that Finney’s work is a fit for me.
I could appreciate the rhythmic nature to Finney’s work (even if the poems rarely strayed into different forms), but found that the subject matter didn’t hold up well. I think there’s a risk in writing a deeply political book, in the sense that you’re relying on the reader having necessary context in order to appreciate the poetry. I found that these poems didn’t stand on their own without their context, and came off as a little one-note.
I’m glad to have read this because the title poem is fabulous, but I don’t know that Finney’s work is a fit for me.