This is another poetry book. I picked this one up in a library book store a year or two ago, and I have read it a handful of times. It is worth a read, particularly as this is Watkins' debut. Poets do tend to improve with time, and if the starting point is impressive, it can only lead to amazing things.

People interested in fresh and contemporary poetry (published 2012).

Honestly, there aren't any full poems that I really love. I appreciate most of them. I enjoy a few of them. Each piece has something worthwhile contained within its lines and stanzas. However, there are really only a few lines here and there that attract me in a strong way. For instance:

And the horseshoes all rewoven and railways and speed

~opening line of "Alerton in Autumn III"


And then one day, the bluy sky dims starless inside your skull

~opening line of poem "And Then One Day the Blue Sky Dims Starless"


If I peel back the wallpaper of this world

~opening line from "To Calisto, Who was First a Girl, Then a Bear, Then Later, The Bear Constellation"

These are all opening lines from the same section in the book: Alerton in Autumn (the best section in the book). Many of the poems have dull hooks, so do not let these sway you. In general, there are lines this brilliant... followed by boring observances and imagery that is a bit too quaint for me. Some of these titles are irksome as well, in case you hadn't noticed.

I am aware that my personal tastes are not everyone's tastes. The poetry is written very well. The technique is solid. I don't connect strongly with it, but you might. Lots of family, country living, nature, etc. If that sounds good to you, give it a look.

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Created Dec 31, 2015 at 3:29pm • Submit your own review...