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jmarkwindy's review
3.0
"In the Garden" / "Meditation on Ruin" / "Out of These Wounds, the Moon Will Rise" / "Like the Stare of Some Glass-Eyed God" / "Meditation on Beethoven: Symphony 9" / "The Wildflower Field" (both) / "A Book of Common Days" / "Feast of the Ascension, 2004. Planting Hibiscus"
emsemsems's review
4.0
Absolutely brilliant! If Louise Glück approves, who am I to argue? I enjoyed reading the whole collection, but I couldn't give it a full 5-star rating because there were a few that felt like - well - it make me feel like I wanted more and it just wasn't delivering enough for me. But I'm really glad I found this book; it's the first time I've read something by Hopler.
Hopler plays with the ideas of plants and nature with an existentialist touch in his poems. I really enjoyed his playful tone in some of his poems. I usually think that when authors or poets use the word 'fuck' in their work, they were just being lazy about their choice of diction because maybe because their toolbox of literary skills and creativity in general is a bit lacking. But I think Hopler's an exception. He swears gloriously in this collection.
"Or don’t forgive me, what do I care? I am tired of asking for forgiveness; I am tired of being frightened
all the time.
I want to run down the street with a vicious erection, Impaling everything, screaming obscenities
And flapping my arms; fuck the date palms,
Fuck the daisies— " [AND THE SUNFLOWER WEEPS FOR THE SUN, ITS FLOWER]
My favourite ones (and evidently there are quite a lot them) in the collection :
MEDITATION ON BEETHOVEN: SYMPHONY 9
OUT OF THESE WOUNDS, THE MOON WILL RISE
THE GODDESS OF THE PARKING LOT
AND THE SUNFLOWER WEEPS FOR THE SUN, ITS FLOWER
SELF-PORTRAIT WITH WHISKEY AND PISTOL
MÉDITATION MALHEUREUSE
GREEN SQUALL
Hopler plays with the ideas of plants and nature with an existentialist touch in his poems. I really enjoyed his playful tone in some of his poems. I usually think that when authors or poets use the word 'fuck' in their work, they were just being lazy about their choice of diction because maybe because their toolbox of literary skills and creativity in general is a bit lacking. But I think Hopler's an exception. He swears gloriously in this collection.
"Or don’t forgive me, what do I care? I am tired of asking for forgiveness; I am tired of being frightened
all the time.
I want to run down the street with a vicious erection, Impaling everything, screaming obscenities
And flapping my arms; fuck the date palms,
Fuck the daisies— " [AND THE SUNFLOWER WEEPS FOR THE SUN, ITS FLOWER]
My favourite ones (and evidently there are quite a lot them) in the collection :
MEDITATION ON BEETHOVEN: SYMPHONY 9
OUT OF THESE WOUNDS, THE MOON WILL RISE
THE GODDESS OF THE PARKING LOT
AND THE SUNFLOWER WEEPS FOR THE SUN, ITS FLOWER
SELF-PORTRAIT WITH WHISKEY AND PISTOL
MÉDITATION MALHEUREUSE
GREEN SQUALL
bookish_gina's review
2.0
This was required reading for school. I'm just not into poetry. However, most of the class that are very much interested in poetry really enjoyed it. So, please don't base your decision to pick up this book based on my rating. If you enjoy poetry, I'm sure you will enjoy this book.
ks_reads_stat's review
5.0
This is an outstanding collection of poetry, immaculately stylized and visually rich. My favourite part about it is how Hopler reinvents language: neverbeforementioned adjectives, nouns, verbs, adverbs - all turned and twisted into each other, lines broken off just to unexpectedly get picked right after. Playful writing and heavy subjects create a sense of inescapability. I am curious and I am mesmerized at every point of reading, what a lovely treat.
Favourites: in the garden, that light one finds in baby pictures, out of these wounds,the moon will rise, the frustrated angel, of hunger and human freedom, méditation malheureuse, the wildflower field, feast of the ascension,2004.Planting hibiscus;
Favourites: in the garden, that light one finds in baby pictures, out of these wounds,the moon will rise, the frustrated angel, of hunger and human freedom, méditation malheureuse, the wildflower field, feast of the ascension,2004.Planting hibiscus;
anlters's review
3.0
I still don't know what to think of this collection. The first poem I've read was With Both Eyes Closing, which I loved, but then the other poems were nothing special. There were some lines that were also pretty good, like:
Standing next to a large white pot
Filled to overflowing with orange
- Aubade (pg. 61)
Work-like,
They move their purple and white,
Red and yellow heads to the edge
Of the field and stand - leaf deep -
In a seeping flood of fallen petals:
The wind is picking up
- The Wildflower Field (pg.63)
but otherwise the whole poems just didn't follow up to these lines. I think I'll need to re-read this some time and see how I feel about it then.
Standing next to a large white pot
Filled to overflowing with orange
- Aubade (pg. 61)
Work-like,
They move their purple and white,
Red and yellow heads to the edge
Of the field and stand - leaf deep -
In a seeping flood of fallen petals:
The wind is picking up
- The Wildflower Field (pg.63)
but otherwise the whole poems just didn't follow up to these lines. I think I'll need to re-read this some time and see how I feel about it then.
maningning's review against another edition
4.0
favorite pieces: meditation on a blue vase and the frustrated angel
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