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annebennett1957's review against another edition
3.0
None of the poems spoke to me. I kept wondering if most of them were either about aging or fantasy. Don't know.
narzibenoucdel's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
barnstormingbooks's review against another edition
2.0
I keep thinking that I’m not sophisticated enough to enjoy poetry, but that just isn’t true. I love great poetry and enjoy good poetry. Harjo and Angelou and Rankine all light a fire in my heart. Moore and Mans will have me nodding my head in agreement with every line. But I’m a poetry snob, maybe this is a problem and maybe it isn’t.
Great poetry is about creating a space and then suspending time. You should feel time slow down as we abandon the hustle and bustle of our hectic lives and soak in the full sensory experience of the poem. The visual of the use of space on the page. The auditory experience of each chosen word’s sound in relation to those around it. The rhythm of the words that bounce through the body. Each word should be chosen carefully, no accidents, no unintentional pacing… Everything is intentional. The language chosen, no matter if colloquial or if it has you diving for your dictionary, should enhance the poem, the mood, the collection. That is what good poetry is and does.
Le Guin is not known for her poetry although she has published over 10 collections. Now I know why.
I am a huge fan of Le Guin’s ability in her fiction to create worlds, build complex characters and discuss difficult topics through her science fiction and fantasy. In this work there is a driving pace that flies through content in relatively few pages. Her language is direct, her choices are clear and there are very few quiet moments in her fiction. She is a fast-paced writer and thinker. Poetry is born in long moments of contemplation, not something she seems to excel at.
The poems in this collection were forgettable at best. Spanning most of her career from 1960 – 2010 there is very little growth or experimentation with the later poems. The themes are similar to her fiction: climate change, capitalism, a sense of place, women’s rights and roles. However, there is no finesse to these ideas. Further, the problematic moments we have read in her essays and some of her fiction are more obvious in her poetry. I don’t think the problems are intentional, but there is a co-opting of Native American symbolism, especially in imagery of coyotes and ravens/crows. There is an over reliance on certain imagery, fire weed, wind, etc. I can go on… but I think you get the idea.
If you want to read Le Guin, I suggest you stick to her non-fiction, sci-fi and fantasy. Those rarely disappoint. And with over 60 works published you will still do her proud.
Great poetry is about creating a space and then suspending time. You should feel time slow down as we abandon the hustle and bustle of our hectic lives and soak in the full sensory experience of the poem. The visual of the use of space on the page. The auditory experience of each chosen word’s sound in relation to those around it. The rhythm of the words that bounce through the body. Each word should be chosen carefully, no accidents, no unintentional pacing… Everything is intentional. The language chosen, no matter if colloquial or if it has you diving for your dictionary, should enhance the poem, the mood, the collection. That is what good poetry is and does.
Le Guin is not known for her poetry although she has published over 10 collections. Now I know why.
I am a huge fan of Le Guin’s ability in her fiction to create worlds, build complex characters and discuss difficult topics through her science fiction and fantasy. In this work there is a driving pace that flies through content in relatively few pages. Her language is direct, her choices are clear and there are very few quiet moments in her fiction. She is a fast-paced writer and thinker. Poetry is born in long moments of contemplation, not something she seems to excel at.
The poems in this collection were forgettable at best. Spanning most of her career from 1960 – 2010 there is very little growth or experimentation with the later poems. The themes are similar to her fiction: climate change, capitalism, a sense of place, women’s rights and roles. However, there is no finesse to these ideas. Further, the problematic moments we have read in her essays and some of her fiction are more obvious in her poetry. I don’t think the problems are intentional, but there is a co-opting of Native American symbolism, especially in imagery of coyotes and ravens/crows. There is an over reliance on certain imagery, fire weed, wind, etc. I can go on… but I think you get the idea.
If you want to read Le Guin, I suggest you stick to her non-fiction, sci-fi and fantasy. Those rarely disappoint. And with over 60 works published you will still do her proud.
spacestationtrustfund's review against another edition
3.0
GRACEThe kitten no bigger than a teacup growls
true threat at interference with his food,
will bite the hand that feeds him, and draw blood.
They are entire tiger in their souls.
They shame the monkeyness in us, that howls
and grins and chatters and knowing bad from good
claims to be other than the animals
and nearer than the tiger to the grace of God.
careinthelibrary's review against another edition
3.0
Some I loved, many I liked. Ursula K. Le Guin is always worth reading because of her prowess as a writer.
abetterjulie's review against another edition
3.0
This was a mixed bag for me, but I suspect that if I owned the book and could peruse it repeatedly, I would come to love them all. Some of these were so great that I kept them, but others did not resonate and I left them behind.
doodlertm's review against another edition
3.0
I had no idea that Ursula K. Le Guin wrote poetry, so I thought I might try this out.
Most of Le Guin's poetry is what poetry should be - deliberate, conceptual, haunting, beautiful. Poetry is so often subjective and reflective of the poet, and this is it. If you're into nature poetry, or poetry at all, I'd suggest giving this a whirl.
The only problems I had with it is that the book was a bit too long and at a certain point I felt like I was dragging myself to the ending. And of course, some of the poems I didn't like for whatever reason. But most of this was really amazing.
Most of Le Guin's poetry is what poetry should be - deliberate, conceptual, haunting, beautiful. Poetry is so often subjective and reflective of the poet, and this is it. If you're into nature poetry, or poetry at all, I'd suggest giving this a whirl.
The only problems I had with it is that the book was a bit too long and at a certain point I felt like I was dragging myself to the ending. And of course, some of the poems I didn't like for whatever reason. But most of this was really amazing.
rowan_'s review
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
I found a lot of the earlier poems to be kind of meh, though the more recent poems were much more thematically interesting to me. It was mainly a before-bed leisure reading kind of book for me, so I don't have too many in-depth thoughts. I may read more of her poetry, but likely will stick to reading more of her prose.
bonylegged's review
5.0
An excellent anthology. Though there were two poems that, on a moral ground, I really felt uncomfortable with, this book deserves five stars. Le Guin continues to find such magic and beauty in everyday life. Really astounding.