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erintowner's review
3.0
I liked this book more than other books of poetry I've read recently. The 'voice' of the poet is tongue in cheek and he loves nature, two things that I appreciate in a writer. My favorite poems from this book were "Fear is What Quickens Me", "Two Hangovers", "Two Horses Playing in an Orchard", "Trying to Pray", "A Prayer to Escape from the Marketplace", "Today I Was Happy So I Made This Poem", "To the Evening Star: Central Minnesota", "I Was Afraid of Dying", and "A Blessing". This poet's writing reminded me of Wallace Stegner's.
andredias's review
4.0
James Wright was a Pulitzer Prize award winner (1972) and, with this poetry book, he presents to the reader a rollercoaster of emotions and feelings.
Dark feelings and emotional sufferings (e.g. "I was afraid of dying"; "Fear is what quickens me") are well represented during this collection of poems, where Human spirituality, obscure past events, nostalgic moments are some of the main thematics in this poetic work. In another hand, Wright expresses optimistic feelings towards Human life, as well as enjoyment moments (e.g." Today I was so happy, so I made this poem"). The concept of nature is also profoundly detailed as an important element in the author's life (e.g."Spring Images"; "Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio").
Overall, I personally sensed that Wright highlights American decadence and its past in a dramatic manner. A bleak existence that can be transcended and succeeded. A bright and hopeful future...
DEPRESSED BY A BOOK OF BAD POETRY, I WALK TOWARD AN UNUSED
PASTURE AND INVITE THE INSECTS TO JOIN ME
"Relieved, I let the book fall behind a stone.
I climb a slight rise of grass.
I do not want to disturb the ants
Who are walking single file up the fence post,
Carrying small white petals,
Casting shadows so frail that I can see through them.
I close my eyes for a moment, and listen.
The old grasshoppers
Are tired, they leap heavily now,
Their thighs are burdened.
I want to hear them, they have clear sounds to make.
Then lovely, far off, a dark cricket begins
In the maple trees."
This is personally the poem I enjoyed the most. Wright's harmony with nature in a moment of sadness is deeply presented in these verses.
Looking forward to read more about deep image poetry in order to enhance my poetic palate!
Rating: 3.8/5 stars
Dark feelings and emotional sufferings (e.g. "I was afraid of dying"; "Fear is what quickens me") are well represented during this collection of poems, where Human spirituality, obscure past events, nostalgic moments are some of the main thematics in this poetic work. In another hand, Wright expresses optimistic feelings towards Human life, as well as enjoyment moments (e.g." Today I was so happy, so I made this poem"). The concept of nature is also profoundly detailed as an important element in the author's life (e.g."Spring Images"; "Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio").
Overall, I personally sensed that Wright highlights American decadence and its past in a dramatic manner. A bleak existence that can be transcended and succeeded. A bright and hopeful future...
DEPRESSED BY A BOOK OF BAD POETRY, I WALK TOWARD AN UNUSED
PASTURE AND INVITE THE INSECTS TO JOIN ME
"Relieved, I let the book fall behind a stone.
I climb a slight rise of grass.
I do not want to disturb the ants
Who are walking single file up the fence post,
Carrying small white petals,
Casting shadows so frail that I can see through them.
I close my eyes for a moment, and listen.
The old grasshoppers
Are tired, they leap heavily now,
Their thighs are burdened.
I want to hear them, they have clear sounds to make.
Then lovely, far off, a dark cricket begins
In the maple trees."
This is personally the poem I enjoyed the most. Wright's harmony with nature in a moment of sadness is deeply presented in these verses.
Looking forward to read more about deep image poetry in order to enhance my poetic palate!
Rating: 3.8/5 stars
jada223's review
4.0
I'm not the hugest fan of poetry, but I'm taking a poetry class and this was one of the collections we're reading. I read through it in about twenty minutes, mostly because the author is from around where I live and I wanted to see what he wrote about. That said, I actually liked it. I'm not the best at deciphering what is being said in poetry, but this collection was pretty easy to breeze through and I didn't have too much difficulty with it. I found several of the poems to be quite beautiful. All in all, it was an enjoyable read.
nick_jenkins's review
5.0
One of the great books of American poetry. I don't know why it took me so long to make my way to James Wright, but don't make my mistake--read him today!
Wright is, not inaccurately, categorized as a pastoral poet, but what delighted me about so many of the poems in The Branch Will Not Break was the easy confluence of industrial, agricultural, and bucolic scenes and images. It provides an accurate and stirring vision of the way these different modes intertwine in the lives of Midwesterners, but it has been difficult for poets or novelists (and very difficult for historians) to capture.
Wright is, not inaccurately, categorized as a pastoral poet, but what delighted me about so many of the poems in The Branch Will Not Break was the easy confluence of industrial, agricultural, and bucolic scenes and images. It provides an accurate and stirring vision of the way these different modes intertwine in the lives of Midwesterners, but it has been difficult for poets or novelists (and very difficult for historians) to capture.
caitlin_bookchats's review
2.0
I didn't get it.
I've had this on my TBR for two or more years, having added it in a fit of "I should read more poetry" and then, of course not reading it because... poetry (an also because it took an academic library to have a copy of it for me to peruse.)
Put this on the pile of poetry I don't understand the big deal about. There were a few great phrases here and there but altogether it fell flat for me. IDK, I'm not a poetry critic or anything. Anyway, YMMV but for me it just sort of existed.
I've had this on my TBR for two or more years, having added it in a fit of "I should read more poetry" and then, of course not reading it because... poetry (an also because it took an academic library to have a copy of it for me to peruse.)
Put this on the pile of poetry I don't understand the big deal about. There were a few great phrases here and there but altogether it fell flat for me. IDK, I'm not a poetry critic or anything. Anyway, YMMV but for me it just sort of existed.
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