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richardwells's review against another edition
4.0
I've been reading and writing poetry for a long time, and the more I write, the more I wonder about the "rules." I wonder why the writers spend so much time rearranging prose into poetry. I wonder about line breaks, and rhythm, compression, and all the rest. I wonder about the old coots in colleges who haven't read a poem of value since the 1950's, or before. Then I start writing and quit wondering because I know what I'm after. Or I start reading, and try to be patient enough to find what I'm after. I'm not as sensitive as Emily Dickinson, so poems don't take the top of my head off, but a good poem will stop my breath, and a really good poem alters my heart beat. Forms and rules fall away to the revealed truth.
In this collection, "The Common Man," Maurice Manning has found a form and a vernacular that reveals the truth behind, and with his Appalachian characters. It's a milieu that could be easy stereotyped, or mocked, but Mr. Manning does neither, and though he may get a little too close to romanticizing the poor and uneducated, the poems contain enough native wit to keep them on track. There are poems in this collection that caught my breath, there are two or three that gave my heart a jolt. There's one, A Wavering Spindle of Forsythia, that took me out of body, back to my Pennsylvania boyhood, and that I wish I had written.
The Common Man gets four stars, verging on five. Highly recommended!
In this collection, "The Common Man," Maurice Manning has found a form and a vernacular that reveals the truth behind, and with his Appalachian characters. It's a milieu that could be easy stereotyped, or mocked, but Mr. Manning does neither, and though he may get a little too close to romanticizing the poor and uneducated, the poems contain enough native wit to keep them on track. There are poems in this collection that caught my breath, there are two or three that gave my heart a jolt. There's one, A Wavering Spindle of Forsythia, that took me out of body, back to my Pennsylvania boyhood, and that I wish I had written.
The Common Man gets four stars, verging on five. Highly recommended!
cmccafe's review
3.0
Some poems are stand-outs; many blend into each other; nothing much truly objectionable surrounding the gems. The diner food of poetry.
zoeelizabethk's review
4.0
I got to talk with Maurice Manning recently for work, and he is such a thoughtful, kinda lover of nature and people that that inspired me to check out some of his poetry, despite often having a hard time connecting to poetry. I have to say, I’m a big fan of his language and storytelling. He really makes each of the poems in this collection a story that revolve around familiar themes to those who are familiar with Kentucky and Appalachia. I really enjoyed reading this, and the poems draw you in and it’s very hard not to finish the collection in one sitting. This one is all that my library has on ebook, but I’m definitely going to be reading more of Manning’s poetry!
richardwells's review
4.0
I've been reading and writing poetry for a long time, and the more I write, the more I wonder about the "rules." I wonder why the writers spend so much time rearranging prose into poetry. I wonder about line breaks, and rhythm, compression, and all the rest. I wonder about the old coots in colleges who haven't read a poem of value since the 1950's, or before. Then I start writing and quit wondering because I know what I'm after. Or I start reading, and try to be patient enough to find what I'm after. I'm not as sensitive as Emily Dickinson, so poems don't take the top of my head off, but a good poem will stop my breath, and a really good poem alters my heart beat. Forms and rules fall away to the revealed truth.
In this collection, "The Common Man," Maurice Manning has found a form and a vernacular that reveals the truth behind, and with his Appalachian characters. It's a milieu that could be easy stereotyped, or mocked, but Mr. Manning does neither, and though he may get a little too close to romanticizing the poor and uneducated, the poems contain enough native wit to keep them on track. There are poems in this collection that caught my breath, there are two or three that gave my heart a jolt. There's one, A Wavering Spindle of Forsythia, that took me out of body, back to my Pennsylvania boyhood, and that I wish I had written.
The Common Man gets four stars, verging on five. Highly recommended!
In this collection, "The Common Man," Maurice Manning has found a form and a vernacular that reveals the truth behind, and with his Appalachian characters. It's a milieu that could be easy stereotyped, or mocked, but Mr. Manning does neither, and though he may get a little too close to romanticizing the poor and uneducated, the poems contain enough native wit to keep them on track. There are poems in this collection that caught my breath, there are two or three that gave my heart a jolt. There's one, A Wavering Spindle of Forsythia, that took me out of body, back to my Pennsylvania boyhood, and that I wish I had written.
The Common Man gets four stars, verging on five. Highly recommended!
edwarde3ddd's review
4.0
A great collection blending folklore, dialect and yet complicated word choice and ideas into a fine collection. These beg to be read aloud to cause friends and loved ones to laugh, to cry, or to reflect.
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