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daiinty's review against another edition
5.0
this collection was haunting beautiful. it was an unfortunate timely read between reading Mikhail’s poems and updates on the ongoing war in Ukraine. Mikhail is brutally honest about the horrors of war after fleeing her home country of Baghdad, and to me this entire collection reads as an ode to the victims of war. it is a gesture of remembrance so that not only do we remember those who were lost and those who survive in grief, but also as a reminder of the reality of war, especially for those who do not experience it so intimately. i can’t wait to get my hands on more of Mikhail’s collections now!
cstefko's review against another edition
5.0
4.75 stars
A near-flawless collection. It's conceptual but doesn't get lost in the weeds. I think this would be a great book to share with someone who's new to poetry because it's accessible without being simplistic (think: Mary Oliver, Ada Limón). I checked it out from the library, so I definitely need to purchase a copy for my own personal library, as I know I'll be returning to it often. I particularly loved the second section comprised of Iraqi haikus. This is poetry that pierces the heart, from a poet with a deep connection to the world. Mikhail shows that the best poetry has a balance of true observation and nimble language. Can't recommend this one enough!
A near-flawless collection. It's conceptual but doesn't get lost in the weeds. I think this would be a great book to share with someone who's new to poetry because it's accessible without being simplistic (think: Mary Oliver, Ada Limón). I checked it out from the library, so I definitely need to purchase a copy for my own personal library, as I know I'll be returning to it often. I particularly loved the second section comprised of Iraqi haikus. This is poetry that pierces the heart, from a poet with a deep connection to the world. Mikhail shows that the best poetry has a balance of true observation and nimble language. Can't recommend this one enough!
outforawalk787's review against another edition
2.0
Controversial Opinion:
I like some parts of it. Wish I enjoyed it more though. For me it held so much potential but it was always saying too much, leaving it unopen (in my opinion) to interpretation and a bit superficial (which is never a great way to handle difficult subject matter).
I like some parts of it. Wish I enjoyed it more though. For me it held so much potential but it was always saying too much, leaving it unopen (in my opinion) to interpretation and a bit superficial (which is never a great way to handle difficult subject matter).
shereadsox's review against another edition
5.0
In Her Feminine Sign by Dunya Mikhail is a collection of poems that focuses on and revolves around the Arabic letter ة (called the Taa Marbuta meaning The Tied Circle). This letter comes at the end of words and transforms masculine words into feminine ones: thus being the feminine sign. Dunya Mikhail uses the ة's power of transformation to transform the letter itself into other round-shaped objects such as the moon, a stone, eyes and turn them into art. Both the form and substance of these poems interconnect.
The cover is a painting by Joan Miró entitled Woman in Front of the Sun (1950) in which appears what seems to be a woman's head (among other things) but which looks like an evil eye mentioned in one of the poems. The table of contents itself is filled with letters similar to the tied circle such as "o" reminding us of the permanent presence of the feminine sign in all the poems even if they don't tackle a ة-related topic. Dunya Mikhail deals with different topics gracefully since they stem out of the ة and the dichotomy it represents (masculine/feminine).
This dichotomy is further elaborated with the themes of exile v. home as in the poem Baghdad in Detroit which embodies the rotational movement of the world and life in general. The author moved from Baghdad to Detroit two very similar cities.
I still have so much to say about these poems but I won't take the magic out for you. So I'll let you read them instead and get ready to be fully immersed in the ة world. If you read this book then my advice is to pay attention to the first poem "In Her Feminine Sign" which seems to work as an introductory poem. It will help you figure out some other poems. I highly recommend you grab a copy for yourself! The lyricism of the poems is beautiful, the references, the themes of these poems are totally worth your time. Take your time and enjoy!
The cover is a painting by Joan Miró entitled Woman in Front of the Sun (1950) in which appears what seems to be a woman's head (among other things) but which looks like an evil eye mentioned in one of the poems. The table of contents itself is filled with letters similar to the tied circle such as "o" reminding us of the permanent presence of the feminine sign in all the poems even if they don't tackle a ة-related topic. Dunya Mikhail deals with different topics gracefully since they stem out of the ة and the dichotomy it represents (masculine/feminine).
This dichotomy is further elaborated with the themes of exile v. home as in the poem Baghdad in Detroit which embodies the rotational movement of the world and life in general. The author moved from Baghdad to Detroit two very similar cities.
I still have so much to say about these poems but I won't take the magic out for you. So I'll let you read them instead and get ready to be fully immersed in the ة world. If you read this book then my advice is to pay attention to the first poem "In Her Feminine Sign" which seems to work as an introductory poem. It will help you figure out some other poems. I highly recommend you grab a copy for yourself! The lyricism of the poems is beautiful, the references, the themes of these poems are totally worth your time. Take your time and enjoy!
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