I decided a few weeks ago that I was going to start reading the Pulitzer Prize winners for literature and poetry. Every time in the past, I’ve read a Pulitzer winner (Walking to Martha’s Vineyard and Gilead for example) I’ve always really enjoyed them.
So I got W.S. Merwin’s book of poetry, The Shadow of Sirius, out of the library.
The first section of it is really good. Merwin knows how to write a good poem, to take a metaphor and lay it out, perfectly. Throughout most of these poems, he plays his cards close to his chest throughout the poem, stringing the metaphor along, then turning the poem in the last couple lines.
The poems in this first section are really pretty accessible. They’re short, making them easy to re-read, once you’ve hit the turn, and the metaphors and themes are familiar without being tired.
I’ve argued before that we need more people writing accessible poetry, stuff that everybody understands, and the first half of this book does exactly that.
Unfortunately, the second half of the book tends to wallow a bit more in poetry that’s either less accessible or maybe in themes that aren’t quite as interesting (there’s a lot of Poetry Subject Number Two, which might get more interesting to me the older I get, but currently feels a lot like classical music: it’s not so bad, but I’m just not interested).
In any case, the book doesn’t finish nearly as strong as it starts, which is kind of a bummer from a Pulitzer Prize winner. Still, it’s a short book of poetry, so it’s probably worth your time.
One Comment
I’ve argued before that we need more people writing accessible poetry, stuff that everybody understands, and the first half of this book does exactly that.
Yes, yes, a zillion times yes. People always complain that the general public doesn’t appreciate the arts, but then the people who actually are INTO art often continue to make it completely inaccessible and unappealing to the general public (and even commonly deride art that is made to be accessible as being too simple).