“It took me until near the end of the book to warm up to the poems. The style in which they are written was unfamiliar to me. They are not descriptive. I had the thought this morning when I finished the book that it is as if Bly fished through the knowledge of myth that he had gained through his long life to create these poems. I can imagine him quietly allowing images to arise as he wrote each poem: the Alhambra, Abraham, Melville, Chaucer, Jesus, Joseph, Mary, and much, much more.
By the end of the book, I felt like I had an understanding of what he was doing. I should read the poems again now. And I also have realized that one needs to be in a peaceful space, particularly while reading these poems. They are myth.
Good stuff for sure. ”
Johnnie B wrote this review Sunday, November 30 2008.
(
reply |
permalink )
