A Symphony of Seasons by Connie Arnold

Review 4 star

Find It On Amazon

A Symphony of Seasons by Connie Arnold is an elegant collection of about sixty poems from a Christian perspective. In addition to the seasons, the pieces touch on patriotism, Mother’s and Father’s Day, holidays, religious themes, and family. Written by a musician, the poems are stately, using structured forms like quatrains (a change from the free verse that is the basis of much modern poetry.) The book is organized into a prelude that contains introductory poems on all the seasons and dedicated Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter areas, winter divided into two sections. Photographer Gary Strader adds crisp, appropriate nature photographs for an outstanding all-around presentation.
​
Connie Arnold has produced a great multi-purpose book, especially for music-lovers. It would make a lovely light coffee table book, a conversation starter, a gift for a graduating music student, or a devotional for someone spending a quiet time reading and reflecting on one poem per day. I often found myself putting the poems to tunes or humming when the word structure reminded me of the many piano recital pieces and church hymns I’ve heard in my life—a contemplative activity that put me in a good frame of mind to appreciate God’s timing and his work during the year. A ribbon bar of musical notes at the bottom of every other page possibly inspired me! Some of the most thought-provoking poems were, “As Winter Comes to An End,” “On a Winter Day,” “Advent Candles,” “Symphony  of Creation,” “Good Friday,” “Summer Thunderstorm,” and “October’s Clear, Crisp Beauty.”