Review 4 star
Find It On Amazon Denise Alicea has created a book that embodies the poetry-lover. Angels Always Near is a brief set of a little over 30 poems, many of which read as short stories in verse instead of exploration of abstract personal emotions or discussion of ideas. It is aimed for young adults and the theme is angels, applied interchangeably throughout the poems to literal supernatural beings and to human souls. Sometimes the line between the two is vague, creating a cloudy, dream-like feel to the poems. Although most of the pieces tie into the angels/soul theme, a few relate to friendship, sadness, and memories. A slight Celtic tone threads into the collection, lending a musical, almost eerie ambiance to several of the poems, including “Tatiana,” but the majority feel paranormal and more modern. Denise Alicea has a gentle, unassuming style of writing and I found Angels Always Near a likable set of poems. The overall mood was wistful, tending towards somber. The poems are definitely teen in their high-flown idealism, and deal tenderly with situations (whether shown as abstract emotions or as a short story narrative) of love, longing, idealism, loneliness, and respect for the earth around us. Notable poems include: The Angel That Flew Away With Our Hearts; Gaia; Watching You; Knowledge; Scars; and Soul Friend. There’s the occasional exquisite phrase or imagery (as in Gaia, “The glow of the earth so bright, a beautiful glow of blue, glimmering over the life-bearing world,”) and an underlying genuineness that makes this a book to consider if there’s a little bit of a dreamer in you. Review 5 star
Find It On Amazon I greatly enjoyed this collection. Ounces of Oneness is a set of expressive philosophical poems, and I savored the quiet potency of the collection overall. Nejoud Al-Yagout is a true poet, skillful at often dizzying and creative word usage that teases the mind into contemplating the daily in unusual ways. Stand-out poems include: Upping the Ante, Universality, Another Hypothesis, Dune, Ode to a Terrorist, Big-Banging, The Dance, and 99%. In these and the other pieces in Ounces of Oneness, Al-Yagout intellectually explores science, emotions, and politics. Some of his most striking poems show concern about terrorism and hatred in our world today, bringing a sharp relevance to a genre often concerned with personal expression rather than social commentary. Ounces of Oneness is a top-notch modern poetry collection. Ambient, evocative, and subtle, Nejoud Al-Yagout dances on a variety of lines between surreal, sad, amusing, almost nonsensical, and very direct. His range extends from complex symbolism and fragmented visions to simple, clear-cut odes and conversational pieces. Not bound to the world of literature and literary efforts, strong interest in science is a staple throughout the collection. The use of scientific concepts such as the Big Bang, evolution, photosynthesis, and astronomy as substitutes for traditional mythological references and nature symbolism was especially strong within a number of the poems and lent a realistic factuality that helped to clarify the other, more personal or bizarre poems. If you love to read poetry—or if you’re curious to try some—this book should be on your list. |
AuthorThis is the companion for Sarah Scheele's newsletter blog. In it I share reviews for books I'd recommend/are similar to my own. Archives
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