A Jarful of Moonlight

A Jarful of Moonlight, a poetry collection, by Nazanin Mirsadeghi, is simply described as "a collection of inspirational poems about love, hope, pain, grief, self-discovery and empowerment" (Goodreads). The poems, all untitled, are separated into sections that resonate the overlapping theme. The poems themselves are short and simple, easy to understand with concise imagery. This simultaneously gives a distinct impression while also leaving a little bit more to be desired. I tend to enjoy more metaphorical or feminist poetry because that's what intrigues me. Therefore, I felt a little disconnected from these poems, wanting a starker juxtaposition, a deeper truth to be revealed, or a more vibrant explanation. There were two poems that really struck me, one of which is as follows:

tell me

this walk

on the edge of a cliff

waiting for rock 

to crumble

under my feet

is not love

The image that this poem depicts, in my opinion, is one of the strongest in the collection. Fear, hope, danger, resentment, disbelief... all of these feelings flash through me while reading these seven simple lines. Through this, and a few others, I know that Mirsadeghi has power as a poet. And I've no doubt that others who read this collection will connect with different pieces, some more and some less. The variety within the collection then makes me think that Mirsadeghi's poetry offers something for everyone. Though, as with poetry, I doubt that the same meaning will be drawn from them by different people. For those who enjoy reading poetry, I would definitely say to give this collection a shot. As I couldn't find any other poetry collections by the author, I assume that this is their first published work and can't help but feel that there are deeper meanings that this poet will reach with more work, even though this collection specifically didn't speak to me as much as others I have read.

Rating: 2.5/5 Cups

What's Next, Wednesday (55)

•  To play along share a book you've been looking forward to reading, whether it's new or has been on your reading list for a while.

I'm looking forward to...

A Jarful of Moonlight by Nazanin Mirsadeghi. Time to slip in another collection of poetry! This book is a collection of poems that cover themes of love, hope, and pain while providing inspiration. Hopefully this book will provide a little break from fiction and leave me feeling inspired. 

The Sun That Shines & The Storm That Will Always Pass

This collection of poetry is about love, truth, life, and light. Four words everyone seems to live for. From the kings and queens of the world all the way down to the beggar on the street. All is a part of a living organism. It is of the wise soul who remembers his or her intrinsic personal philosophy while treading down the dark roads into the unknown.

**

 

Derek Warmington explores four main themes in his book of poetry, The Sun That Shines & The Storm That Will Always Pass. Those themes include love, truth, life, and light, outlined in the synopsis of the collection. Though how he illuminates these themes is the important aspect.

 

Warmington writes of love as something that can be chosen, as if it's sitting right in front of you. But also as something that happens, as if it's inspiration. The truth he writes of is a journey. He searches for the truth behind life, often including questions in his poems. The poems that focus on life hinge on the desire to live without fear and sometimes disagreeing with the search for meaning. He even toys with the idea that there is no meaning in life, it just simply is. And light, well, Warmington tackles the darkness of depression, exploring what exactly is meant by seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Warmington uses a few specific techniques in his poetry. The main one he uses is rhyme. Now, I'm not a big fan of rhyme because I think it can cause a line to be misinterpreted due to it's obvious emphasis on certain words. And I think that happens in some of the poetry in this collection. With Warmington's lack of punctuation to show where a thought begins and ends, the reader makes those choices subconsciously, which in turn can change the meaning of the poem. Warmington also uses alliteration and personification. In "Big World, Small Mind" he writes: "silent sidewalks sing their songs of sincere serenity," which exemplifies both techniques. Though these themes are universal, I think the focus on rhyme will hinder Warmington's connection with poetry readers.

 

Rating: 2.5/5 Cups



Sonnets

The sonnet is the most useful and, arguably, the most-popular poetic form in English. Long-lived, brief, fashioned by rhyme, sharing private contemplation at its best. Here are thirty-three such momentary monuments.

**

Charles Gerard Timm shares an unrequited love story through sonnets in his book titled simply, Sonnets. In this collection of thirty-three poems, Timm takes a unique look at love -- one that is confined to the rules of the sonnet, a popular yet difficult poem construct. 

A sonnet has one main rule: there can only be fourteen lines and each line must have exactly ten syllables. This makes word usage and description a challenge, especially when you're trying to tell a story on top of it. Timm's focus and daring endeavor impressed me, to say the least. The story was even easy to understand. 

Sonnets focus is that of a man who falls in love with a woman during a dark time in his life. "The stage boards chilled me like a winter beach/ Of pricking winds and cutting shells and foam/ till tender... And then, one day, you strolled that gritty space/ In spots of light that gave the dark a chase..." (III). Happiness duly follows until he discovers that a romantic relationship with this woman is unattainable. "She's wedded, but labels love is blind,/ And love it is extinguishing my mind..." (IV). Happiness morphs to heartbreak but there is still a light in the darkness. "I saw her flanked by husband and by child... I pray now for their happiness, all three" (XIII).

Readers will enjoy this creative story as they witness the poet falling in love and struggling to accept the unrequited nature that sometimes accompanies that fickle emotion. I thoroughly enjoyed this inventive and unexpected storytelling endeavor. With each sonnet portraying a piece of the puzzle, when all combined a moment in this poet's world is exposed. In a word, it's touching. And I feel, now that I know the main story, I can reread and reexamine the sonnets individually and gain even more of a connection with this narrator. Bravo, Timm. 

Rating: 3/5