Breath: Poems
by Philip Levine
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Book Summary Information
Author: Philip LevineEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-01-17
ISBN: 0375710787
Number of pages: 96
Publisher: Knopf
Book Reviews of Breath: Poems
Book Review: Thanks
Summary: 5 Stars
Two year ago this was a present for my birthday.
This summer in my reading I re-read the slim volume. It takes me many readings of poetry sometimes to even like it, or connect to it, or re-welcome it back into thought.
In a way this book functioned this way. For one thing if I tell you when you are distracted a story say about a person I loved deeply, say Freda perhaps you might listen. Maybe. She was older, neighbor, shaped my life but I have to have an ability to build her before your eyes. And I have to discern things like her azaleas, her regalness, to catch her and catch you. Then I have to hope you are listening. Simple I suppose. I think if I repeat to you stories of her, or repeat that story eventually if we are talking, if we care, if I can hold your attentions then you come to a place where a little that honor I have of her maybe takes on a little place for you. Or it might. Or it might trigger a similar memory of your Freda. We have the halls of memory open to pass within.
So this book walks me there. Many times over I've read this noticing I did my hearing within a different poem. Today what caught me wasn't what I noticed yesterday. Sometimes I was impatient or unable to follow, other times held by this great phrase or image. Or person poured out. But it is true that I do see the pieces as speaking back over a life, like we might in intimate conversation wish to be heard, talking to figures ordinary, extrodinary. I think it's a book with a heartbeat.
There are poems I really like here.
My daughter's ill with Mono, I'm returning to teaching, I feel the sting of certain things sometimes not immune to points even on a silly site like this that raise and plummet thousands over nothing I can figure, not immune to friends that friend and those whose silence grows, aware of critical comment within critical comment within failings. But given that diving board I still leap off vainly into offering up words and thoughts, suggestions and creative attempts to catch and frame and draw attention to books or things I like. Rather funny if you do so in the dark or to a chorus of distrust. Still...I like Breath. I think if you struggle with older poets, self reflection, with thinking another's life and experience have worth, if you don't like backwards glancing, memory, memorials, the shifts of memory this might not be for you, no.
I liked this poem.
Home For The Holidays
Does anyone give a sh/t? Not
I said the little brown mouse
And so to bed, said Mother,
but no one was listening.
Praise the Lord, said the radio,
the radio said Praise the Lord
again, and the television
turned its back on the room.
Turnips for wisdom, eggplant
for beauty, parsnips for ease,
cabbage for size, a raw egg
for the hair, a slice of ham
to seize the hips, for the nose
foxglove and salt, for grace
ice-cold water poured from
way high up to way down low.
Everyone sits at the big table
in the dark. The empty plates
moon, the silverware stars,
the napkins scrub their hands.
I'm home, says the front door.
The windows are deep in thought,
the roof has taken off its hat.
Nothing to do, chants the toilet.
from page 34
I personally like the ice-water scene.
It was the beginning of an interesting conversation, this book, one we are still having.
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