The Monarchs: A Poem Sequence

by Alison Hawthorne Deming

Book by Deming, Alison Hawthorne

Genres: Poetry

88 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1997

About the author

Poet and writer Alison Hawthorne Deming was born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1946. She earned an MFA from Vermont College and worked on public and women’s health issues for many years. A descendant of the American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne, Deming is native to New England, but has studied and taught in many other regions as an instructor and guest lecturer. Her books of poetry include Science and Other Poems (1994), winner of the Walt Whitman Award from the Academy of American Poets. Praising the volume, judge Gerald Stern wrote: “I greatly admire Alison Deming’s lucid and precise language, her stunning metaphors, her passion, her wild and generous spirit, her humor, her formal cunning. I am taken, as all readers will be, by the knowledge she displays and how she puts this knowledge to a poetic use; but I am equally taken—I am more taken—by the wisdom that lies behind the knowledge.” The collection, described by Deborah DeNicola in the Boston Book Review as “a dense, majestic, wise and ambitious book,” is listed among the Washingon Post’s Favorite Books of 1994 and the Bloomsbury Review’s best recent poetry.

Deming’s other poetry collections include The Monarchs: A Poem Sequence (1997), Genius Loci (2005), and Rope (2009). Genius Loci was praised by D.H. Tracy in Poetry: “Alison Deming’s title means ‘spirit of place,’ but be warned . . . Deming doesn’t belong, or want to belong, to a single place long enough to find its genius, and so she functions more like a naturalist of naturalism, classifying the spirits of place as she encounters them.”

In addition to numerous journal and anthology publications, Deming has published works of nonfiction, including Temporary Homelands (1994), a collection of essays, The Edges of the Civilized World (1998), and Writing the Sacred into the Real (2001). She also edited Poetry of the American West: A Columbia Anthology (1996), and co-edited, with Lauret E. Savoy, The Colors of Nature: Essays on Culture, Identity, and the Natural World (2002; second edition 2011).

Deming is the recipient of a Wallace Stegner Fellowship and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, and the Arizona Commission on the Arts. She has received the Pablo Neruda Prize, a Pushcart Prize, and the Gertrude B. Claytor Award from the Poetry Society of America. She is a professor of creative writing at the University of Arizona and lives in Tucson.

Reviews

[Jack Trelford · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Monarchs: A Poem Sequence by Deming is a book written in a heavily lyrical, poetic style. Deming uses scientific analysis and draws parallels between humans and nature, both outside observations as well as describing in detail her past relationship and how it relates to the previously mentioned themes.

This is one of the first books I have read with such a heavy use of poetry as the main vessel to communicate the story to the reader, and I love the format in every way, and Deming excels at her use of wordplay, timing and spacing. I found the use of scietific research and observations made of nature placed alongside certain aspects of human tendencies to be very interesting. My favorite aspects of Deming's writing are to intertwine visceral descriptions of the insects, birds, and animal research with the observations she makes of them and their connection with the way we live on this planet as humans.

Where I feel Deming missed the mark was connecting her superb observations and scientific knowledge with her personal experiences, especially her recently ended relationship, which became a bigger focus towards the end of the book. I enjoy the sections where Deming is a step-back, making comparisons that may include her, but are not solely about her. The magnitude and impact of the words written are so important in poetry, and it loses meaning when the scope is shifted down to her reflecting on things in her past alone.

Overall I still thoroughly enjoyed the book based on Deming's ability to write poetry and the incorporation of scietific language and knowledge is my favorite part of the book.

[Kaitlynn Goward · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Monarchs by Alison Hawthorne Deming was a fantastic read. The format of this sequence was something I have never experienced before. The poetic, lyrical, nonfiction format intertwined with facts of science was something that I found to love.

In The Monarchs, Deming gives insight into her life. She was a woman with a troubled past. She "fell in love" with someone who was abusive and had trouble staying faithful. She fell and lost her meaning of life from the relationship. Throughout the story Deming seems to search for answers as to why humans "fall in love" while other species just easily "rise in courtship." I feel like Deming turned to nature and the monarch for guidance in life. She expresses that monarchs are always so sure of their destination, they never question their path in life. The monarch is so fragile and delicate yet so sure and strong. On the other hand, humans are perceived as being so sure and strong but yet in reality are the ones so fragile and delicate. Humans questions their path in life and search for guidance along the way. Deming searches for guidance by falling in love with nature and the monarch. We are so similar yet so different to a tiny little butterfly that migrates south.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. The layout and format is a little different and takes awhile to get used to but you will eventually. It is a great eye opener the reality and life!

[Anwebb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A direct comparison of the beauty and strength of the frail butterfly who survives such great migratory distances with such fragile wings to the bumbling of a human woman trying to reconcile her life with science, The Monarchs by Alison Hawthorne Deming is definitely a fluidly and very thoughtfully written collection of poetry. That is an understatement, however. The Monarchs was not just successfully written, but a very beautiful piece of work!

The entirety of this collection is about a woman who is inspired by the Monarch butterflies, and how even though the butterflies are frail and face dangers such as their home being cut down, they continue to travel and for the most part survive. Even though it is humans who we view as strong, it is our lives that are confusing. The monarchs are absolutely positive where they are going and what they are doing, but a human begs for a course and guidance while on it. While "butterflies rise in courtship”, “people fall in love.” The collection is full of lines such as “If it woke up in the daytime, it could simply have what it wants” that seem simple, but touch so deeply.

I went into this book expecting nothing but to be confused by yet another collection of poetry and to be only vaguely paying attention, but instead I came out with a deep connection to the Monarch, just as Deming has.

[Rebecca Menard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unlike most of the books I have read this one is a lot different style. I would say it was pretty hard to follow but its style of scientific poetry is very unique. Deming describes throughout the book of the Monarchs and their migration. What I took from reading this is that she is comparing the life of a Monarch butterfly to the life of humans. She first embraces how they migrate in the winter time and how it is just so normal to their bodies, its just what is "right". For humans growing up, getting married is "normal", its just what we do. Humans are just raised to grow up, get jobs, get married, have kids, and grow old. Monarchs migrate south for the winter time.
With the focus on Monarchs and life, there is a mix of science. I would like to say the way she combines things is like a dysfunctional marriage where a couple is trying to work things out but are seeing eye to eye. Her book as a lot of information in it, so it is quite hard to follow. Though it is very interesting. I would say the thing that Deming does best in this book is really grasps the attentions reader through imagery. The way she can "paint a picture" through her poetry is very delightful. She discusses of dandelions in a field like they are children running free.

But all in all, this is a very unique style of writing, and very informative.

[Jessica Premeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. Deming uses a lyrical approach, with poems and scientific research about insects, specifically monarch butterflies. She finds herself questioning life after a troublesome end to a relationship and looks to nature to find peace, similarities and differences related to her past relationship. Throughout the series of essays you can clearly see that she is deeply hurt by her past and wants to (in a way) escape by reaching out to science and being a part of nature. It seems she is almost envious of the more simple life of nature and insects. She stated... "Not one weeps over what she desires, nor lies awake at night worrying, what kind of animal she should be." Overall the book is very insightful, I enjoyed the poetry and if one has been in a relationship and has been hurt before they will find peace in this book and be able to relate. Sometimes Deming is hard to follow, I didn't understand why certain things were a part of the book...but I'm sure if I read it over again I would come to a better understanding. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in nature, or anyone going through a break up or trying to find oneself. This book was a quick read, but very deep.

[Clavalley3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Monarch: A Poem Sequence is a very interesting read. It is written in poetry form with the lyrical stylings of an essay. Deming includes various scientific facts throughout the book, which add allure. I have to say that this book is not an easy read. I myself am not a poetry buff. Additionally, Deming’s writing can be a bit confusing as she likes to jump topics and speak metaphorically. I found myself re-reading each paragraph to gain a better understanding of the intended message. However, as I became familiarized with Deming's writing style I grew to appreciate her poetic prowess and metaphorical prose.

Throughout the book Deming questions her purpose and her place in this world. She examines her surroundings through a scientific lens as she tries to find meaning. It becomes clear that Deming’s fascination with the monarch stems from her own self-doubt. The monarch yields without question to its clearly defined purpose, never contemplating its own existence.

Deming is a brilliant writer and she delivers a beautifully poetic literary piece. Although this book is not an easy read, it is definitely an enjoyable one.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Deming's work with The Monarchs. Deming has a way of writing her research material without it being too complex or boring. What I enjoyed most about her work in this book, was how she relates nature to our human experiences. As humans, we are driven by love, and monarchs are driven by courtship. The thing that I found most impressive was her ability to relate different types of monarchs in this work of poetry. She ties in her failed relationship with the rest of the poetry beautifully. She too experiences a monarch in her life. She allowed someone to have absolute power over her emotions. I think the main distinction she makes from humans and nature is that humans believe in love and not simply courtship. She does question what love does for us though and is definitely skeptical on how this human tendency affects us and does not affect other species. She also compares us in the likeness of other species as well though.
Overall, it was a interesting read and she brings up a lot of thoughtful points throughout all the the essays/poetry.

[Jennifer La · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Monarchs: A Poem Sequence was not a book I would normally choose for myself to read. It was quite unusual; Deming puts a whole new twist on poetry. At least from what I have seen. She combines lyrical qualities of an essay with poetry and scientific information. I found this book easier to read than I had expected, and really enjoyed learning about the animals throughout. The relationship between humans and the monarch butterfly was especially interesting. The way Deming portrays all sorts of human emotions and experiences through poetry about animals is pretty amazing. She compares the inherent knowledge of animals to the complexity of humans and humans failures. I have been reading a lot of lyric essays between a couple of courses this semester, and this has been the most enjoyable thus far. I have found that I like the eye-opening qualities of lyric essays. At times it is almost frustrating trying to piece together all of the different stories and information and find the main point, but that’s what makes it so interesting.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Alison Hawthorne Deming's The Monarchs is a mind blowing book - however, I mean this in the worst way possible. Normally, even if the book is genuinely terrible, I can find a good point within the text, be it the authors use of motifs, character development or style. Usually, I take something from every book I read. This book is an exception. Deming writes a multitude of disconnected poems about butterflies, the geographical United States,"Invasion of the Body Snatchers", monkeys and herself among other things. This book takes the ADD feel of lyric essay to a level that I cannot palate. Now, usually, I am a fan of both poetry and lyric essay but this book was down right intolerable for me. I think her train of thought is impossible to follow, her research is boring and her lack of consistency stylistically made me stop reading at points. Overall, this book was not one that I enjoyed. There was no redeeming qualities and I feel as if the time I spent reading it was wasted.

[Katrina Etelamaki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has all the elements of a good read. It changes the pace of the book with almost every essay. The essays are short and discuss a variety of topics. This includes nature, genetics, personal stories, and insects/animals. It keeps your interest involved because of all the switches in topics. Sometime I feel there is a connection between chapters but it feel like its over my head. I think Deming is a very talented author because of the way she writes and the personal touches like acid trips that she adds to it. It is a book that forces you to focus and be open minded to different types of writing. You wouldn't expect it to be the book it is because of its lable of "poetry." Yes, its poetic, but it has depth and facts and isn't the standard poem like essay. The structure of a lot of the essays differ from the others as well. It can get a little clustered with the randomized stories, but it's still a good read.

[Brooke Bosch · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Monarchs was an easy and good read. The language Deming uses is artistic and lyrical. She shows her own personal connections to things and is finding herself throughout the poem. My favorite line is on page 29. She says "Language has been the central event in human evolution.". I think that line is so real and speaks a lot about humans as a whole. We have definitely evolved as a human race through language and social events.
I find this book to be a good book, but not necessarily important in terms of society. It was particularly motivational, nor did it have a lot of societal issues or problems that it uncovers and brings to light. However, she adds many personal experiences and stories that make you really enjoy this book and keep you reading on and on. She also helps you think about yourself and others in new ways and points out things that you haven't thought of before about human beings and the issues of finding yourself.

[Katie Hudson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Monarchs: A Poem Sequence by Alison Hawthorne Deming was an eloquent, and intriguing book of poetry. Her thoughts focus on the intrinsic ability of butterflies to navigate from one place to another, and their ability know things that take us a life time to understand. Deming forces you to think about why we make our lives so much more difficult then they have to be, while leaving some thoughts open minded, forcing the reader to think and engage themselves in the dialogue to try and make sense of our lives.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Alison Hawthorne Deming's Zoologies. This is equally beautiful.

[Jeff Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her piece, The Monarchs: A Poem Sequence, Deming shares her life experiences, she shares how other species live, and she ultimately compares how we, as humans, typically find ourselves lost and without direction yet these other creatures don't face those problems. She points out that multiple species, typically thought of as "wild," have their lives very well planned out. Her presentation is very poetic, while her content is quite scientific. In very non-condescending manner, she informs the audience about numerous biological topics and facts.

Throughout the book, she informs the audience about multiple species' living rituals and habits. One particular creature, the monarch butterfly, has gained a special relationship with the author. She admits her admiration of how the butterfly is "in a little park" and that regardless of the surroundings, the butterfly knows that "blooming fields await." The monarch is very inspirational to the author, and she wants her audience to know it. Deming is fascinated by how such a small and fragile creature is able to know exactly what it must do (migrate a huge distance each year), yet with all our "intelligence" and strength, many of us are often lost.

Overall, this book was "pretty good." I'm not normally into poetry, but this seemed different. Her integration of science into the piece was certainly welcoming. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys science, poetry, or anyone wants to get a different perspective on "direction."

[Rachael · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really don't know what to think about this book. It was not very long and it was fairly simple to read with language and vocabulary. I think that some of the themes in the book were pretty neat, like how she talks about the monarch butterflies and how in 1930's their was a city ordinance to not harm the habitat of the butterflies, but then later their whole habitat was taken over by big buildings and houses. There was another part of the book that I thought was interesting where she was with her husband and he was cheating on her and he didn't want her to know so he lied to her and she took him back. I thought that this was sad because at that point in time she thought that he was being faithful to her and she never knew that he was running around on her until he finally left her for some other woman.
The over all style is annoying to me. I do not like poetry line writing. This was written half like a long poem and half like an essay where the lines dictated the flow of the book. This was fairly slow, there were some pauses because of the way the words were written on the page, which interrupted my own flow at which I wanted to read the book, a little annoying. I also feel like if I would have never have read it, it would not have made a difference in my life at all, but some of the books I have read in the past in this class had an effect on my life and I am glad that I read them.

[Kayla Casey · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Monarchs by Deming was an interesting read. At the beginning of the book I was completely lost at what was going on, but as I continued to read I began to see what the story was about. The Monarchs was a lyrical, poetic, and nonfictional piece. All of these styles put together made the story a little confusing to read, but it kept you interested with all of the interesting information. Throughout the story she brings in a lot of scientific information, while maintaining a poetic tone (and format). The format of the book made me want to read the story a little differently than if it were in normal paragraph or written form, so it took me a little while to get used to, which may also be why I was lost at the beginning. Deming writes a story about her life and compares it to the life of a Monarch butterfly. At one point in the story she talks about how people “fall in love” but Monarchs “rise in courtship,” making human love sound painful and difficult, and Monarch love positive. At the end all she cared about was that the butterfly she tried to bring to life rose, showing a little courtship between her and the Monarchs.

I thought that the book was an "okay" read. Like I said above, it was a little confusing at times (especially the beginning) what she was trying to “tell” us. On the other hand I also thought that it had some great information, messages, and correlations between people and Monarchs.

[Wesley Bos · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having finished The Monarchs: A Poem Sequence by Alison Deming, I have come to the conclusion that not all poetry is painful to read. Before I felt the mental strain on every neuron of my brain trying to grasp reality in abstract verse. But Deming's scientific lyric essay/poem style brings clarity even if she means to cause confusion. I especially liked one of the main motifs of the work, the monarch butterfly. Having seen many of these in Texas only hardly enhances the greatness that Deming already uses to describe the beauty and nature of these bugs. Her poems jump from topic to topic, from kings and queens, husbands and wives, to butterflies and humans, science and love. While I may not of made all of the connections Deming tries to push, I did catch her desire to combine human nature to mother nature, or what drives earth's animals and how are we different? I take from her work that we are so alike these animals yet strive to separate ourselves from this nature. One of my favorite lines from her work is, "Butterflies rise in courtship, but people fall in love." (Deming, 51) This shows both humans and butterflies instinctual need to mate, yet we make our lust so much more emotional when these creatures are beautiful themselves. This may be one of the first times I have ever enjoyed reading poetry since Shel Silverstein when I was young.

[Kelsey]

I just finished The Monarchs and I really enjoyed it. I love poetry but it sometimes leaves me frustrated because there is no meanings, or even feelings, I can grasp from it. Deming's work was not like this at all. If I could not grasp a particular meaning from her any specific poem, I could at least get the feel of what she was saying, which is what I always felt the point of poetry was anyway. I loved Deming's use of science in her writing. It made me think about concepts in a new light and see the world a little differently. I like how she compares scientific 'facts' to everyday life and uses it to challenge what people think and believe, but also support it. She doesn't agree or disagree, just says what she observes and sees how they fit together. I was thoroughly engrossed by her writing and didn't want it to end. The sudden end left me wanting to read more, but even more than that, it made me want to think more. I want to find the connections in my life on my own. I also liked the variety of topics she explored. They seemed random and to not fit together, but it didn't matter. You were able to find the connections you wanted and put your own meaning to it.

[Chelsea Mcgrath · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first started this book, I will admit, I was slightly confused regarding what exactly Deming was trying to write about. As I continued to read I realized it wasn't "what" she was writing that was important but how she was writing it. The way she explains such scientific facts so poetically is truly amazing. Her poetic rhythm and style is great and shows a lot of emotion in both the sections about her personal life and the life of monarch butterflies. The book isn't difficult to read and it's short but I noticed many complained about the lack of plot or "a point", and it's hard to find, but I believe it could be different for everyone. To me, this book was about the transformation of a woman, compared to the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly and the journey that each of these characters have had to take. Of course, there was some additional information along the way, but the poems were worth the read. It was a refreshing book to read and it definitely opened my eyes to a unique version of the lyric essay. In order to enjoy this book, you have to be open minded and can't be looking for a point or an ending, you just have to read it.

[Jaclyn Holli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is simple, yet complex. The writing is simple to read, but understanding the meaning of it is complex. This book has poetry, nonfiction elements, and has a lyrical style. The bulk of the book has a poetic style and is filled with science. Deming jumps from monarchs to a trip to her personal experiences. She compares people to butterflies. Butterflies know what to do without being told. Butterflies know how to mate, monarchs know to migrate, etc. Why don't we as people have the capability to know what to do in certain situations? Deming also compared mating/love between butterflies and people. Male satin bowerbird's collect shells and dance in front of females. The mating of satin bowerbird's is rough and the females care for the young alone. This can also be present among humans. Dishonesty or violence can lead to one parent caring for the children. Deming's scientific references are very interesting. While I understood what was being said, I had trouble making sense of the meaning of some portions of the book. Overall, Deming displayed an interesting style of writing.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that Deming's work "The Monarchs" was quite unique to anything I had previously read. Deming used lyrical essay style to present nonfiction science facts to us in a poetic tempo. A lot of information was covered, which made it slightly confusing, but usually the style kept you interested and wanting to read more. It was fairly easy to visualize things, unless you did not understand the terms and language being used in parts. I particularly liked how it started and the middle of the sequence, around pages 31-33 (maybe this was because it took a bit of time to get warmed up to the topic)!

Overall, I think that the best way to describe this would be by saying: It is definitely an interconnected web of biological topics, and it all ties to the main one in a very elegant style and language. Also, definitely be sure to have this in print form, or it may be much harder to fully comprehend. I think that our class definitely learned this the hard way...

All in all, I would consider this an above-average read. It was interesting just to try something new and get the experience of this style. You are also able to learn much along the way, in my opinion.

[Kara Jacoboni · Rating 3 out of 5]

After finishing "The Monarchs: A Poem Sequence" by Alison Hawthorne Deming, I was very pleased with my end feelings. At the end of most books, including books of poetry, I often feel incomplete, confused or yearning for more. With Deming's book, I felt comfortable once it ended. I wasn't looking for more clarification and I didn't feel like anything was left unsaid; I felt exactly how you should feel after you finish a great book of poetry: complete. I thought that I despised poetry but after reading this book I changed my opinion. The poetry that Deming wrote was beautiful. It made me think but not too much. Her themes were very apparent but at the same time hidden. She talked about love, humans, animals, death and of course monarchs. The two main themes I got from this book is Deming's longing and fear of love and her almost hatred for human's and envy of other living creatures such as bugs, birds and other animals. Deming's book "The Monarchs" was a wonderful book and I would suggest it to anyone who wants an interesting, relaxing and eye-opening read.

[Luke Huotari]

"The monarchs" was a great read, especially for poetry. I liked the fact that she combined poetry, scientific non-fiction and lyrical components. I like all the differnt themes she talked about, many I could relate to. Being a fan of nature, I felt especially drwn to her pieces about water, butterflies, the redwoods and birds; I enjoyed how she incorporated science into it. But i also thought she did a good job of bringing human emotion into it. She talks about lonliness, dreams and nightmares amoung other emotional themes. I enjoyed her piece on page 24, "Essay on intelligence: two" i felt that this bit was about language and reasoning versus instinct.

Deming does a geat job with her imagery too. it was very easy for me to envision much of what she wrote. This short book gave me a new perspective on poetry, I believe that anyone can enjoy poetry and understand it if they connect with the theme on some level. Many of her pieces reminded me of my own childhood and what it was like to really explore something.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book of...poetry? lyric essay? non-fiction? science? I couldn't decifer what genre to put it in but I'll say poetry since it seems the most logical. The book seems at first glance to be just a collection of poems, but they read like an essay because they all connect to each other and tell a story. Deming uses the Monarch butterfly's story (as well as many other items in nature & science including flowers, animals, trees, etc) to portray human emotion, devistating relationships & struggles, sex, thoughts on intelligence, and how we all evolve. I especially like #44 and the very last line of the book when she is describing one butterfly who woke up late and missed the migration, but then got mailed to where it belonged and was woken: "When it awoke, the sister woke the frail one with the warmth of her hands and set it free. Who cares how far the little vagrant got, all the woman could know was that it rose." To me this is a beautiful depiction of the spirit in all of us, especially those who have been knocked down/hurt before.

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

The poems and segments as separate pieces of work were either interesting, or so boring that I ended up just skimming it very fast. If the book was supposed to be a lyrical essay, as a whole, it passes for being able to connect the stories together through metaphorical terms. The book wasn't my favorite for writing styles, since the inconsistency of the styles changed every 'chapter', my brain just couldn't follow it very easily, and would quickly just stop focusing if it changed too much. I did enjoy some of the separate poems, but the book as a whole, I did not enjoy. I also don't think the book is very important, since it doesn't deal with anything life threatening, sorry to any of you who think butterflies are important, they creep me out, or reading the book didn't change my thought process at all. An important book would be one that I would start thinking about at times that I'm not in class, or reading it. With this book, the only time I think about it is when I'm writing about it for this class, or reading it.

[Chelsea Decremer · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading The Monarchs: A Poem Sequence by Alison Hawthorne Deming, I was left confused. I don't read much poetry so reading this was a little difficult for me. I needed help making connections that I couldn't make on my own. While participating in online class discussions, it helped point out specific things to me that helped me to fully understand what exactly she was talking about and how it could have connected to her life in some way. I really enjoyed the Essay on Intelligence: Four. I made my best depiction of how this related to her life, but it may be far off. She may have had a poor relationship with someone who took a long time to win her heart in the first place and then he ends up screwing it up and pushing her away. Then it is about her courage and strength to trust him again. Maybe he cheated on her? I don't think this was a terrible piece of work, it was good. But just not for me. I am not interested and don't understand a lot of the poetic references so I can't make the connections as easily.

[Aleah Kissel · Rating 5 out of 5]

After finishing The Monarchs by Alison Hawthorne Deming I feel that I have a new look on nature and the beauties of it, not just because of the plot but because of the wonderful imagery detail she puts into her writing. Deming is a wonderful poet, all of her words and phrases blend together even when most of the words are scientific facts. I never knew I could actually enjoy reading something somewhat educational until I have read her poem-sequence. There is one saying in the book that has stuck with me even after I have finished the book and it is "Whatever the hell this is, she prays to god she's pretty sure is absent or maybe never was, just help us to keep going. The credits roll". This saying really explains the way I think about life and how I react to certain things. I like poetry and this book was amazing especially her poetic style, I can see my self reading her poetry a lot more.

[Cory Acker · Rating 1 out of 5]

Having just read The Monarchs: A Poem Sequence by Allison Hawthorne Deming, I feel as if the book was not interesting to me at all. I am not a fan of poetry and since this book is all poetry it makes it harder to understand for me. Throughout the whole book I was trying to find a connection between all the different poems, I believe some of the poems connected, as the ones that were about butterflies, but the all others I believe were random. Having trouble understanding what some of the poems had to do with the others was my biggest problem. Overall I did not like the book, I thought it was confusing and did not see much point in it. Sometimes even reading some of the poems over and over I still could not really understand the point Deming was trying to propose. On the other hand I thought how she used science writing to help her portray her point was very good. I enjoyed learning about the monarchs as if the author was also learning as she was writing this book.

[Mike Vogler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having just finished The Monarch's: A Poem Sequence I found that the book, while not one of my favorites, was well written and exhibited some really well written poetry. I would classify this book as a mixture between a lyric essay and poetry. As one would assume by reading the title the main topic or inspiration of this literary work is the monarch butterfly. She uses the existence of the butterfly as a comparison or relation to the human condition, she does this quite well. What is evident immediately when reading this book is that Deming utilizes scientific terminology and research to develop an interesting series of poetic writing. I will also say that some sections of the book are better than others, at times it seems as if though Deming is trying to hard to bring abstractness to her poetry. Overall I would give this book a solid three stars out of five, although some sections are difficult to understand this is an enjoyable read.

[Carolyn Birkmeier]

The Monarchs is a great little book that combines the writing styles of poetry, lyrical essays, and science writing all into one. Deming describes a woman who is inspired by the lives of monarch butterflies. As fragile as they are, they migrate great distances and survive for the most part. She takes the life of a butterfly and relates it back to the life of a human. Although we as humans are seen as strong creatures, we have emotions and can think critically, which makes us weak. Her style of writing is extremely visual which makes even themes of science come to life and easily relatable with other topics in the book. She is able to connect most of her themes and keep her topics interesting, which I've found hard to find in other lyrical writing. Its a great book that allows you to connect it to your own life, and apply what information she gives you to your own personal circumstances.