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Magnificat: Poems
A collection of new poems which deal with spiritual and physical love
- GenresPoetry
56 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1994
13 people want to read
About the author
Marilyn Nelson
57 books158 followersMarilyn Nelson is the author of many acclaimed books for young people and adults, including CARVER: A LIFE IN POEMS, a Newbery Honor Book and Coretta Scott King Honor Book, and A WREATH FOR EMMETT TILL, a Printz Honor Book and Coretta Scott King Honor Book. She also translated THE LADDER, a picture book by Halfdan Rasmussen. She lives in East Haddam, Connecticut.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 9, 2008
The Abba Jacob poem cycle is wonderful. Humorous, but wickedly on target. From Abba Jacob and the Theologian:
Reverend Father, she asks,
what is the highest spiritual virtue?
Abba Jacob looks to heaven and groans.
Humor, he says,
Not seriously, of course.
Reverend Father, she asks,
what is the highest spiritual virtue?
Abba Jacob looks to heaven and groans.
Humor, he says,
Not seriously, of course.
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October 24, 2018In Jesus Christ Superstar, Mary Magdalene sings about Jesus, "I don't know how to love him." That could be Marilyn Nelson Waniek singing. That is Marilyn Nelson Waniek singing. This book of poems tells the story of how she reconnects with an old lover, and he is now a Benedictine monk. Shit. What now? She writes, "I've found you. And it hurts like hell." She pours herself into "a weird, almost non-relationship with an inscrutable, cantankerous old hermit."
In poems that draw liberally from the language and imagery of the Catholic church, and the Bible, and medieval folk hagiography, and the tradition of contemplative prayer, the story emerges. Twenty years ago, the college-aged young people had shared a passionate attraction, never acted upon, and had gone their separate ways. She had gone on to marry, apparently happily, and have children. He had disappeared. Until now.
She writes him letters, experiencing an anguished internal wrestling between her re-ignited passion, her desire to have a holy and innocent friendship, and her wondering if any contact at all is too much. Eventually he writes back, and she takes her whole family (or at least her husband Roger and daughter Dora) to visit him in the monastery. There more internal wrestling goes on, but as the book progresses, it gradually morphs from the wrestling between "I want" and "I can't have," to wrestling how to manage to unite the love she feels for this individual man with the love of God.
The section called "A Desert Father" is perhaps the most fun, a collection of short portraits of "Abba Jacob" the beloved monk. He is humble, yet confident, wise-cracking, and seems thoroughly modern, yet his devotion to prayer is completely genuine. Marilyn seeks to learn from him. In the last section, "The Plotinus Suite," she writes about her attempts to reach the great transcendent light through her human attachments. (Plotinus was an ancient philosopher who wrote about such an ultimate One of being, and whom I only dimly understand.) She has some success.
With all this wrestling, it is no coincidence that the cover illustration is a picture of Jacob wrestling with the angel. An intense, burly Jacob barrels into the angel like a toddler throwing a tantrum, while the poised angel, not thrown off balance, opens her arms to Jacob as if they are about to dance. This is exactly referred to in the poem "Abba Jacob and the Angel."
In the end Abba Jacob gave up
trying to wrestle with the angel.
She was stronger than he,
and a full head
wiser.
He panted
against her shoulder
as she took his hand in hers
and put her arm around his neck.
Then he heard the music.
The end of the wrestling is perhaps to cease to wrestle, to frame one's situation in a different light, to give in and accept God's grace. Marilyn the author/narrator practices prayers of gratitude for small things, and appears at the end to find a connection between human love and divine love.
The book is short, not hard to read, yet offering many challenging things to think about, and many observations of the beauty of the minutiae of daily life. I enjoyed reading it, and then reading it again.
In poems that draw liberally from the language and imagery of the Catholic church, and the Bible, and medieval folk hagiography, and the tradition of contemplative prayer, the story emerges. Twenty years ago, the college-aged young people had shared a passionate attraction, never acted upon, and had gone their separate ways. She had gone on to marry, apparently happily, and have children. He had disappeared. Until now.
She writes him letters, experiencing an anguished internal wrestling between her re-ignited passion, her desire to have a holy and innocent friendship, and her wondering if any contact at all is too much. Eventually he writes back, and she takes her whole family (or at least her husband Roger and daughter Dora) to visit him in the monastery. There more internal wrestling goes on, but as the book progresses, it gradually morphs from the wrestling between "I want" and "I can't have," to wrestling how to manage to unite the love she feels for this individual man with the love of God.
The section called "A Desert Father" is perhaps the most fun, a collection of short portraits of "Abba Jacob" the beloved monk. He is humble, yet confident, wise-cracking, and seems thoroughly modern, yet his devotion to prayer is completely genuine. Marilyn seeks to learn from him. In the last section, "The Plotinus Suite," she writes about her attempts to reach the great transcendent light through her human attachments. (Plotinus was an ancient philosopher who wrote about such an ultimate One of being, and whom I only dimly understand.) She has some success.
With all this wrestling, it is no coincidence that the cover illustration is a picture of Jacob wrestling with the angel. An intense, burly Jacob barrels into the angel like a toddler throwing a tantrum, while the poised angel, not thrown off balance, opens her arms to Jacob as if they are about to dance. This is exactly referred to in the poem "Abba Jacob and the Angel."
In the end Abba Jacob gave up
trying to wrestle with the angel.
She was stronger than he,
and a full head
wiser.
He panted
against her shoulder
as she took his hand in hers
and put her arm around his neck.
Then he heard the music.
The end of the wrestling is perhaps to cease to wrestle, to frame one's situation in a different light, to give in and accept God's grace. Marilyn the author/narrator practices prayers of gratitude for small things, and appears at the end to find a connection between human love and divine love.
The book is short, not hard to read, yet offering many challenging things to think about, and many observations of the beauty of the minutiae of daily life. I enjoyed reading it, and then reading it again.
September 22, 2007
I was never a fan of poetry. My father and I used to get into long arguments about it. I just couldn't here it.
When I was in college a professor more or less talked me into going to see Marilyn Nelson read some of her poems. The coupled with some of the in-class readings this professor did finally broke through whatever barrier I had erected. After years and years I could finally hear it.
I will always be grateful to that professor and to Marilyn Nelson who's poetry I still adore.
This book is a fine example of her work. Highly highly recommended.
When I was in college a professor more or less talked me into going to see Marilyn Nelson read some of her poems. The coupled with some of the in-class readings this professor did finally broke through whatever barrier I had erected. After years and years I could finally hear it.
I will always be grateful to that professor and to Marilyn Nelson who's poetry I still adore.
This book is a fine example of her work. Highly highly recommended.
September 1, 2009
Finally, I've read my first book by Marilyn Nelson. In this book she converses with the angels. It is a book that exudes positivity, something we need.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews