responsive pleading

by Marian Kent

Threads of love mixed with pain weave through a vivid tapestry of natural beauty in Marian Kent's first collection of short-form poetry. Responsive Pleading travels the seasons, making a bold statement about connection and loss, beauty and family in the modern world.

Genres: Poetry

104 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2012

About the author

Marian Kent
Purveyor of Pretty Words and Superheroic Verse

Marian is the author of three poetry collections, Heart Container, SUPERPOWERS or: More Poems About Flying, and Responsive Pleading. She lives in Northampton, MA with her family. You can follow Marian's poetry and other missives at www.runawaysentence.com

Reviews

[Cameron Garriepy · Rating 5 out of 5]

responsive pleading showcases Marian's many abilities first as a writer, and more specifically a poet. She has a distinct voice, a wonderfully raw and tender way of revealing the world to the reader. She is both reverent of and fearless with form, shaping her words and images with a firm and elegant hand.

This collection soars, exploring huge universal themes in personal and intimate ways. One can't help but be reminded that we are all things all the time: humans in the world, members of our communities, lovers, friends, parents, and children.

Here, in our four-poster, here,
gazing at the water-stained ceiling,
our untamed scent hangs in the air.
Here, beyond what night rains down on you,
until little feet patter down stairs
and little bodies press against ours.

Beyond all of that, tender moments,
each more fragile than the last,
fleeting, before the workday begins
with coffee, morning things, and my leave.
So fleeting, we must grasp this, look
it straight in the eye, and love it hard.

~ from aubade, responsive pleading pp. 89

I have been reading Marian Kent's blog, runaway sentence, for a few years, and have the privilege of calling her my friend, so it's a pleasure indeed to see her first collection of poetry come to print.

[Carl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received the collection today in the mail, and it really is a rare treat. I opened it, and before I sat back, I had devoured most of it. I've ordered perhaps 40 books of poetry in the last year, including some by Pulitzer winners, and this is my favorite by far.

I searched for a reason on why I love these poems, and there are several: I can identify with the speaker in many of the poems and when I don't identify with the speaker, I want to know the speaker; these poems are about what it's like to live in our times partly by being incredibly real; there is a masterful charm to the voice of the speaker in most of the poems; unlike most modern poetry, it is never too much, never repetitive, never too brief; there is no deception, complete honesty, and that is a rare find in today's poetry.

[Eden Baylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Kent sees the world in a unique way and shares it with us in four seasons of poetry. I loved the layout of the book and was fortunate enough to purchase a copy autographed by the author.
This collection explores numerous themes, but the ones I enjoyed the most touched on love and children. One of my favorites is "bed-hopping (not that kind)". As with many of the poems, it both intrigued and delighted.

The collection pays homage to life and the people we are fortunate enough to share it with. More importantly, it reminds us the benign moments are also special as they make up the whole of our experiences.

[Susie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life like nature has seasons as Marian Kent so beautifully points out in her poetry. When I first saw the book was divided into seasons I thought Spring would be poems of joy and winter would be poems of heartache, but Marian didn't use that approach. She so brilliantly points out there is heartache at times in sunshine and flights of freedom in frost. One of my favorite poems is "Just Water." She speaks of trying to explain nature's devastation to a child, yet it goes beyond that into a metaphoric lesson on weathering the storms in life.

Marian's writing is timely, relatable, and moving. It is a book well worth each moment spent within its seasons.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Responsive Pleading by Marian Kent is a terrific collection of poetry. The book is divided into four sections - one for each season - but the book is a cohesive bunch of poems that had me hooked from the very beginning. Marian writes with natural voice and passion on topics like motherhood, love and relationships. A quick read, yes, but I did not want to put it down.