The Shine Poems

by Calvin Forbes

Shine is an African American folk character who emerged after World War I in toasts, blues, folk poetry, and children’s rhymes. In his new book of poems, Calvin Forbes reinvents Shine, giving him a girlfriend, Glow, and a child, Shade. He renders the figure more melancholy and adds traces of the surreal and slapstick―accessories “typical of the folk dibbling and dabbling as the tradition is passed along.”

While only the last quarter of The Shine Poems concern Shine, all of the poems reflect a similar sensibility. They share the narrative threads of family relationships and personal and social history while they test the full possibilities of colloquial language and speech rhythms in verse. With its songs, blues, and quick, witty epigrams, The Shine Poems is a collection clear, firm, funny, and playful even as it takes that inevitable turn in the road toward the somber.

Genres: Poetry

64 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1901

Reviews

[Erick Romero · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've only recently started to really enjoy reading poetry. This collection of poems by Calvin Forbes cemented my newfound affection for this form of writing. Perhaps it's because I'm simply not that familiar with a lot of good poetry, but I felt that "The Shine Poems" were brilliant.

It's the sort of experience where you enjoy reading a poem the first time, but then you're blown away the second and third time you go over it as you discover multiple layers of meaning in the words. Several times I had to put the book down to allow Forbes' work to marinade in my head and gut. I loved the ride.