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Next Day: New and Selected Poems
A selection of the dazzling work of one of the finest writers of her generation and winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a poet of elegant restraint, emotional depth, and moral vision
Beginning with several dozen new poems that have appeared in The New Yorker , among others, this volume is a tour through Zarin’s five exquisitely made collections, beginning with The Swordfish Tooth , published in 1988. Zarin, a poet in the line of Elizabeth Bishop, allows the reader to experience human truths through a poem's shape and music, bodied forth through intimate images—the turn in the stair, a snow globe, naked birch branches, a vase of flowers—and a propulsive syntax. From the clarity of childhood memory to the maze of marriage and divorce, from her own consciousness-shaping landscapes of New York, Cape Cod, and Rome, to the shifting tides of history and the troubled conscience of a nation, her subject matter encompasses all of a woman's life, with passion—its risks, satisfactions, and shattering immediacy—her first and truest subject.
Beginning with several dozen new poems that have appeared in The New Yorker , among others, this volume is a tour through Zarin’s five exquisitely made collections, beginning with The Swordfish Tooth , published in 1988. Zarin, a poet in the line of Elizabeth Bishop, allows the reader to experience human truths through a poem's shape and music, bodied forth through intimate images—the turn in the stair, a snow globe, naked birch branches, a vase of flowers—and a propulsive syntax. From the clarity of childhood memory to the maze of marriage and divorce, from her own consciousness-shaping landscapes of New York, Cape Cod, and Rome, to the shifting tides of history and the troubled conscience of a nation, her subject matter encompasses all of a woman's life, with passion—its risks, satisfactions, and shattering immediacy—her first and truest subject.
- GenresPoetry
273 pages, ebook
Published August 13, 2024
4 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Zarin
21 books35 followersCynthia Zarin is the author of five books of poetry, as well five books for children and a collection of essays. She teaches at Yale and lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 25, 2025
I trade every moment for any moment.
August 18, 2024
This poetry collection brings together certain popular poems from Cynthia Zarin's previous books along with a small collection of completely new pieces. The topics range from general impressions of life and nature to interpersonal relationships and cosmic thoughts. It's hard to truly categorize this collection, but it's definitely not a set of love poems or sappy self-help rhymes. I found the earlier collections a bit cryptic, what with the tangled wordplay and extensive sentences. Later on, I found a few poems that I could truly fall in love with, and I enjoyed the pleasant balance of delicate figures of speech with more overt topics and revealing titles. I like to think about my poetry some, but I don't usually like having to puzzle over it. Many of the later poems gave me a chance to feel an experience without having to ponder it too deeply, but the few that I did ponder were all the better for it. I'd recommend this book of poems to anyone who enjoys reflecting on the ups and downs in life and how a small thing can be a big thing.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.
July 31, 2024
dnf 22%
October 4, 2024
I receive poetry by email from several sources and one day the poem was Flowers by Cynthia Zarin. I read it several times, and never forgot it. I was happy to read it again in Next Day.
Flowers
By Cynthia Zarin
This morning I was walking upstairs
from the kitchen, carrying your
beautiful flowers, the flowers you
brought me last night, calla lilies
and something else, I am not
sure what to call them, white flowers,
of course you had no way of knowing
it has been years since I bought
white flowers—but now you have
and here they are again. I was carrying
your flowers and a coffee cup
and a soft yellow handbag and a book
of poems by a Chinese poet, in
which I had just read the words “come
or go but don’t just stand there
in the doorway,” as usual I was
carrying too many things, you
would have laughed if you saw me.
It seemed especially important
not to spill the coffee as I usually
do, as I turned up the stairs,
inside the whorl of the house as if
I were walking up inside the lilies.
I do not know how to hold all
the beauty and sorrow of my life.
I was eager to discover more favorite poems by Zarin.
I loved Heirloom, which begins,
“Take it,” my grandmother said. “You
might as well have it now. “
“No, I said,” knowing what now meant.
I recalled my mother, after her diagnosis, telling me what to take home.
The poem goes on to describe the picture she brings home which portrays her grandmother reading, “her wide book a pair of white goose wings, shedding light on her face.” With the lines “There’s no hint of the artist, my grandfather, dampening his brushes a few yards away,” we understand this is a painting. And there is a second painting of two children, her father and aunt. I connected to this poem, my own mother’s paintings on my walls.
Zarin struggles with a memory from childhood in Harriet, asking “Why did I say what I did to Harriet?” It is a chilling recollection, and recalls to mind the several incidents when I was mean to another child.
I was struck by the opening sharp sounds of Anxiety.
Anxiety
Cat claws on the heart’s tin roof, each breath
a locomotive running off the rails,
the switching signal’s warning rat-a-tat,
I’m up too early, the alphabet net snags
and tears, moths, then motes, then gone. What I love,
I undo, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.
No one knows me, matchstick Guy Fawkes doll,
my burnt head micro-ember sunset gleams,
day moon hostage to the dark’s slant dream.
What ghosts I have I won’t or can’t give up.
Impossible to love or leave, poor self
banging its head, wanting—what?
As if I knew what I meant or wanted,
baby voice humming: mouth skull smile.
I love the imagery in her poems.
Failure
Another summer we didn’t get through–
the year a dandelion blown to bits,
the clover trampled at the gravel’s edge,
the penny-colored leaves gluttering the pond,
a file of redwinged blackbirds attentive
in the reeds, their markings military
against the sky, almost navy, filling
with thunderheads. A week full of saluting:
the dam, the mill, the town, the earth, the silver
automobile rusting under the pines,
one door ajar, like a wing. Then the end–
Good-bye house, good-bye pond: the incantations
of children read to in the bath, while night,
angular, conspiring, blackens the glass.
So many common things in life are transformed under her pen. I laughed when I saw the poem title Pears Soap, my preferred brand, opening with the startling line “Transparence a virtue, as in good prose or water,/though not lies.” There is a poem to a skunk walking on the town road, white violets blooming on lawns (“a hundred handkerchiefs dropped by the daughters of the Pleiades”), even a poem on a Spode plate.
In the new poems, Farewell ends, “I haven’t anything to give you,/nothing that time will not take away.” But she has given these poems, and they are a timeless gift.
The gorgeous cover art is Parmet River, painted by the poet’s daughter.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book.
Flowers
By Cynthia Zarin
This morning I was walking upstairs
from the kitchen, carrying your
beautiful flowers, the flowers you
brought me last night, calla lilies
and something else, I am not
sure what to call them, white flowers,
of course you had no way of knowing
it has been years since I bought
white flowers—but now you have
and here they are again. I was carrying
your flowers and a coffee cup
and a soft yellow handbag and a book
of poems by a Chinese poet, in
which I had just read the words “come
or go but don’t just stand there
in the doorway,” as usual I was
carrying too many things, you
would have laughed if you saw me.
It seemed especially important
not to spill the coffee as I usually
do, as I turned up the stairs,
inside the whorl of the house as if
I were walking up inside the lilies.
I do not know how to hold all
the beauty and sorrow of my life.
I was eager to discover more favorite poems by Zarin.
I loved Heirloom, which begins,
“Take it,” my grandmother said. “You
might as well have it now. “
“No, I said,” knowing what now meant.
I recalled my mother, after her diagnosis, telling me what to take home.
The poem goes on to describe the picture she brings home which portrays her grandmother reading, “her wide book a pair of white goose wings, shedding light on her face.” With the lines “There’s no hint of the artist, my grandfather, dampening his brushes a few yards away,” we understand this is a painting. And there is a second painting of two children, her father and aunt. I connected to this poem, my own mother’s paintings on my walls.
Zarin struggles with a memory from childhood in Harriet, asking “Why did I say what I did to Harriet?” It is a chilling recollection, and recalls to mind the several incidents when I was mean to another child.
I was struck by the opening sharp sounds of Anxiety.
Anxiety
Cat claws on the heart’s tin roof, each breath
a locomotive running off the rails,
the switching signal’s warning rat-a-tat,
I’m up too early, the alphabet net snags
and tears, moths, then motes, then gone. What I love,
I undo, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.
No one knows me, matchstick Guy Fawkes doll,
my burnt head micro-ember sunset gleams,
day moon hostage to the dark’s slant dream.
What ghosts I have I won’t or can’t give up.
Impossible to love or leave, poor self
banging its head, wanting—what?
As if I knew what I meant or wanted,
baby voice humming: mouth skull smile.
I love the imagery in her poems.
Failure
Another summer we didn’t get through–
the year a dandelion blown to bits,
the clover trampled at the gravel’s edge,
the penny-colored leaves gluttering the pond,
a file of redwinged blackbirds attentive
in the reeds, their markings military
against the sky, almost navy, filling
with thunderheads. A week full of saluting:
the dam, the mill, the town, the earth, the silver
automobile rusting under the pines,
one door ajar, like a wing. Then the end–
Good-bye house, good-bye pond: the incantations
of children read to in the bath, while night,
angular, conspiring, blackens the glass.
So many common things in life are transformed under her pen. I laughed when I saw the poem title Pears Soap, my preferred brand, opening with the startling line “Transparence a virtue, as in good prose or water,/though not lies.” There is a poem to a skunk walking on the town road, white violets blooming on lawns (“a hundred handkerchiefs dropped by the daughters of the Pleiades”), even a poem on a Spode plate.
In the new poems, Farewell ends, “I haven’t anything to give you,/nothing that time will not take away.” But she has given these poems, and they are a timeless gift.
The gorgeous cover art is Parmet River, painted by the poet’s daughter.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book.
Read
September 23, 2024POEM SLAY 🔖
The Next Day by Cynthia Zarin. Thank you @doubledaybooks for the #gifted copy.
N/A 🌟
Cynthia Zarin’s The Next Day is a collection that effortlessly blends the mundane with the profound, creating a tapestry of moments that feel both intimate and universal. Zarin has this incredible ability to take the simplest experiences—like a walk through a park or a fleeting conversation—and turn them into something that resonates on a deeper level.
The poems in this collection are like snapshots of life, each one capturing a feeling or a thought that might otherwise slip away unnoticed. Zarin’s language is delicate yet powerful, making you pause and reflect on things you might normally overlook. It’s like she’s reminding you to slow down and really take in the world around you. 🛑👀
One of the standout aspects of The Next Day is how it handles themes of time and memory. Zarin’s exploration of these concepts feels organic, almost like you’re experiencing the passage of time right alongside her. There’s a nostalgic undertone throughout the collection, but it’s not the kind that makes you long for the past. Instead, it’s more of a gentle reminder to appreciate the present, to find beauty in the small moments.
Her writing is accessible, yet layered with meaning, making it perfect for both poetry newcomers and seasoned readers alike. It’s the kind of book you can read in one sitting but will want to revisit time and again. Each reading offers something new—a fresh insight, a different perspective, or simply a reminder of the beauty in everyday life.
If you’re into poetry that feels both modern and timeless, The Next Day is a must-read. Zarin’s words have a way of staying with you, making you think long after you’ve turned the last page. This collection is a gentle yet powerful exploration of life’s quieter moments, and it’s one you’ll want to keep coming back to. ✨💭 #prhpartner
The Next Day by Cynthia Zarin. Thank you @doubledaybooks for the #gifted copy.
N/A 🌟
Cynthia Zarin’s The Next Day is a collection that effortlessly blends the mundane with the profound, creating a tapestry of moments that feel both intimate and universal. Zarin has this incredible ability to take the simplest experiences—like a walk through a park or a fleeting conversation—and turn them into something that resonates on a deeper level.
The poems in this collection are like snapshots of life, each one capturing a feeling or a thought that might otherwise slip away unnoticed. Zarin’s language is delicate yet powerful, making you pause and reflect on things you might normally overlook. It’s like she’s reminding you to slow down and really take in the world around you. 🛑👀
One of the standout aspects of The Next Day is how it handles themes of time and memory. Zarin’s exploration of these concepts feels organic, almost like you’re experiencing the passage of time right alongside her. There’s a nostalgic undertone throughout the collection, but it’s not the kind that makes you long for the past. Instead, it’s more of a gentle reminder to appreciate the present, to find beauty in the small moments.
Her writing is accessible, yet layered with meaning, making it perfect for both poetry newcomers and seasoned readers alike. It’s the kind of book you can read in one sitting but will want to revisit time and again. Each reading offers something new—a fresh insight, a different perspective, or simply a reminder of the beauty in everyday life.
If you’re into poetry that feels both modern and timeless, The Next Day is a must-read. Zarin’s words have a way of staying with you, making you think long after you’ve turned the last page. This collection is a gentle yet powerful exploration of life’s quieter moments, and it’s one you’ll want to keep coming back to. ✨💭 #prhpartner
August 5, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC!
Cynthia Zarin’s Next Day is a collection of poems culled from an entire career, which makes it more successful as a reflection of its author than as a body of work.
Broadly speaking, these are poems with gradual rotations rather than turns. There aren’t many memorable lines or unexpected images. They are decorated with so many natural objects that they can start to feel garish, like an antique shop without a curatorial hand—a toybox emptied onto the floor. In the late career books represented here, this approach works well, taking on an almost I Spy effect, though the same cannot be said for the earlier poems.
Readers’ enjoyment will depend entirely on their personal poetics. Zarin seems to prioritize form, crafting intricate and precise pieces that—for me—are easier to appraise than they are to appreciate. Unfortunately, it often feels like someone showing you the gears behind a clock face when you asked for the time. There’s a perpetually heightened register and emotional detachment that seems determined to convince readers that these are, in fact, capital-P "Poems."
It’s clear this is an aesthetic decision rather than a question of ability because there are beautiful exceptions, particularly in The Ada Poems and Orbit. These books feel like a better balance between Zarin’s stylistic preoccupations and substantive themes, and I wish I had encountered them without the burden of the surrounding anthology.
Ultimately, Next Day feels like a bit of an anachronism—a product of an era that celebrated the artist’s mystique. These poems often obscure the speaker to the point of anonymity, and for readers who favor transparency and creative risks, there are much more interesting books to read.
Cynthia Zarin’s Next Day is a collection of poems culled from an entire career, which makes it more successful as a reflection of its author than as a body of work.
Broadly speaking, these are poems with gradual rotations rather than turns. There aren’t many memorable lines or unexpected images. They are decorated with so many natural objects that they can start to feel garish, like an antique shop without a curatorial hand—a toybox emptied onto the floor. In the late career books represented here, this approach works well, taking on an almost I Spy effect, though the same cannot be said for the earlier poems.
Readers’ enjoyment will depend entirely on their personal poetics. Zarin seems to prioritize form, crafting intricate and precise pieces that—for me—are easier to appraise than they are to appreciate. Unfortunately, it often feels like someone showing you the gears behind a clock face when you asked for the time. There’s a perpetually heightened register and emotional detachment that seems determined to convince readers that these are, in fact, capital-P "Poems."
It’s clear this is an aesthetic decision rather than a question of ability because there are beautiful exceptions, particularly in The Ada Poems and Orbit. These books feel like a better balance between Zarin’s stylistic preoccupations and substantive themes, and I wish I had encountered them without the burden of the surrounding anthology.
Ultimately, Next Day feels like a bit of an anachronism—a product of an era that celebrated the artist’s mystique. These poems often obscure the speaker to the point of anonymity, and for readers who favor transparency and creative risks, there are much more interesting books to read.
July 26, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
4 out of 5 stars
Beautiful, imagery-focused poems. Most felt like memories coated in the gold-dust of afternoon sun through pines and windows.
You can feel the bewildering and acute pain of divorce in her poems.
There were some from The Swordfish Tooth, which was published in 1988, that felt like they were written in the terrifying solitude of 2020 that threatened to never end.
Fire Lyric's selections touched me less, although I could not say why. I did enjoy White Violets in South Hadley, though.
There were a lot of 'for's in The Watercourse. 'For This Person' and 'For That Person.' Except there were actual names attached. I liked these more than the ones from Fire Lyric, particularly 'Fury' and 'Heirloom.' Actually, I liked most of these.
The Ada Poems - I enjoyed these and it was a soft reminder that sometimes the use of uncommon words can be something other than pretentious...it can be beautiful. I loved her use of isinglass and cynosure. I think I loved the Dreamscapes best. I am biased as a constant dreamer.
Orbit - more 'for's. I like the slips of Italian, having taken Italian for three semesters at OSU. No, I will not stop mentioning it, even though I am far from fluent.
Next Day - this is why I can't explain the difference between sad rain and comforting rain, and also I can't explain what that has to do with this section of poems, but it does to me. Everything conspiring to devastate.
4 out of 5 stars
Beautiful, imagery-focused poems. Most felt like memories coated in the gold-dust of afternoon sun through pines and windows.
You can feel the bewildering and acute pain of divorce in her poems.
There were some from The Swordfish Tooth, which was published in 1988, that felt like they were written in the terrifying solitude of 2020 that threatened to never end.
Fire Lyric's selections touched me less, although I could not say why. I did enjoy White Violets in South Hadley, though.
There were a lot of 'for's in The Watercourse. 'For This Person' and 'For That Person.' Except there were actual names attached. I liked these more than the ones from Fire Lyric, particularly 'Fury' and 'Heirloom.' Actually, I liked most of these.
The Ada Poems - I enjoyed these and it was a soft reminder that sometimes the use of uncommon words can be something other than pretentious...it can be beautiful. I loved her use of isinglass and cynosure. I think I loved the Dreamscapes best. I am biased as a constant dreamer.
Orbit - more 'for's. I like the slips of Italian, having taken Italian for three semesters at OSU. No, I will not stop mentioning it, even though I am far from fluent.
Next Day - this is why I can't explain the difference between sad rain and comforting rain, and also I can't explain what that has to do with this section of poems, but it does to me. Everything conspiring to devastate.
August 8, 2024
thank you so much to netgally for a copy of the ARC!
while i do believe that overall, zarin writes good poetry, i also believe that their style is not particularly for me! however, if you are a fan of mary oliver’s work (like myself), i think you’ll find a lot of resemblances here and find some enjoyment!
for some reason, the poems felt sluggish. not that they were too long, but rather be pacing of them felt too slow. and it made it very difficult to get through the collection, let alone affected my enjoyment of the overall book.
if you’re looking for something to read one or two poems a day from, something to really take your time with, this is perfect. if you’re someone who’s looking for a collection to really dig in and annotate, or the opposite you’re new to the world of poetry and want to get into it, i think you should look elsewhere. none of the poems here felt particularly special to me, and i simply believe there are other collections out there that will draw your attention more.
zarin is in no way a bad poet, nor is this a bad collection. it just lacked a connection for me, and i really think it boils down to the two of us having different styles.
while i do believe that overall, zarin writes good poetry, i also believe that their style is not particularly for me! however, if you are a fan of mary oliver’s work (like myself), i think you’ll find a lot of resemblances here and find some enjoyment!
for some reason, the poems felt sluggish. not that they were too long, but rather be pacing of them felt too slow. and it made it very difficult to get through the collection, let alone affected my enjoyment of the overall book.
if you’re looking for something to read one or two poems a day from, something to really take your time with, this is perfect. if you’re someone who’s looking for a collection to really dig in and annotate, or the opposite you’re new to the world of poetry and want to get into it, i think you should look elsewhere. none of the poems here felt particularly special to me, and i simply believe there are other collections out there that will draw your attention more.
zarin is in no way a bad poet, nor is this a bad collection. it just lacked a connection for me, and i really think it boils down to the two of us having different styles.
September 5, 2024
Rating: 4/5 [Gifted a copy on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review]
Next Day: New and Selected Poems, a collection of past and new poems by Cynthia Zarin, was an intriguing if uneven reading experience.
This was my introduction to Zarin’s work. Poetry collections like this are always some of my favorite ways to deep dive into poets. Here you can track the evolution of themes, styles, and tones throughout the decades, mere pages apart. Zarin’s work is no exception. It grows in abstraction, becomes more ambitious with its forms, and grows less literal. Some of my favorite poems were ones that spiraled further from the grounded reality and more into the scattered collection of ideas and images their central idea evoked. Was it worth it? I certainly feel this is a strong collection and a great way to get an overall feel for Zarin’s work. Some of the poems and their imagery is dated and, as often happens, a feeling of repetition can overcome a reader if this is read too fast. I never quite clicked with Zarin as consistently as I would have liked but I am glad I got to try.
Next Day: New and Selected Poems, a collection of past and new poems by Cynthia Zarin, was an intriguing if uneven reading experience.
This was my introduction to Zarin’s work. Poetry collections like this are always some of my favorite ways to deep dive into poets. Here you can track the evolution of themes, styles, and tones throughout the decades, mere pages apart. Zarin’s work is no exception. It grows in abstraction, becomes more ambitious with its forms, and grows less literal. Some of my favorite poems were ones that spiraled further from the grounded reality and more into the scattered collection of ideas and images their central idea evoked. Was it worth it? I certainly feel this is a strong collection and a great way to get an overall feel for Zarin’s work. Some of the poems and their imagery is dated and, as often happens, a feeling of repetition can overcome a reader if this is read too fast. I never quite clicked with Zarin as consistently as I would have liked but I am glad I got to try.
Read
October 21, 2024One thing that this poet is especially talented that is lingering in a moment— stretching out the description of every moment in a poem with microscopic clarity. I especially enjoy the turns of phrases that humanize nature, such as in “The Garnet Bracelet,” where the poet describes the “wounded shoulder of the woodland trail” and “writhing branches.” Probably the most incredible thing about this collection, however, is the blend of absolute beauty with Gothic dread—poems that are equally reminiscent or romantic as they are dark or with menacing undertones. “His First Love Speaks” is a good example, as “Gone sweetheart, darling, your lone lumbering / sharp tongue—there’s nothing I’ve forgotten. / Strike one, strike two, the autumn’s cauldron hissed / and singed the years’ dark pelts until they charred” is such a beautiful set of lines.
August 22, 2024
Next Day is a poetry collection featuring selections from Cynthia Zarin's previous books and select new poems as well. The poems are beautifully crafted, rich in imagery, with fresh language. I loved many of the images, like:
"... over
the green-black night, the moon holds summer
like a gaze" ("Fugue: Down at the Lake").
Zarin's memory poems (childhood, marriage, divorce) particularly resonated with me. "Class Picture" is a standout.
Some of the poems are very form dependent, and the form actually detracts from the beautiful language for me. That said, I enjoyed this volume of poetry and would recommend it to other readers.
"... over
the green-black night, the moon holds summer
like a gaze" ("Fugue: Down at the Lake").
Zarin's memory poems (childhood, marriage, divorce) particularly resonated with me. "Class Picture" is a standout.
Some of the poems are very form dependent, and the form actually detracts from the beautiful language for me. That said, I enjoyed this volume of poetry and would recommend it to other readers.
August 23, 2024
𝟐.𝟓 ⭐️ 𝑵𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝑫𝒂𝒚 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐂𝐲𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐚 𝐙𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧’𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐨𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐲. 𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐲-𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐈 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭; 𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐚 𝐭𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐲-𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲—𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐠𝐨. 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬, 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐨𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐲.
𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝒞𝓎𝓃𝓉𝒽𝒾𝒶 𝒵𝒶𝓇𝒾𝓃, 𝒦𝓃𝑜𝓅𝒻, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.
𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝒞𝓎𝓃𝓉𝒽𝒾𝒶 𝒵𝒶𝓇𝒾𝓃, 𝒦𝓃𝑜𝓅𝒻, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.
August 26, 2024
I am new to Cynthia Zarin’s work because I’ve never read any of her other collections. I would be interested in reading some of her other works.
I connected with some of the poems in this collection. I think the subjects of the poems are very broad so most readers can find some that they really connect with.
I could feel the emotion in quite a few of the poems and it really helped to resonate with me. I think it takes true talent to make the reader of poetry feel the emotion with so few words.
Thank you to then publisher for an advance copy of this novel via NetGalley.
I connected with some of the poems in this collection. I think the subjects of the poems are very broad so most readers can find some that they really connect with.
I could feel the emotion in quite a few of the poems and it really helped to resonate with me. I think it takes true talent to make the reader of poetry feel the emotion with so few words.
Thank you to then publisher for an advance copy of this novel via NetGalley.
November 3, 2024
This collection of poetry brings the old and the new together for writer Cynthia Zarin. It expresses a variety of emotions on a range of topics, from poems that are rather cryptic and flowery in language to more straightforward messages to the reader. I enjoyed seeing a range of work from this author and even though some of it can seem dense, even for the average poetry lover, it is something that is easy to sit and contemplate with.
*Book provided by NetGalley
*Book provided by NetGalley
September 4, 2024
Beautiful and thought provoking. Easy to read, yet sophisticated for a more intellectual conversation. Elegant, classy, brutally beautiful, and well spoken.
“Your near hand, held fast
In mine. You, beloved,
Though not I, grow old.”
-Athena
This will be a staple piece on my coffee table as we come to these winter months. This read recapitulates the feeling of a snowy day.
“Your near hand, held fast
In mine. You, beloved,
Though not I, grow old.”
-Athena
This will be a staple piece on my coffee table as we come to these winter months. This read recapitulates the feeling of a snowy day.
January 19, 2025
Wonderful collection of old and new poe,s by the author
June 3, 2025
I enjoyed some of the poems. However, I did find that I wanted to be done with the book after about 25%. I just felt like some of the poems dragged on.
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