Hammers and Hearts of the Gods

by Fred Voss

This American edition of HAMMERS AND HEARTS OF THE GODS, by machinist-poet Fred Voss, was originally published in the U.K. where it was selected a Book of the Year 2009 by The Morning Star. In the words of Tom Fulton from Poetry Review: "Most of the poems are vivid vignettes of factory life, but they are also much more. They comprise a wide-ranging social-political commentary that exposes class conflict, racial tension, and social injustice...In all the poems there is an earthy compassion that reflects true spirituality."

Genres: Poetry

136 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

another collection i read for class, and i actually really enjoyed it. felt quite repetitive at times but there are some really good poems in here.

[Arne]

Fred Voss’s Hammer and Hearts of the Gods strike with relentless honesty and raw power. Voss channels the grit, sweat, and quiet desperation of the working-class life with unmatched clarity, making the factory floor, the streets, and the human heart feel immediate and lived-in. His poems hammer truth with precision, exposing labor, love, and loss without pretense, yet with deep compassion. The language is muscular, the rhythms unflinching, yet moments of tenderness shine through, making the pain and beauty inseparable. Reading Voss is a visceral experience—unforgiving, moving, unforgettable. These works are a triumph of voice and vision. Five stars.

[Giorgia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a 4.5 stars.

When hey told me I had to read a poetry book about factory workers for my poetry class I wasn't excited. I thought I couldn't relate to the poems and the themes explored, but when I read this book I ended up loving it.

[Tôpher Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

For my money Fred Voss is America’s greatest living poet of working class life. Certainly no other poet writes so wonderfully about work. Vivid, authentic and beautiful, these poems should not be missed.