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Poems About Things That Mattered Most: Faith, Family, Country
In this memoir written using poems, eighty-seven-year-old author Bob Dowell covers a lifetime’s worth of reflections on the topics nearest and dearest to his heart through collected verse. His poetry collection featuring family, faith, and country as its touchstones offers lyrical meditations on a long life.
Starting with a trip to the attic where the poems of the past are uncovered, Dowell offers a thoughtful reflection on life through poems and uses their artistry to consider key elements in his own development and growth. In reliving a life well lived, these poems give readers a new perspective on what matters most.
With thoughts on religion through poetry, paired with lyrical musings about family and country, Dowell’s words capture the unique considerations of a generation for which those three key elements held deep power and influence.
Starting with a trip to the attic where the poems of the past are uncovered, Dowell offers a thoughtful reflection on life through poems and uses their artistry to consider key elements in his own development and growth. In reliving a life well lived, these poems give readers a new perspective on what matters most.
With thoughts on religion through poetry, paired with lyrical musings about family and country, Dowell’s words capture the unique considerations of a generation for which those three key elements held deep power and influence.
147 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 8, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 13, 2021
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
Poems About Things That Mattered Most was a sweet, homey collection of poetry. These passages' themes ranged from patriotism, family values, and biblical living. Akin to a modern-day Shakespeare, the author wrote the majority of his poems in rhyming verses. While Dowell found impressive rhymes for "phenomenon" and "assuage", the gimmick grew stale rather quickly. The depth of the author's knowledge on the various subjects was evident, but it somewhat detracted by the sophomoric framework.
Rhyming schemes aside, the heart of the author was very keenly felt. The dedication to his wife, children, and grandchildren all were quite special. Some family members got their own chapters and even a matching picture was featured too. Dowell's biblical knowledge was also impressive. You could tell that he was biblically literate and understood the deeper message of the written word. It was clear that author had a PhD through his writing and he was very well spoken.
My main gripe was the singular choice of poetry style: alternate rhyming. The author could have utilized verse, acrostics, or even a haiku. It became repetitive and reduced my enjoyment of the collection. I liked his choice of vocabulary and certain phrases he used, but it came off rather simple. This seems like a nice Christmas gift for his family rather than a Poet Laureate nominee.
My rating is based off that although the message was well conveyed, the continuous rhyming came off as infantile. The author seems like a very intelligent man, but the ABCB framework was reminiscent of elementary English lessons. On the other hand, Dowell seems like a very kind family man. I can bet that he would be a lovely person to have a conversation and could further get his insight without speaking in rhymes. I know this was a collection of poetry, but perhaps give the other styles a chance?
I would recommend this book to my own father, who is an associate pastor of administration. He would be able to appreciate the patriotism, familial themes, and strong Christian values. This was a quick, easy read and I wish I enjoyed it more. Dowell did a nice job of expressing himself through poetry and I'm sure his family is very proud of him. He definitely conveyed to the world the things that matter most to him.
Poems About Things That Mattered Most was a sweet, homey collection of poetry. These passages' themes ranged from patriotism, family values, and biblical living. Akin to a modern-day Shakespeare, the author wrote the majority of his poems in rhyming verses. While Dowell found impressive rhymes for "phenomenon" and "assuage", the gimmick grew stale rather quickly. The depth of the author's knowledge on the various subjects was evident, but it somewhat detracted by the sophomoric framework.
Rhyming schemes aside, the heart of the author was very keenly felt. The dedication to his wife, children, and grandchildren all were quite special. Some family members got their own chapters and even a matching picture was featured too. Dowell's biblical knowledge was also impressive. You could tell that he was biblically literate and understood the deeper message of the written word. It was clear that author had a PhD through his writing and he was very well spoken.
My main gripe was the singular choice of poetry style: alternate rhyming. The author could have utilized verse, acrostics, or even a haiku. It became repetitive and reduced my enjoyment of the collection. I liked his choice of vocabulary and certain phrases he used, but it came off rather simple. This seems like a nice Christmas gift for his family rather than a Poet Laureate nominee.
My rating is based off that although the message was well conveyed, the continuous rhyming came off as infantile. The author seems like a very intelligent man, but the ABCB framework was reminiscent of elementary English lessons. On the other hand, Dowell seems like a very kind family man. I can bet that he would be a lovely person to have a conversation and could further get his insight without speaking in rhymes. I know this was a collection of poetry, but perhaps give the other styles a chance?
I would recommend this book to my own father, who is an associate pastor of administration. He would be able to appreciate the patriotism, familial themes, and strong Christian values. This was a quick, easy read and I wish I enjoyed it more. Dowell did a nice job of expressing himself through poetry and I'm sure his family is very proud of him. He definitely conveyed to the world the things that matter most to him.
June 2, 2021
Poetry
I would recommend this book to any religious person and patriot. It is a well blended mix of religion, family and American history present in lyrical poetic style.
I would recommend this book to any religious person and patriot. It is a well blended mix of religion, family and American history present in lyrical poetic style.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews