Faith and Doubt: An Anthology of Poems

by Patrice Vecchione

A collection of poems that explores why we believe and why, sometimes, we don't

What do you believe in?
What makes you doubt?


These are questions that people have grappled with since the beginning of time. Acclaimed anthologist Patrice Vecchione sees this struggle between faith and doubt in many places--from religion, to politics and war, to love, to the act of writing itself. Here she has gathered an extraordinary collection of poems that explore the many facets of human faith and doubt.

Genres: Poetry, Christian, Anthologies

144 pages, Hardcover

First published April 3, 2007

About the author

Patrice Vecchione is the author of Writing and the Spiritual Life, as well as two books of poetry. She is also the editor of many highly acclaimed anthologies for children, young adults and adults. Vecchione has taught creative writing and collage workshops at universities, libraries, in community and spiritual centers, including Esalen Institute, and privately for over thirty years. She also teaches workshops outdoors through parks departments and recreation centers. She lives in Monterey, CA.

Reviews

[Aries Djangmah-Yeboah]

I didn't like this book at all it was very boring and mehhhh. Plus the author said that God was a "she" I'm confused about that.

[Rob McMonigal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Part of why I had a problem with this one was my own pre-conceived notion of what it should be--a set of poems for and against religious faith. I have never enjoyed a book, movie, comic, or anything after my idea of what it should be doesn't match up with what I get, even if the result is pretty good. It's why I try very hard not to expect anything before I read, view, or listen. It's not that I don't have general ideas, mind you--everyone does--but if I try to clear my mental palate of what I expect, I find that I'm often happy with the results, or, if I didn't care for the results, it's because the item in question failed on its own (lack of) merit.

Which is why I feel bad that this collection, in which the editor takes the terms "faith" and "doubt" and extrapolates them into a wider context than I wanted, just didn't work for me. I wanted one thing and got another. The blurb says that this collection "explores the many facets of faith and doubt" and that is very true. However, in her attempt to show that poets have argued the question of faith--in its most general term--for thousands of years, we get some very questionable inclusions.

For instance, 1 couplet of Shakespeare, taken out of context. Another poem, from Martial, though it mentions a lack of doubt, is really a sarcastic commentary on shallow friends in my opinion. And the inclusion of Rumi, again in very short snippets, feels out of place, without at least a note below their short entries explaining the context.

However, there are some real gems in here. There's one from the perspective of an abused girl whose faith in anything has been shattered. We also get stories of poets with faithful parents though the poet themselves can't seem to capture that same faith for themselves. Those are my favorites, probably because that's what I was looking for. For those of us who grew up Judeo-Christian (I can't speak for any other faiths, and so I won't, but I imagine it's similar for you) and now can't seem to square God and His rules with today's world, poems like "Echoes" by John Ciardi, hit home:

"I said what I was told
for my pleasure in who told it, for my need
to be held in the telling, apart from the true and false
...
Given a choice
between Dante and a stone over two graves,
what shall I read?"

I have a cross in my house because I know that's what Gram would want. I choose the Dante when I can, but all the time can't stop thinking it's just two graves. That's what I was looking for here, and perhaps it's selfish of me to expect an editor to find for me personally those poems that might allow me to think there are others in the world who are like me--desperate to get that faith back, but unable to grasp it because of all that religion means today (traditional "values", us versus them, unquestioning fealty to authority, etc.). I got that here in doses, but just not enough for me to feel satisfied as a reader.

Too many of the poems here are generalized, like "Doubt" by Sara Holbrook, which says that

"Insecure
is a lace
untied
that in a race
trips me inside.
...
It sure would be
a faster route,
if I could live
without a doubt."

Really? I'd never thought of that. All in all, though some of these poems really nail the line between faith and doubt, there are too many mediocre poems in here for me to recommend the set. (Library, 05/07)

Trebby's Take: I wish I could recommend this one, but I just have too many doubts.

[Kit · Rating 4 out of 5]

A diverse collection of poems loosely organized around the theme of faith and doubt (not always religious faith and doubt), this volume features ancient, traditional, and modern poets from all over the world. The translations are particularly good, and include poets that aren't normally found in YA anthologies, like Yehuda Amichai, Roberto Juarroz, and Saadi Youssef.

[Ruby · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who used to read and write a lot of poetry, I found this book to be beautifully written. This book is an anthology of poetry based on faith and doubt. Although it was an enjoyable read, I found myself wondering what several of the poems had to do with the subject at hand. Still, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys poetry, and finds inspiration within its verses.

[Micah McCarty · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked this up from my library because it was the only book they had with any Rilke poems. Boy was this a disappointment. Awful stuff. Trite, worthless poetry. I should have known before picking up an odd compilation like this. Ugh.

[Ami · Rating 2 out of 5]

A thoroughly mediocre collection of poems roughly about the title topics. Only about three really spoke to me. One and a half stars, really.