Prairies

by Natalie Knight

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Genres: Poetry

E-chap

Reviews

[Bravenewworker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a small collection of poems that are each a practice of ultra-dense language and multi-layered images, which is why total concentration and a few readings will be essential to coax out any of the numerous statements each of the poems relay. Many of the poems share a common reference to cross-country journeys and international influence, while a few take place in America's westward-expansion past. My personal favorite was "Pioneer Days," a chilling analogy of romance and a deadly covered-wagon journey. The emotion in some of the poems, disguised in such thickly enshrouded images and references, become impersonal. Which was why in "Pioneer Days" you find a gleam of perfection when a hint of a romance leads to a story about the aforementioned wagon journey; Knight shovels metaphor upon metaphor on top of the emotion to cover it up, but in the end it's still there, and she reluctantly acknowledges it.

[Dana Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samuel Huntington and Prairies play densely with language and this is surprisingly refreshing.