Blackbird: Sonnets

by Tanweer Dar

A collection of poetry (sonnets) exploring a range of subjects, themes and emotions. Nature and the natural world feature heavily, although a range of other subjects, from music to the supernatural, are also examined. Some of the poems are accompanied by exclusive pencil illustrations sketched by the author himself.

46 pages, Paperback

Published March 29, 2021

About the author

I was born in Birmingham, in the United Kingdom. I studied Ancient & Medieval History at university and am a qualified teacher.
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I love nature, walking, gardening, house plants, history, art, poetry, and books and films of all kinds (especially horror, fantasy and sci-fi).

I have written and published science fiction, horror, poetry, fantasy and children’s books. Alongside my writing, I am also an enthusiastic and experienced pencil and digital artist.

Reviews

[A.C. Merkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid sonnets!

Solid sonnets and Amazing pencil art. A- only because I don’t care much about poetry generally. If you love sonnets and fine art this is for you!

[Veronica Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What better way to start a new season that to reflect on the feelings and emotions that bubble up with change, reflecting on the mood and magic everyday life often brings. Author/Poet Dar's collection of sonnets takes us on a journey of reflection with these inspired poems.

Life challenges, nature's glory, journeys of the soul and mind, dark and light whisper to you as you read the verse; their messages filled with realism, expectations, and at times, haunting memories. The sonnets give you points to ponder, savor and smile, and perhaps at times, wipe away a tear.

I truly enjoyed this collection. The poems are inspirational, reflective and delve into emotions and feelings that are often neglected. A perfect read to churn the mind and soothe the soul, highly recommended!

[Anya Pavelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I love poetry of all forms, sonnets are one of my favorite types. There's a comforting level of predictability in the structure of a sonnet, yet the poet can create vastly different moods and images within the same poetic frame. Tanweer Dar's collection of sonnets demonstrates a compelling range. Some of the poems contain a tinge of gothic dread, others wonder or longing. There is rich imagery and emotion. I highly recommend this collection to those who love sonnets or contemporary poetry in general.

[M.E. Aster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blackbird is a wonderful book of poems that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Ranging in topics from nature to love and almost everything in between, this poetry collection has something for everyone. I also loved the way Dar added pencil drawings he had done to some of the poems. It was a lovely touch that made this book even more special.

I would definitely recommend this to any fans of poetry!

[J.G. MacLeod · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never been particularly adept at writing poetry. I have attempted it, and a couple times a year, I turn to it, but I am always in awe of someone who can weave words, rhythm, symbolism, mood, and meter together in such a beautiful form to create meaning that impacts me emotionally.

Tanweer Dar’s Blackbird Sonnets is a must read. He had me with the gorgeous cover, but further pulled me in with his tribute to one of my favorite Romantics: Percy Bysshe Shelley.

I love Dar’s vocabulary choices, which add a richness to the images throughout the collection. Some of my favorites include: “Tempest” raging (reminds me of ‘Ode to the West Wind’); the symbolism of the blackbird (harkening back to classic uses of this image); “The voice of an angel reverberates”; and “The monsters are hiding inside your mind,/But you are in charge of them, they are blind” (reminds me of ‘mind-forged manacles’).

This is a 5-star sonnet collection that is both paying homage to the romantic era, and creating fresh images for our time. Highly recommend you pick up a copy.

[Derek King · Rating 5 out of 5]

'A life without poetry is worthless'

Thoroughly enjoyed this book of Tanweer Dar’s poetry, to the extent I bought the paperback after reading on Kindle.

There are many stunning poems here, personal favourites are ‘Waterfall’ and ‘Fighter’. These lines in particular grabbed me and resonated. 'A fighter's fate is never to be free' from the latter and 'Here I will come when the world is too much' from the former.

There are several pencil sketches throughout the book which follow and relate to the prior poem. It’s a really nice touch which reminded me of classic old books with lithograph / woodblock prints. Tanweer is to be congratulated for incorporating his own sketches in this volume, and they add a special something.

This is a great weekend ready. Grab a cuppa, get the feet up and enjoy the wonderful writing and imagery in this book.

Thank you Tanweer, you have produced a great collection of verse and art.

[Sophie Brookes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, what a lovely little poetry collection!

I absolutely adored Blackbird Sonnets, the flow of the poems are just beautiful, filled with emotion. My favourite of the bunch was definitely Poetry, that poem spoke to my soul!

The illustrations are also lovely. Sketched with such fine detail, they really add to the collection.

[Moksha Shah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written words that harmonize nature with life!