Renee’s Reviews > Hammer Is the Prayer: Selected Poems > Status Update

Finished with part 4, from STOLEN AIR, and part 5a, from "Sungone Noon" in ONCE IN THE WEST. His pieces from STOLEN AIR are loose translations that Wiman adapted. His craftsmanship is noteworthy. Similarly, the poems from "Sungone Noon" are simply stunning. Two new favorites: "We Lived" and "Sunday School."

Finished part 3, from EVERY RIVEN THING, perhaps my favorite of Wiman's collections of poems. I discover something new about the interrelatedness of faith and grief every time I read its selections. Wiman's honesty about the human condition and the sadness that permeates our lives is refreshing.

Done with part 1, selections from his collection THE LONG HOME. Each of the pieces dealt in some way with the poet's understanding of home or family. Wiman's poems possess an acute aural sensitivity, which I know will delight me through the remainder of the book.