Review of A Poem A Day: 55 poems

[Tori_J]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Poem A Day: 55 poems" by Mariama Z Cuyler.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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A Poem a Day 2: 55 Poems by Mariama Z. Cuyler is a collection of 55 inspiring, emotional, and reassuring poems that preach hope and the unconditional love of YHWH. The collection is a cocktail of spiritually and secularly themed poems. She pours out her mind’s most profound thoughts of love, gratitude, reflections, flaws, sacrifices, wants, and redemption. The book’s structure takes the form of a freely written piece containing fragments and pieces of the author’s thoughts, where the poet, in a fit of episodic reminiscing and joy borne of total surrender to a higher authority, pens down her feelings.

In the opening poem piece, “Ruddy,” she reflects on the life of Isaac’s twins. In her portrayal of the story, her stance is one of hope in YHWH, even if one is not perfect. In “Shem, Ham, and Japheth,” she tells the story of a generation and a world on the brink of extinction due to their misdeeds. However, a family was saved for being distinct in morality, behavior, and obedience to YHWH’s sanctions. Thus, their lineage was preserved, and they continued to propagate on the face of the earth.

Each of these poems is written in a somewhat spontaneous manner but with a rich sense of story and moral lessons. Another poem, “My will be your will,” chronicles the protagonist’s deviation from the right path, followed by a tumble into an avalanche of subsequent misdeeds. Yet, she asks for help, and the light of grace shines upon her, redeeming her. This theme is similar to that of “Fall” and other poems in the collection, where she is redeemed by grace.

In “sweet nothings,” a sensual piece that deviates from the prominent theme, the ensuing lines pierce the soul with feelings of affection and raging emotions. It ascended toward a climactic high where tenseness approached its peak, giving you a sense of unending suspense.

The collection comprises 55 poems with similar recurring themes: trust in YHWH, YHWH’s love, human immaturity, gratitude, rejection, deception, redemption, sacrifice, free will, and desire. Each poem is connected in theme to the preceding poem and has a tone of admonition to it.

However, the book is rife with typographical errors. The paragraphs were poorly formatted, and the spacing was also an issue. Many times, it was hard to tell different poems apart because they were not properly separated. There was often no space between the preceding and the subsequent poems, and since the poem titles are indistinct, it was difficult to tell apart the ending of one from the beginning of the next.

The style was free, lazy, and carefree, making it seem like the poems were written just after achieving sobriety. I rate it 2 out of 4 stars because of these issues, and I recommend it to anyone in need of a faith boost and strengthening of trust in YHWH, especially people passing through difficulties and slumbering into depression. It will comfort you and help you keep hoping. It will also make you understand that no one is beyond redemption.

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A Poem A Day: 55 poems
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[nwankwo chibuchi]

The themes of the said 55 poems endear me to this book. I'll love to see check them out as I am a poetry enthusiast. You've done a great job with this review. Well done

[Waliyat_24]

The plot is interesting, but I’m not a fan of poems so I’ll pass. A great review!

[Zwelihle_Myeni]

I'm not a fan of poetry so I'll sit this one out. I'm glad that despite the mention negatives, you somehow found some of the poems informative. Thanks for an honest review.

[Peace10]

I’ve never liked poetry, so I’ll sit this one out. But your review is very easy to understand. Great job!