Official Review: Discrepancies of the Brain by De’Jay
Posted: 17 Jul 2020, 16:25
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Discrepancies of the Brain" by De’Jay.]
In the synopsis for the poetry collection, Discrepancies of the Brain, De’Jay writes: "To be at war with the mind is to be at war with life." The author expresses the desire that those who read the collection will "...begin to find peace; a sense of tranquility." The anthology is 135 pages, and its 53 poems traverse themes of identity, self-doubt, humility, beauty, joy, independence, love, anger, faith, peace, racial equality, and freedom.
Many poets deviate from conventional grammar as a matter of artistic style. However, one of my pet peeves regarding poetry is if the punctuation is all over the place. For example, if some stanzas are punctuated while others lack any punctuation, and particularly if poems are inconsistent with each other, the inconsistencies read more like errors rather than style. In contrast, I noted De'Jay's consistency; new stanza lines and names were capitalized while punctuation was omitted. I didn't count the author's stylized lack of punctuation as errors, but the number of other types of mistakes, including missing apostrophes and the use of "your" instead of "you're" required me to deduct a star.
De'Jay's writing features a clarity that is ideal for readers who may be new to poetry, but it also conveys depth that will appeal to aficionados. In the title poem, I like the author's emphasis on using "..the gifts that you were granted" and overcoming self-doubt. "Butterfly" presents a picturesque analogy between nature and the concept of starting "...to finish." In "Where is Love," readers will relate to De'Jay's heartfelt musings and longing. "My Window" is a darker poem portraying death as a person. In "Triangle of Love," De'Jay conveys the turmoil and conflicting emotions of trying to choose between two relationships. However, my favorite of the collection is "How Much Do I Trust in God." In this reflection, the author expresses self-frustration related to an occasional lack of faith.
On the other hand, in "Memories," the letter "w" is used twice in place of the word "with." I dislike the author's random use of texting slang; the inconsistency reads like a typo. Additionally, the collection includes the slang variant of a racial slur and several instances of profanity.
For the above reasons, I rate Discrepancies of the Brain 3 out of 4 stars. I recommend the thought-provoking anthology to fans of poetry. The Amazon listing suggests age 14 as the beginning recommended audience, but due to the language, parental discretion is advised.
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Discrepancies of the Brain
View: on Bookshelves
In the synopsis for the poetry collection, Discrepancies of the Brain, De’Jay writes: "To be at war with the mind is to be at war with life." The author expresses the desire that those who read the collection will "...begin to find peace; a sense of tranquility." The anthology is 135 pages, and its 53 poems traverse themes of identity, self-doubt, humility, beauty, joy, independence, love, anger, faith, peace, racial equality, and freedom.
Many poets deviate from conventional grammar as a matter of artistic style. However, one of my pet peeves regarding poetry is if the punctuation is all over the place. For example, if some stanzas are punctuated while others lack any punctuation, and particularly if poems are inconsistent with each other, the inconsistencies read more like errors rather than style. In contrast, I noted De'Jay's consistency; new stanza lines and names were capitalized while punctuation was omitted. I didn't count the author's stylized lack of punctuation as errors, but the number of other types of mistakes, including missing apostrophes and the use of "your" instead of "you're" required me to deduct a star.
De'Jay's writing features a clarity that is ideal for readers who may be new to poetry, but it also conveys depth that will appeal to aficionados. In the title poem, I like the author's emphasis on using "..the gifts that you were granted" and overcoming self-doubt. "Butterfly" presents a picturesque analogy between nature and the concept of starting "...to finish." In "Where is Love," readers will relate to De'Jay's heartfelt musings and longing. "My Window" is a darker poem portraying death as a person. In "Triangle of Love," De'Jay conveys the turmoil and conflicting emotions of trying to choose between two relationships. However, my favorite of the collection is "How Much Do I Trust in God." In this reflection, the author expresses self-frustration related to an occasional lack of faith.
On the other hand, in "Memories," the letter "w" is used twice in place of the word "with." I dislike the author's random use of texting slang; the inconsistency reads like a typo. Additionally, the collection includes the slang variant of a racial slur and several instances of profanity.
For the above reasons, I rate Discrepancies of the Brain 3 out of 4 stars. I recommend the thought-provoking anthology to fans of poetry. The Amazon listing suggests age 14 as the beginning recommended audience, but due to the language, parental discretion is advised.
******
Discrepancies of the Brain
View: on Bookshelves
