Review of Poetically Conscious
Posted: 16 Oct 2021, 12:33
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Poetically Conscious" by AR Brown.]
Poetically Conscious is a collection of eighty-nine poems written by AR Brown. In these lyrics, the reader views the world through the eyes of a shy, loving, mostly optimistic, thankful human being.
This thirty-something poet shares her thoughts on aspects of her life that are like many her age: mourning the loss of her grandmother, an important figure in her childhood, dealing with the anxiety of social distancing during a pandemic, feeling vulnerable and in love, and wondering about the future. She weighs the tenuous nature of being an adult while learning how to become an adult.
I enjoyed the ageless words of encouragement and hope the author offered in this read. Two entries emerged as my favorites. “Heavy Heart” conveys her empathy for a person feeling unwanted, hated, and broken-hearted. She senses their sadness and anger. She then offers a prayer that this person would heal by recognizing the convergence of beauty and ugliness in life that serves to help one grow. Through her words, I could sense the authenticity that can only come from someone who has experienced that very thing. “Song 2Sing” is a short poem that simply gives the reader permission to belt their song, their particular song to sing in life, at the top of their lungs. It made me smile and almost sing.
Brown seamlessly shares all facets of her being, including her Christian faith, lesbian lifestyle, experiences with racism as an African American, recreational “weed” consumption, and addiction issues of her friends. They are as much a fabric of her poetry as they are of her life.
As with any collection of work, I did not connect with every poem, but I enjoyed the poet’s resiliency and respect for life present in each verse. The only negative aspect was that I found over ten grammatical errors; therefore, I must deduct a star from my rating. The errors were mainly issues with verb form, and they did not affect my enjoyment of this work. Brown has a free-flowing style that invites the reader to inhale as many words as possible in one breath, digest them, and repeat the process. The verb errors were not noticeable because they did not affect the essence of the meaning inhaled.
I rate Poetically Conscious 3 out of 4 stars, deducting 1 star for the grammatical errors mentioned previously. The read contains no erotic content and minimal profanity. The topics in this collection reflect the concerns of early adulthood and would resonate best with readers 20 to 40 years old. However, poetry lovers of any age would appreciate the author’s reflections on universal struggles.
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Poetically Conscious
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Poetically Conscious is a collection of eighty-nine poems written by AR Brown. In these lyrics, the reader views the world through the eyes of a shy, loving, mostly optimistic, thankful human being.
This thirty-something poet shares her thoughts on aspects of her life that are like many her age: mourning the loss of her grandmother, an important figure in her childhood, dealing with the anxiety of social distancing during a pandemic, feeling vulnerable and in love, and wondering about the future. She weighs the tenuous nature of being an adult while learning how to become an adult.
I enjoyed the ageless words of encouragement and hope the author offered in this read. Two entries emerged as my favorites. “Heavy Heart” conveys her empathy for a person feeling unwanted, hated, and broken-hearted. She senses their sadness and anger. She then offers a prayer that this person would heal by recognizing the convergence of beauty and ugliness in life that serves to help one grow. Through her words, I could sense the authenticity that can only come from someone who has experienced that very thing. “Song 2Sing” is a short poem that simply gives the reader permission to belt their song, their particular song to sing in life, at the top of their lungs. It made me smile and almost sing.
Brown seamlessly shares all facets of her being, including her Christian faith, lesbian lifestyle, experiences with racism as an African American, recreational “weed” consumption, and addiction issues of her friends. They are as much a fabric of her poetry as they are of her life.
As with any collection of work, I did not connect with every poem, but I enjoyed the poet’s resiliency and respect for life present in each verse. The only negative aspect was that I found over ten grammatical errors; therefore, I must deduct a star from my rating. The errors were mainly issues with verb form, and they did not affect my enjoyment of this work. Brown has a free-flowing style that invites the reader to inhale as many words as possible in one breath, digest them, and repeat the process. The verb errors were not noticeable because they did not affect the essence of the meaning inhaled.
I rate Poetically Conscious 3 out of 4 stars, deducting 1 star for the grammatical errors mentioned previously. The read contains no erotic content and minimal profanity. The topics in this collection reflect the concerns of early adulthood and would resonate best with readers 20 to 40 years old. However, poetry lovers of any age would appreciate the author’s reflections on universal struggles.
******
Poetically Conscious
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
