Review of Poem In Stained Glass

[Kelsey Fulton]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Poem In Stained Glass" by David Andrews.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Poet David Andrews warns that his book Poem in Stained Glass is not for the faint of heart, and I agree wholeheartedly with this sentiment. It is a collection of deep philosophical musings structured as poetry in verse. Although Andrews clarifies in the preface that his poems are more tangible in nature, I felt that many of them were abstract, as they involved more thought and reflection.

This book contains 58 numbered poems and touches on many themes, among them love, jealousy, drunkenness, writing, and human nature. Many of the poems were relatively short, averaging about half a standard page, with a few exceptions of longer works. Characters such as Blackbeard and Odysseus briefly make appearances to describe larger concepts, such as life and affection. Some poems have a central message, while others present opposing concepts. "Bluebell, She's a Poem in Stained Glass," for example, contrasts the loveliness of the subject with the dirtiness of the narrator. My favorite poem in the collection was "all's also in the empty," mainly because its use of intentional language concisely captured dichotomous feelings of irritation and love, fullness and emptiness.

I am a strong advocate of the power of language, so the best part of this book for me was the wordplay. Phrases such as "in memory's amber" (in "There is a Lamppost") and "permanence of vehemence" (in "Making the Still Life Noisy") stood out as poetically pleasing. In almost every poem, I found myself consulting the dictionary to fully understand various words, phrases, and meanings. I appreciated this learning aspect of the book, but not all readers, poets included, will enjoy this level of involvement. Those with extensive vocabularies may have an easier time reading without frequent starts and stops.

My least favorite part of this book was the subjective lack of visualization and emotion. Perhaps my imagination isn't expansive enough, but I found it very difficult to connect with the poems in a way that I could see, hear, and feel. In fact, the reading itself had very little impact on me. One poem that stands out as an exception is "Desperation," in which the narrator describes himself as a crazy man following a woman down the street. This work embodies its title in its tone, language, and punctuation, with the inclusion of quick phrases and clearly desperate actions. For the most part, however, much of my experience with this book involved attempting to figure out what Andrews was trying to say rather than enjoying the poetry for what it was.

Poem in Stained Glass has a very niche audience. As mentioned, readers who have wide vocabularies or who love learning new words will find this book to be an active, fulfilling read. Those who enjoy philosophical and intellectual contemplations may also enjoy it. Readers who want sensational poetry or an exciting tale, on the other hand, will not likely enjoy this book. There is some profanity and very mild sexual content. Fortunately, the work is impeccably edited, as I found no errors. I rate Poem in Stained Glass 2 out of 4 stars. It is not a work that particularly touched me or that I will read again, but one that others may appreciate.

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Poem In Stained Glass
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[Kakrodl 7708]

Yes this is the best Book written by David Andrews and this book gives my mind barriers to board and I am very happy to read this book and this book is on philosophy and 58 poems in this some related to romance

[Elenimo Chembe]

I really love the idea of deep philosophical musings structured in a poetry style. I used to write stuff like that and I think I would enjoy this book. Thanks for the review.

[Waliyat_24]

This book sounds complex to me. I think I’ll pass on this, and leave it to philosophy lovers.

[Chinenye Achilike]

Poems are not a good read for me because I often don't understand them. Having a book load of them is a no-no for me. Thanks for the review though.

[Eze Michael]

Writing about natural things like love, jeopardy, jealousy, and human nature can be fascinating. I'd love to read the author's work. Thanks for your honest review.