Review of Flower and Other Poems

[Ivana Tomaš]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Flower and Other Poems" by Cainneach Rua.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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Flower and Other Poems by Cainneach Rua is a collection of poems in which the author writes about many different topics. The poems intertwine themes of faith, religion, friendship, love, family, nature, nostalgia, melancholy, and encouragement. Each poem is relatively equal in length; it is written without a solid and established form and is imbued with specific emotions. Likewise, certain Irish saints and towns are mentioned in some poems, and the religious motifs of the Virgin Mary and Jesus are mentioned a couple of times.

This collection of poems blends various themes, motives, ideas, and emotions. Most of all, I like the poems about nature and those that encourage and raise the morale of the reader. First of all, I would single out a poem called "Cope," which shows various ways in which people deal with their difficulties; here, the author encourages the reader to go and push forward and not give up. As for nature, I really liked the poem "A Windy Day by the Sea," in which the author skilfully and lyrically describes sea motifs. On the other hand, "Rain in the Morning" gives a feeling of melancholy but, at the same time, the warmth and comfort of home during the rain. I also respect that Irish identity is incorporated in a lot of the verses. The reader can get to know some Irish legends, Irish saints, and cities, giving the whole book a touch of authenticity. Besides, I like that there are footnotes that explain who certain people mentioned in the poems are or what certain terms mean.

On the other hand, some factors bothered me. First of all, some pages are numbered, and some are not. The same applies to punctuation marks. While some poems have them, some do not have them at all. Likewise, I'm not a fan of the fact that there are too many different motives and themes in the book; there is nothing specific on which the book is based. It is difficult to summarize the book and recommend it to a target group of people. Also, some poems are divided into stanzas, and some are not; there is no strict form in the organization of the text. I would also like to emphasize that some poems are a bit unclear, at least according to my subjective experience. In some of them, I didn't know what the poet wanted to say or what the purpose of certain lines was.

Overall, I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars. The reasons for the somewhat lower rating refer to the previously mentioned negative aspects and the fact that I didn't like all the poems. Correspondingly, the structure and layout of poems are not ideal, in my opinion. However, there were no errors in the book.

I recommend this collection primarily to those who like to read poetry. If you don't mind a lot of motifs and themes in one book, and if you like free verse and an unrestricted way of expressing your thoughts, then you might like this book.

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Flower and Other Poems
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[Jydel]

I think the beauty of poetry is in the uniqueness. Similarly, one has to appreciate that inspiration can come from anywhere hence the variety in subject and format. Except for the part where the reviewer says is unclear, I think I would love Flower and Other Poems. i must say the review is quiet detailed, kudos!

[Stephanie Stones]

This is an interesting and well thought of review. I would love to try out this book and know more about the fascinating things in it. This is an interesting storyline.

[Elina Tshabalala]

The cover looks cute! The topics covered are so diverse, most readers will find a poem or two to relate with.

[Meghan Soderholm]

Thank you for sharing your honest review! As a poetry stickler, I am also critical of the structure and themes of poetry, so I appreciated your honesty! Excellent review.