Official Review: From Parkinson’s To A Poet
Posted: 22 Feb 2018, 14:01
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "From Parkinson’s To A Poet" by Melody Eddins.]
3 out of 4 stars
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Poetry is powerful. Poetry is passion on paper. Poetry can be therapeutic. But most of all, poetry is personal. In Melody Eddins’ book From Parkinson’s to a Poet, her poems are all these things.
From Parkinson’s to a Poet is a collection of 36 poems divided unevenly into four sections: faith, family, creation/nature, and special people and places. Eddins was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2011, and because of the disease, had to retire four years after her diagnosis. According to her biography, she began to write poetry as a way to practice her language and vocabulary skills.
The poems cover topics perfectly described by their section titles. Eddins took experiences from her own life, stories she heard from others, and the experiences of people in her life and used them as inspiration. While most of Eddins’ poems use long lines, there are some that use shorter lines. She also employs the standard end-line rhyme in all of the poems though at times she throws in a few slant rhymes.
While I enjoyed most of the poems, sometimes the rhyme scheme made the lines and poems predictable. There were other times when the poem could have been written so that the reader could dig out a message for themselves, but Eddins instead chose to flat out tell the reader what the message was. As I said before, poetry is personal and does not always adhere to the usual rules of punctuation. Because of this, I tried to overlook anything that could be considered as an error, but there was the rare spacing issuing, one misspelled word, and a poem that I felt shifted too much in its verb tense.
I rate this book a 3 out of 4 stars. This is a very subjective rating. I loved the poems about creation/nature and special people and places more than the others. Someone who likes poetry, especially about faith, family, and life would enjoy this collection. My two favorite poems (“Silence” and “Walking with Parkinson’s Disease”) are told from the perspective of a person who is different from others and tries to help readers understand them better. I would have liked to read more poems like those two. I think that this book appeals to those who like poetry and also to current Parkinson’s patients and their caregivers. I did enjoy this collection, and I am glad to have had the chance to read it.
******
From Parkinson’s To A Poet
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Poetry is powerful. Poetry is passion on paper. Poetry can be therapeutic. But most of all, poetry is personal. In Melody Eddins’ book From Parkinson’s to a Poet, her poems are all these things.
From Parkinson’s to a Poet is a collection of 36 poems divided unevenly into four sections: faith, family, creation/nature, and special people and places. Eddins was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2011, and because of the disease, had to retire four years after her diagnosis. According to her biography, she began to write poetry as a way to practice her language and vocabulary skills.
The poems cover topics perfectly described by their section titles. Eddins took experiences from her own life, stories she heard from others, and the experiences of people in her life and used them as inspiration. While most of Eddins’ poems use long lines, there are some that use shorter lines. She also employs the standard end-line rhyme in all of the poems though at times she throws in a few slant rhymes.
While I enjoyed most of the poems, sometimes the rhyme scheme made the lines and poems predictable. There were other times when the poem could have been written so that the reader could dig out a message for themselves, but Eddins instead chose to flat out tell the reader what the message was. As I said before, poetry is personal and does not always adhere to the usual rules of punctuation. Because of this, I tried to overlook anything that could be considered as an error, but there was the rare spacing issuing, one misspelled word, and a poem that I felt shifted too much in its verb tense.
I rate this book a 3 out of 4 stars. This is a very subjective rating. I loved the poems about creation/nature and special people and places more than the others. Someone who likes poetry, especially about faith, family, and life would enjoy this collection. My two favorite poems (“Silence” and “Walking with Parkinson’s Disease”) are told from the perspective of a person who is different from others and tries to help readers understand them better. I would have liked to read more poems like those two. I think that this book appeals to those who like poetry and also to current Parkinson’s patients and their caregivers. I did enjoy this collection, and I am glad to have had the chance to read it.
******
From Parkinson’s To A Poet
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Christina O Phillips's review? Post a comment saying so!
