OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Poems of Massachusetts" by Dr. Jeffrey Lant.]

The book Poems of Massachusetts by Jeffrey Lant is a book of poetry primarily set in the author’s hometown. It provides a historical outlook into the state of Massachusetts as well as Lant’s life growing up there. The poems entwine the two aspects to create a profound reading experience. This book also includes Christian metaphors and symbols. All of this makes for an exciting reading experience.

Throughout this book, Lant expertly combines the historical aspects of Massachusetts and ties them to his own experience growing up in the state. He uses the state’s history as a metaphor for his own life as a child and adult. Lant takes advantage of the many stories that the state holds, especially the most famous ones, such as the Salem Witch Trials. This inclusion of history shows how well read and researched he is about his state. The Christian allegories that many of the poems contain add another layer of depth to this book. It provides the readers with an even greater understanding of the author and his experiences.

I enjoyed this book for the most part. While I am not the biggest poetry fan, it was admirable how well Lant tied the history of Massachusetts to his own life. His usage of history shows how much he learned from studying the subject in school. It was great to see him use both his school knowledge and his longtime passion for writing to come up with such a great overall piece. The poems do a good job of showcasing Lant’s own struggles growing up. Through history, metaphors and analogies, he shows his readers the lessons he learned during his life. He also details his struggle to balance his passion with practicality. The profound metaphorical content helps give a better understanding of the author as a person, not just a writer. All of the poems provide a personal experience for both the readers and the author.

Overall, the book was very well-written. I didn’t catch many grammatical mistakes at all. It was clear to me that the author took the time to thoroughly edit this book. It was also very well-researched. My only criticism is the length of some of the poems. It was sometimes difficult to stay engaged while reading the longer poems. They were a little too detailed for my liking, which made them drag on for longer than seemed necessary. My suggestion would be to cut out some of the details in those poems. It is sometimes better to include less writing and allow the readers to fill in the gaps with their own thoughts and imaginations.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. It was, all in all, a pleasant reading experience. The historical and Christian content was excellent. The author did a great job detailing his life experience through those aspects. If not for some of the lengthier poems, I would have rated this book a 4 out of 4. I recommend this book to fans of poetry and history, especially anyone who would love to read a mix of the two. I wouldn’t recommend it to people who don’t enjoy poetry nor like overly detailed writing pieces.

******
Poems of Massachusetts
View: on Bookshelves

Like Mely918's review? Post a comment saying so!

I am neither a fan of poems nor hiatory, but I would enjoy reading about the author's struggles and lessons he learned growing up. Nice review!

I certainly don't know much about Massachusetts. A collection of poetry centered on the author's life there sounds fun, but I just am not able to get into poetry. Glad that you enjoyed it, though.

I don't usually enjoy poetry, but your high praise for the way the author includes history and Christian themes in his poems has me intrigued. I enjoyed your thorough analysis of the author's writing style. Thanks for your fascinating review.

I am not naturally attracted to poetic pieces or historical recaps but I did enjoy reading your review.

I’m really attached to poetry and enjoy reading your review.

I usually don't enjoy overly detailed writing pieces. But it mostly depends on the writing style of the author. If it's interesting enough, I'll keep reading. So, I have to check this book out to be sure whether I'd like it or not. Other than that, the contents seemed to be interesting. Thanks for the thorough review.

This seems like an interesting piece. Thank you for your honest review.

Poetry is not for me. So, I should not pick this one.

I sometimes hesitate about picking up a poetry book, because I'm not a native English speaker and lyrical language can be hard to grasp. But I'm quite a history lover, so this one seems very interesting.
Thank you for your great review!

Thanks for an insightful review! It sounds like this is a very unique collection although I'm not sure it's my cup of tea. Although i enjoy reading poetry, I don't particularly like long poems. They tend to drag along.

I enjoy poetry,it expresses many aspects of life, it expresses things one has seen,and done, poetry,can be soothing to the soul, I just love it

Though I wouldn't mind learning something on Massachusetts and seeing some of the author's struggles growing up,but poetry is not my strong point. In fact, I am amazed you can review it so well. Congratulations!