Review of she is a rare experience

MarisaRose · Post by **MarisaRose** » 09 Jul 2021, 08:45

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "she is a rare experience" by hemy new school poet.]

4 out of 4 stars

Share This Review

she is a rare experience is a work of contemporary poetry by hemy new school poet. The free-verse poetry focuses on exploring femininity and the female experience through the lens of the male poet. Essentially, the author seeks to connect with the female ethos and explore the depth and complexity of women. Through vivid prose, hemy explores a plethora of topics in an attempt to deeply understand the perspective of women. For example, spirituality, enlightenment, loss, angst, growth, ambition, and intimacy are just some themes explored in she is a rare experience. In the author’s apt words, this poetry acts as a “bohemian love song” to his muses.

Simplistic complexity is the best way to describe hemy’s work. Though she is a rare experience initially appears to be made up of easy, lyrical poetry, it quickly becomes clear that there is more substance and meaning to hemy’s words. For example, there is no concrete separation of poems, which adds curiosity, fluidity, and depth to the story being told: The work could be considered one long poem, or it could be considered a collection of many short poems. The poetry could be about one woman or many women. Similarly, the male lens through which the prose is written adds a mysterious element to the work, as the author seeks to understand the female world but can never quite grasp the experience in full.

This poetry is a delightful treat for readers who enjoy opulent vocabulary. Each word appears to have been thoughtfully selected, and the poet’s penchant for less-common language adds to the ambiance and curiosity of the poetry. The expert use of vocabulary is one aspect that really makes this contemporary poetry stand out from the genre. I was elated by the way hemy uses words to evoke emotion and a sense of place. For example, “traducian soul,” “audacious platitudes,” and “parlous, caliginous nights” are just a taste of the words one can expect to encounter in this stylistically motivated work.

Similarly, the entirety of she is a rare experience is a work of art. From the beautiful prose to the thoughtful selection and placement of each word and comma, the author takes the reader through a cogent journey of his experiences with and feelings about the female psyche. For example, formatting is a key factor in this reading journey. Each word is placed strategically so the poetry mimics arches and curves that could be associated with the female form. The feminine curves of the poetry create a liquid continuity within the narrative, mirroring the author’s fluid perspective about his muse, or muses.

Overall, she is a rare experience is a unique treat for poetry lovers. I thoroughly relished the majority of this book. However, the book did feel slightly repetitive in places. A more concise version of this work might have made for a more impactful read. Despite this one negative aspect, the thoughtful prose, formatting, and vocabulary work exceptionally well and lead me to rate she is a rare experience 4 out of 4 stars. However, the book is clearly not for everyone. Readers who enjoy contemporary poetry with interesting and less-common vocabulary are sure to find hemy’s work engaging, but I do not recommend this book to readers who prefer more standard poetry.

******
she is a rare experience
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Ailakhu Yusau Aizhebiomon · Post by **Ailakhu Yusau Aizhebiomon** » 11 Jul 2021, 01:51

Understanding feminism through the thought and idea of a man sounds like something unique. I hope the writer did justice to it by touching every area and perspective of feminism. Though I'm not a huge fan of poems and poetry I would like to read some sections of the book to gain more insight into feminism.

maggi3 · Post by **maggi3** » 11 Jul 2021, 01:52

I admit, I am very skeptical of a book of poetry designed to "understand" women, especially through a male gaze. However, it helps that the author acknowledges he can never truly know what it is like to be a woman, and I am intrigued by his unique word choice and the form of his work. I might give this one a try. Thanks for the review!

Edria Dayyinah · Post by **Edria Dayyinah** » 11 Jul 2021, 05:16

Wow! Everything you stated really reminds me of Rupi Kaur. From reading your review, I can kinda visualise that the poems are more towards ‘modern poetry’ and can agree that not everyone might enjoy that genre

NISSE · Post by **NISSE** » 11 Jul 2021, 06:54

As you have very correctly pointed out, this book will not be everybody's cup of tea. Nevertheless, it is heartening to note that there are lot of educational aspects of this collection of poems. Great review!

Sara chhawniwala · Post by **Sara chhawniwala** » 11 Jul 2021, 07:03

female world through the lenses of men! I must read it. it will also enhance my vocabulary.

Vincy Collins · Post by **Vincy Collins** » 11 Jul 2021, 08:27

Am thrown to depth and I want study this,"She is a rare experience".I want to go deeply to discover what feminine need and want.I hope that this book with nature man to be good understanding and give them knowledge as women are concerned.

Shiwang Sourav · Post by **Shiwang Sourav** » 12 Jul 2021, 07:02

I, after reading this review, have started to think that was it a review or the poem itself. Going to read it again and thank you so much Marisa for this wonderful format you have presented to the beginner reviewers (I am a beginner too).

Wesusa · Post by **Wesusa** » 12 Jul 2021, 16:22

Great Job! I found myself really invested with the book being presented, and I will check it out soon, despite having little interest in poetry.

Aarti Jha · Post by **Aarti Jha** » 16 Jul 2021, 21:30

The cover page of the book is so beautiful. I might read this one some day, the content seems to be really enriching. Thank you for your review!

FaithOre_97 · Post by **FaithOre_97** » 21 Jul 2021, 10:40

Wonderfully written

. I'm new to this and this review seems to me to be a work of art itself.. The book is definitely an interesting concept, kudos to the poet. And thanks to you, reviewer!

the_ashfeathers · Post by **the_ashfeathers** » 22 Jul 2021, 02:15

The book cover is an absolute beauty, it drew me in at first glimpse. The review makes me want to read it so bad, the book seems as if it were a piece of art, I love poetry and this book surely goes to my bookshelf.

Loveen Kalya · Post by **Loveen Kalya** » 03 Aug 2021, 03:42

Thoughtfully selected words and less common language in poetry seems interesting. I'd love to challenge my curiosity by reading this poem, especially since it's of a man's point of view of the woman. Thank you for the review.