Review of Always Sunshine Yellow
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John Owen
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Review of Always Sunshine Yellow
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Always Sunshine Yellow" by Anna Maria Gray.]
Divided into three captivating sections, "Always Sunshine Yellow" by Anna Maria Gray is a collection of poems that explore themes of faith, resilience, love, and more. In the opening section, "Faith and Hope," the poems resonate with a profound connection to God, celebrating His transformative power. In the second section, "Lessons and Resilience," the poems delve into the hardships women endure in "Two," explore the difficulty of trust after betrayal in "Belief," and also touch on many other themes. In the final section, "Love and Family," the focus shifts to intimate and personal relationships. "With You" captures the essence of love, appreciating the transformative power of being with a beloved, and there are poems dedicated to specific individuals, such as "I See You" and "Live On," conveying heartfelt sentiments to loved ones, including the persona's grandma and others.
Out of all the poems, I love "Dear Shame" the most. This poem stands out as a powerful proclamation of liberation, as the persona rejects the shackles of shame, recounting its insidious infiltration into their thoughts and its damaging effects on self-worth. It is not the only lovely poem, though. Many are deep, insightful, and wittily constructed. For example, "Purpose" is notably short—with just four words—but it poignantly and powerfully asserts that purpose can collapse time, which, upon reflection, is much deeper than it appears to be. Most poems are a tapestry of emotions and reflections with exceptionally skillful weaving, making them not only enjoyable to read but also impactful and thought-provoking. Most of the poems in the first section, such as "Quenched" and "Gifts," made me view God in a new perspective. I also saw the world differently through the author's experiences and perspective, as seen in the poem "Margins," where the persona says, "The best things in life are often in the margins...where we are blessed, the call of our lives answered...to fulfill His (God's) purpose for us."
I don't have any major complaints or dislikes, but in the poem "Two," I feel the persona isn't very realistic. The poem implies "She versus He" inequality that is outdated in the modern world. Nowadays, both boys and girls, as well as men and women, have equal responsibilities, and the poem comes across as over-generalizing in this regard. This is a personal view, though. The other minor issue is that the personal pronoun "I" has been written in small letters so many times. I wasn't able to list it as an error because poems have poetic license, but since it is capitalized in some poems, it knocks out a star in my final rating of 4 out of 5 stars. I do think the book is meticulously edited because this did not affect the flow. I think this is among the wonderful books I've purchased, and I highly recommend it to lovers of poetry.
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Always Sunshine Yellow
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Divided into three captivating sections, "Always Sunshine Yellow" by Anna Maria Gray is a collection of poems that explore themes of faith, resilience, love, and more. In the opening section, "Faith and Hope," the poems resonate with a profound connection to God, celebrating His transformative power. In the second section, "Lessons and Resilience," the poems delve into the hardships women endure in "Two," explore the difficulty of trust after betrayal in "Belief," and also touch on many other themes. In the final section, "Love and Family," the focus shifts to intimate and personal relationships. "With You" captures the essence of love, appreciating the transformative power of being with a beloved, and there are poems dedicated to specific individuals, such as "I See You" and "Live On," conveying heartfelt sentiments to loved ones, including the persona's grandma and others.
Out of all the poems, I love "Dear Shame" the most. This poem stands out as a powerful proclamation of liberation, as the persona rejects the shackles of shame, recounting its insidious infiltration into their thoughts and its damaging effects on self-worth. It is not the only lovely poem, though. Many are deep, insightful, and wittily constructed. For example, "Purpose" is notably short—with just four words—but it poignantly and powerfully asserts that purpose can collapse time, which, upon reflection, is much deeper than it appears to be. Most poems are a tapestry of emotions and reflections with exceptionally skillful weaving, making them not only enjoyable to read but also impactful and thought-provoking. Most of the poems in the first section, such as "Quenched" and "Gifts," made me view God in a new perspective. I also saw the world differently through the author's experiences and perspective, as seen in the poem "Margins," where the persona says, "The best things in life are often in the margins...where we are blessed, the call of our lives answered...to fulfill His (God's) purpose for us."
I don't have any major complaints or dislikes, but in the poem "Two," I feel the persona isn't very realistic. The poem implies "She versus He" inequality that is outdated in the modern world. Nowadays, both boys and girls, as well as men and women, have equal responsibilities, and the poem comes across as over-generalizing in this regard. This is a personal view, though. The other minor issue is that the personal pronoun "I" has been written in small letters so many times. I wasn't able to list it as an error because poems have poetic license, but since it is capitalized in some poems, it knocks out a star in my final rating of 4 out of 5 stars. I do think the book is meticulously edited because this did not affect the flow. I think this is among the wonderful books I've purchased, and I highly recommend it to lovers of poetry.
******
Always Sunshine Yellow
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Harmony in chaos. It's all a matter of perspective.
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Kirui Collins
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I love poetry. They make me think to get the interpretation.
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