Charles Simic has been one of my favorite poets since the early 1970s because of the way he looks at life and internalizes what he sees. His earlier poetry, I felt, was more energetic, but this last volume is more mature and somber, yet more accepting of life with a sense of humor.

In general, most of the poems are observances of images that catch the poet’s eye and his reactions to them. Some of the poems can be considered to be only descriptions; however, when the poet turns to personal rather than musing on the general, I find his words to be precious and captivating.

The book is divided into four sections. I was much impressed with the second poem in the first section, titled Seeing Things because it must be so personal, yet at the same time universal because it reflects an immigrant’s feelings, noticing his surroundings and reacting to them possibly for the first time. In the lines of To Boredom, “I am the child of rainy Sundays/ I watched time crawl/Like an injured fly/ Over the wet windowpane…” I felt the same deep sensitivity. In the same section, also, Fair Weather Friends and All Gone into the Dark carry a feeling of mourning or maybe a eulogy to one’s own life like several other poems in this book.

Section two, I think, is the darkest section as it has to do with war, misery, cruelty, or ennui. In this sense, The Night and the Cold is outstanding. On the other hand, the last two poems of this section, The Message and Birds Know, are less chilling.

Section three is a relief from section two’s gloom since its poems are more upbeat in comparison. Although a bit of a dark mood creeps in every now and then, the poems in this section show more of this poet’s inimitable sense of humor. Here, he is observing happier everyday scenes. As such, “The Saint” is a delight in which the poet’s beloved is likened to a saint who is trying to get rid of a mouse while she weeps.

Section four is the most philosophical section of all with the poet seeing the positive and the negative in his subjects and looking for a balance in between. Many a Holy Man is such a poem. Sometimes, the poet asks questions like in The Lifeboat, which I felt a kinship with as I did with Night Owls where some of us can be “Drawn and quartered/ Between body and soul.” Then, the last poem in the book, At Tender Mercy, begins with the observation of a street light and ends with the poet’s personal feelings or fear of the dark, which may possibly be death or ignorance.

Assessment of any poem is an individual process for each person. What makes these poems stand out for me are the brilliant, detailed images and this poet’s unique response to them.

how the poet noticed each tiny motion or image and built up on it.

is Charles Simic, the winner of the Pulitzer and many other prizes.

the poems in it emphasize the importance of a poet's noticing things.

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Created Dec 25, 2017 at 1:50pm • Submit your own review...