In this compilation of older and newer poems, Strand demonstrates his mastery of cadence and narrative style.
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Dec 16, 2009
Alexis
rated it: 
I don't remember if the following two poems are contained in this 1980 collection of poems by Strand but they should suffice as evidence of why this volume, any volume of Strand's poetry, is worth your time.
"Keeping Things Whole"
In a field
I am the absence
of field.
This is
always the case.
Wherever I am
I am what is missing.
When I walk
I part the air
and always
the air moves in
to fill the s More...
"Keeping Things Whole"
In a field
I am the absence
of field.
This is
always the case.
Wherever I am
I am what is missing.
When I walk
I part the air
and always
the air moves in
to fill the s More...
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Sep 15, 2010
Dawn
rated it: 
I picked up Mark Strand because Misty said that he and Jimmy wrote similarly. Jimmy, it's true. He can write very simple, very quiet, very understated poems. The themes like absence/presence and time are very clear and done very well. However, there's one marked difference. Strand does not have a sense of humor. This guy is very very sad. His poems are constantly about 'death' or 'nothing' or 'stillness.' The poems seem to slow everything down. The stories are not really stories. Even when he's
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Apr 20, 2010
Jenny
rated it: 
Includes some of my favorites, published the year he was selected as the Poet Laureate, now 20 years ago!
I loved Eating Poetry with the foot-stamping librarian, The Room, Lines for Winter, and of course - The Remains and Coming to This, two of my favorites.
I loved Eating Poetry with the foot-stamping librarian, The Room, Lines for Winter, and of course - The Remains and Coming to This, two of my favorites.
Jul 21, 2010
Dan
rated it:
Some of my favorite poems are in this book. Plain and almost childlike in language at times, with whimsical lines that pound you in the gut. Highly recommended for fans of contemporary poetry.
Jan 10, 2008
Rick
rated it:
There is a 2004 date on the title page but all the poems contained herein are from no later than 1980 so I think this is a simple re-issue of the 1980 Selected Poems. I liked the most recent poems the best and got lost in the middle when craft and a detached abstractness seemed to dominate his work. All his poems have the precision of a still-life painter, like Cezanne, and sound good when read aloud. But only a few stay with you past the last syllable read aloud. “The Story of Our Lives,” “The
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Dec 21, 2011
Stephen
rated it:
"The Prediction" is by far my favorite poem of the last fifty years. Deceptively simple and haunting...the image of the moon turning the lake to milk is brilliant!
Jan 19, 2008
Robert
rated it:
Every couple of years I go back and read Strand. I open the book at random and read a poem once, twice, sometime three times and then put down the book. A day or so passes, I pick up the book again. Simple words, simple images that strike each other like piece of flint and a spark becomes a flame and sometimes you understand both what it is to be warmed by fire and set afire.
May 20, 2008
Emm
rated it:
Keeping Things Whole
In a field
I am the absence
of field.
This is
always the case.
Wherever I am
I am what is missing.
When I walk
I part the air
and always
the air moves in
to fill the spaces
where my body's been.
We all have reasons
for moving.
I move
to keep things whole.
(I also really liked "For Jessica, My Daughter")
In a field
I am the absence
of field.
This is
always the case.
Wherever I am
I am what is missing.
When I walk
I part the air
and always
the air moves in
to fill the spaces
where my body's been.
We all have reasons
for moving.
I move
to keep things whole.
(I also really liked "For Jessica, My Daughter")
Aug 08, 2007
henry
rated it:
a good, solid collection. a very plain-spoken, straightforward poet in terms of language, but he has to be because the poems get weirder and weirder, so weirding up the language would be confusing. a good one, not great.
Oct 29, 2008
Mary Lynn
rated it:
Amazing collection. Simple language, profound insight. "Black Maps" and "Courtship" alone are worth more than double the cover price of the whole book.
May 22, 2008
People here seem to like him...I need to find out what the hype is all about...
Feb 08, 2012
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