Human Wishes (American Poetry Series)
by Robert Hass
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 216)
Read in January, 1989
It's hard to believe it's been twenty years since I've encountered this book (have I been on the planet that long?). Hass's collection of prose poems are worth checking out if you're unfamiliar with contemporary poetry, and looking for something accessible. A Story About the Body is my definite favorite in the book: Check it out:
A Story About the Body
The young composer, working that summer at an artist's colony, had watched her for a week. She was Japanese, a painter, almost sixty, and ...more
A Story About the Body
The young composer, working that summer at an artist's colony, had watched her for a week. She was Japanese, a painter, almost sixty, and ...more
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Read in October, 2007
recommends it for:
anyone from northern california; anyone who, you know, cares about literature & its future
my boyfriend studied with robert haas in grad school. my dad lives in the same neighborhood as robert haas and keeps meeting him at uc berkeley lectures where they end up seated together. when my dad and my boyfriend met, they bonded by unceasingly talking about robert haas as "bob." this sounds slightly obnxious, but this book really, really, really makes you want to call robert haas "bob." It makes you want to sit on a porch in northern california with him and eat ma...more
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In these lush and intelligent poems, Robert Hass explores several human dichotomies, being most concerned with the chasm between what humans desire and what the reality of those realized desires is comparatively. He also investigates aging (“January,” 34-36), the contrast between suffering in the United States and the global view of suffering (“Museum,” 18), and the connectedness of the natural world and human actions (“Spring Rain,” 7-8, “Human Wishes,” 23). Hass is a tech...more
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Read in December, 2007
Well I hacen't read a Robert Hass book I think is perfect.
This one doesn't have the stretched-out, conversational, biographical poems of Sun Under Wood -- nothing like "Regalia For a Black Hat Dancer" or "English: an Ode" -- but it does have some buzzy, mysterious, beautiful, liquid-seeming poems; the whole last section of the book is incredible. Of the prose poems, "A Story About the Body" is unfortunately way far the best, although I still love "D
This one doesn't have the stretched-out, conversational, biographical poems of Sun Under Wood -- nothing like "Regalia For a Black Hat Dancer" or "English: an Ode" -- but it does have some buzzy, mysterious, beautiful, liquid-seeming poems; the whole last section of the book is incredible. Of the prose poems, "A Story About the Body" is unfortunately way far the best, although I still love "D
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This was a difficult read, but so worth it to me after I fought my way through it. Well worth reading about fifteen times (it's short, so that's not ridiculous). His experiments with prose poetry are fascinating and add a completely different dimension to the book.
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Read in October, 2002
Beautiful, devastating poetry. About the distances between people, experiences, perspectives. Poems I'll never forget: Privilege of Being, A Story About the Body, Paschal Lamb. I want to send my cut-off fingers to the shuddering angels
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recommends it for:
everyone
I love this book so much.
These lines run through my head all the time:
"...because desires do not split themselves up,
there is one desire, touching the many things,
and it is continuous."
-from "Natural Theology"
These lines run through my head all the time:
"...because desires do not split themselves up,
there is one desire, touching the many things,
and it is continuous."
-from "Natural Theology"
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I really like the prose poem where the artist leaves him the bowl of dead bees after his sexual rebuff.
That one was good.
But so much of this book is not good at all.
That one was good.
But so much of this book is not good at all.
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9 comments
your life is incomplete until you read "story about the body". i'm so fucking serious about this. read this with ripe peaches by an open window in your kitchen.
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recommended to Claire by:
Michael
Wonderful speculative tone. Beautiful prose poems (especially "A story about the body.")His poetry is subtly suggestive rather than preachy in any way.
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Read in January, 1994
the very first poem is my favorite but there are lots of highlights in this book. it's a nice, gentle read.
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Another master poet . . . My favortie poem in this book is entitled, "Privilege of Being.
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Read in June, 1998
One of the books I go back to over and over for its sheer beauty and thoughtfulness.
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Aaron bought me this from Alias Books--they didn't realize Hass had signed it!
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flirtatious approach to poetry. people also call it "californian."
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Read in January, 1995
recommends it for:
those who think their self was formed in kindergarten
The best book of poetry. Ever. Period. I know them all by heart.
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My first favorite book of poems.
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