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The Second Blush
Popular poet and author of the acclaimed memoir Paradise Piece by Piece, Molly Peacock tracks the vicissitudes of midlife marriage in her saucy, vulnerable, philosophical sixth collection, her first to be published in Canada. These lyrical, playful, moving poems focus on illuminating the territory of relationships, while always revolving around the deeper questions about h...more
Paperback, 88 pages
Published
March 3rd 2009
by McClelland & Stewart
(first published June 2nd 2008)
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Molly Peacock, The Second Blush (in The Brooklyn Rail)
(W.W. Norton, 2008)
Begin again. Be true. Hold on and hold dear. That’s what The Second Blush is about. Molly Peacock dedicates this one to her husband. The two teenage sweethearts were swept apart by circumstances only to rejoin in midlife.
Based on the domestic, the poems also glisten with mythic traces. Rain bejewels a leaf. Broken dishes, housecats and painted toes share the pages with a masturbating gargoyle and the “throne of fear.”
Peacoc...more
(W.W. Norton, 2008)
Begin again. Be true. Hold on and hold dear. That’s what The Second Blush is about. Molly Peacock dedicates this one to her husband. The two teenage sweethearts were swept apart by circumstances only to rejoin in midlife.
Based on the domestic, the poems also glisten with mythic traces. Rain bejewels a leaf. Broken dishes, housecats and painted toes share the pages with a masturbating gargoyle and the “throne of fear.”
Peacoc...more
A wonderful variety of forms awaits you in addition to snippets from life about the things women care about more. Things like grandmother's rocking chair and cats and scars and that broken tea cup that won't be raised again, ever - even if you live to be a hundred. I like that sonnets are still her primary form but like good recipes, an extra shake or two or a little less doesn't phase the spread.
My copy of this book is signed as Molly was at the National Book Festival in 2008. At the festival,...more
My copy of this book is signed as Molly was at the National Book Festival in 2008. At the festival,...more
I have loved Ms. Peacock's poetry from the first time I started reading it--the book "Original Love"--and this book, although written years later, is almost as good as my first experience. Ms. Peacock writes predominantly free verse, but she makes amazing use of end rhyme. It's almost a hybrid of free and formal verse. Just lovely.
Jan 23, 2009
Paul (formerly known as Current)
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2009
A competent book of poetry, but not one that particularly captured me either thematically, stylistically, or with any special language. I do like the book's title which manages to capture a number of the themes in its simplicity.
A discussion of fear and love and worry and other people ("How little I know of how human beings work.") and a wonderful take on Roethke's The Waking. I look forward to reading this again and finding things new nuggets of subtle wisdom.
Dec 29, 2010
Marie-France Boissonneault
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
work
Check out my review at http://vetmedandlit.blogspot.com/2010...
Of course I loved this book. "Confession" is my favorite poem in it. I can't wait to read it again.
There are 2 poems in this collection I really liked. Comtemporary style. It's worth a read.
Like reading song lyrics. I read many of these poems more than once, thinking "Wow!"
I was going to begin my meager review of this book with 'ick' but that's so immature. But Molly takes on the blessed task of getting out some formal poetry - sonnets, rhymes, rhythms and what not. It's just not my bag so I had a very hard time enjoying it. So much so, that I wasn't able to enjoy it at all. : ( Molly was the first poet I ever worked with and she and her work were so encouraging so I've been following her rise in the poetry world (yes there IS a poetry world!)
This book was actually better than some Collins I've read. And that is certainly saying something. Collins is simply beautiful . . . Molly Peacock's poems are deeper, but remarkable. I don't like poetry that is SO "deep" it's inaccessible to the reader. But I love poetry that allows for various interpretations so that the reader can make it their own.
She was my teacher at SUNY-Binghamton. She had a generosity of spirit. These poems fit my life now as she writes about her marriage after so many years.
Update: We went to hear Molly read last night 2/10/2011. She was witty and funny. The poetry was great.
Update: We went to hear Molly read last night 2/10/2011. She was witty and funny. The poetry was great.
Jul 22, 2008
Lindsay
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
poetry,
books-to-keep-me-sane
What a delightful bit of poetry. I believe something like this anthology would be the product of Billy Collins and Georgia O'Keeffe trapped in the same brain.
poems.....so-so
Dec 08, 2012
Erin
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
poetry,
some-of-my-favourites
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Molly Peacock has published several books of poetry, including Cornucopia: New and Selected Poems, and a memoir, Paradise, Piece by Piece. She has been the president of the Poetry Society of America and poet-in-residence at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. Her poems appear in leading publications and anthologies, including The Best American Poetry and The Oxford Book of American Poetry...more
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