Here Is My Heart: Love Poems

by William Jay Smith (Compiler)

A varied collection of poems celebrates love, the most universal of emotions, and is enhanced with delicate watercolor paintings by the award-winning illustrator of Animal Crackers, a vellum jacket, and a red ribbon marker.

47 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1999

About the author

William Jay Smith was an American poet. He was appointed the nineteenth Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1968 to 1970.

Reviews

[Beverly]

The blurb calls love an emotion. But love is not an emotion, love is action: 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (from
1 Corinthians 13). Love is not part of affection, but affection is part of love. Affection is the emotion.

[Michelle]

Michelle Kwait
Poetry

(SPOILER ALERT... sort of)

Summary:

This book seems to informally section itself through the various subcategories of love: for example, poems that are about Valentine's Day are grouped together. The accompanying illustrations are soft and playful, following the happy theme of the book itself, laced with quotes. A quick, simple read that focuses on the uplifting, versus the tragic emotions love can bring.

Critique:

The illustrations are extremely pretty, but would seem to appeal more to children than the modern young adult. The poems are simple, but faithful to the subject of love-- some from Frost, some from the author, and some from anonymous poets.