River Inside the River: Poems

by Gregory Orr

Three gorgeous poetic sequences that combine the intensity of lyric with the thematic scope and range of narrative and myth.

From the acclaimed American poet whose work the San Francisco Review called "mystical, carnal, reflective, wry" come three gorgeous poetic sequences. In the first, "Eden and After," Gregory Orr retells the story of Adam and Eve. The second sequence, "The City of Poetry," evokes and explores a visionary metropolis where "every poem is a house, and every house a poem." The final sequence, "River Inside the River," focuses on redemption through the mysterious power of language to resurrect the beloved and recover what is lost. River Inside the River combines Orr's characteristic spirituality and meditative lyricism with storytelling and myth-making. These are poems that will sustain, console, and give hope, from a poet at the height of his powers.

Genres: Poetry

160 pages, Hardcover

First published June 3, 2013

About the author

Gregory Orr was born in Albany, New York in 1947, and grew up in the rural Hudson Valley. He received a BA degree from Antioch College in 1969 and an MFA from Columbia University in 1972.

He is the author of more than ten collections of poetry, including River Inside the River: Poems (W. W. Norton, 2013); How Beautiful the Beloved (Copper Canyon Press, 2009); Concerning the Book that is the Body of the Beloved (2005); The Caged Owl: New and Selected Poems (2002); Orpheus and Eurydice (2001); City of Salt (1995), which was a finalist for the L.A. Times Poetry Prize; Gathering the Bones Together (1975) and Burning the Empty Nests (1973).

He is also the author of a memoir, The Blessing (Council Oak Books, 2002), which was chosen by Publisher's Weekly as one of the fifty best non-fiction books the year, and three books of essays, including Poetry As Survival (2002) and Stanley Kunitz: An Introduction to the Poetry (1985).
- See more at: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/...

Reviews

[Shirley Showalter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this lovely book of poems after just having finished Orr's The Blessing: A Memoir. In it he tells the unimaginable tragedy of a hunting accident. How he as a 12-year-old boy discharged his gun in the wrong direction and killed his 8-year-old brother. In that book the action begins in one field, of death, and ends in another where the author discovers the sculptures of David Smith, a field full of art, constructed things, things that remind me of these poems.

The three sections of this book, Eden and After, The City of Poetry, and River Inside the River, all seem biblical in their scope and scale, primal in their energy, and yet quietly philosophical. The theme of loss and grief, the ocean of pain inside us is only made bearable by making things --books, cities, rooms-- and by the presence of the beloved however fleeting.

The poems tell hard truths, yet they are not dark. One of my favorite lines declares:

The Book said we were mortal;
It didn't say we had to be morbid.

These are poems that linger in the mind.

[Matthew Porubsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple and excellent. Like water when you're really thirsty. That simple. That excellent.

[caroline hockenbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved this—especially the first section, which offers a new take on the adam and eve story.

also, who can pack so much meaning into such short poems?! i’m shook because no words in this collection feel wasted.

welp, time to load up on ALL of orr’s books because reading this only underscored what i already knew: he’s a poetic legend for a reason! i’m ready to learn more from a master of the form. 🫡

[Floris Meertens]

Op mijn werk is dit de muismat, omdat we een misdruk hebben ontvangen.

Na het gelezen te hebben, kan ik concluderen: Het mag wel een muismat blijven.

[R.G. Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three amazing sequences of spare, lyrical poems. The first revolves around the story of Eden, breathing new life into this very familiar myth. The next involves the conceit that poetry is a city. Orr uses this idea to make keen observations about poetry but about the larger art of being human. This volume teaches so much about the importance of minimalism: the power of image, the surprise of a well-placed rhyme, the truth behind the cliche that less is more.

[Betsy Kalman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although Orr says these poems are intended to be of a secular humanist nature, in my reading they are about God and Christ, His Beloved. The City of Poems is a fantastic place where every poem ever written becomes a house, and is the residing place for all poets who have passed on. Beautiful. lyric poetry.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread this book in the middle of the night. Cover to cover. This is why I own books, so I can reread them whenever I want to. Note to myself - if next time I read this, I don't want to read the whole book in one sitting, it's in 3 parts. Just read one part at a time. One of my favorite poets.

[leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I skipped the "Eden and After" lyric sequence simply because I'm not particularly interested in the story of Adam and Eve (let alone a retelling of it in poetry form) so I didn't want to sludge through that. However, there is one poem in that section that caught my attention called, "To Weep."

Aside from all that, I really enjoyed Gregory Orr's poems. He's very honest with himself and it shows in his writing that he uses poetry as a way to figure out who he is, even if that means saying "I don't actually know who I am." I love how his poems are so profound and so compact. The simplicity in his poems shouldn't be overlooked though. He uses everyday objects and ideas to convey the very deep and raw struggles of life.

While reading Orr's poems, there's this reoccurring theme of home, especially in "The City of Poetry" lyric sequence. Whether it be a literal or metaphorical reference, Orr uses the elements of a home to navigate towards a definition of the meaning of life. Home is used as a starting point to understand ourselves, but it certainly does not and should not define how we perceive the world and more so ourselves.

Some of my favorite poems from River Inside the River are listed below (numbers indicate page number):

37 - To Weep
56 - I killed my younger brother...
62 - Tang of salt in the walls...
63 - You're invited to visit...
64 - From the outside, these row houses...*
76 - Sometimes, the river...
82 - Sometimes, entering...*
84 - I sat on the bank of a pond...
96 - "Why not a brief respite?"...
103 - Today a letter arrived...
108 - Set beside the world's...
110 - Sorrow is good...
112 - That song on the jukebox...
120 - Doesn't the world demand...?

(* = my favorite favorite)

[Jeff Garrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last summer, when on study leave, I found myself engrossed in A Primer for Poets and Readers of Poetry by Gregory Orr. Having not read any of his poetry selections of the University of Virginia professor, I picked up this collection. This book has three major sections. The first, “Eden and After” looks at our first parents in the garden and its aftermath. In the second, “The City of Poetry,” I have a sense that Orr was describing the city of refuge in Genesis 4, where Cain fled upon the death of Able. As a child, Orr had killed his brother in a hunting accident. The final section is titled after the book’s title, “River Inside the River” While Orr explores new themes, he also continues building on themes already introduced. Overall, I enjoyed the collection. I like his use of words and metaphors. My only complaint was his use of the “F” word. It certainly got my attention and was only used a few times. It was just a shock to read it in such a work, especially since he uses it to describe that which Adam and Eve did in the garden. But that word is just too harsh. Of course, Orr uses this word less than other books I’ve read. In Matterhorn, which I also reviewed today, the word is used a lot but in a combat situation it seems more appropriate.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out of all genres, I probably read poetry the least. I’m not sure if I’ve even read a poetry book since leaving college. But driving home one night, I caught a fragment of an interview with Gregory Orr on NPR. I liked the poems he read, but more than that, his thoughts on religion and spirituality resonated with me. So, I found this on my library’s ebook service.

These are gorgeously simple poems. It made me wish I had a paper copy, so that I could earmark and highlight the poems and phrases that spoke to me the most til my heart’s content.

[Michelle Höffchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first time reading a book of poetry, and Orr has set the bar incredibly high. This unique book combines poetry with prose and tells three separate “stories” with each collection. I was enthralled with the meditative feel while also being surprised and humored occasionally. I highly recommend this book for those new or old to poetry.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sublime poems that verge on holy scripture. Begins with the story of Adam and Eve, moves to the city of poems, then, in my favorite section, meditates upon the nature of the Beloved. Simple in language, profound in meaning. Am so glad I found this volume.

[Danielle Isbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection with movement, clarity, and lines that hit something deep within. Starts in the garden of eden to the city and then to the river, each movement with its own myths, concerns, and questions

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some lovely poems in this collection. It feels an honor to read each poem the poet shares.

[Python]

This book was aptly named; my favorite section of this was by far the ‘River Inside River’. The section of poet’s homes was endearing but not compelling, nice to read but nothing I’ll remember. River Inside the River, on the other hand, had an easily followed theme (and I mean this as a compliment) of what it means to resurrect someone with words.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

FrLead of the heart;
Gold of song.

Alchemy of grief
The poem performs.