Songs With Our Eyes Closed

by Tyler Kent White

A collection of Tyler Kent White's powerful poems about love, loss, depression, and resilience. “Never apologize for burning too brightly, or for collapsing into yourself every night. That is how galaxies are made.” – Tyler Kent White

Many of the poems included here are short and uplifting, with messages such as “be yourself,” “you are beautiful,” and “this too shall pass.” They combine the appeal of short, shareable poems with inspiration and encouragement. Also included are some of White’s lengthier, prose-poetic pieces, which address his childhood, his relationship with his father, and past romantic relationships, among other things. Whatever the form, White takes inspiration from the everyday, writing about abstract topics like love, loss, depression, and resilience using concrete, relatable details and scenes. 

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 30, 2018

Reviews

[Shai · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I love in this anthology of Tyler Kent White are the motivational poems that uplift one's self. There are poems also about love and loss, but those inspirational poems are, I consider, quite remarkable. I can give this as a present to friends because I know that they will appreciate these poems. This collection is written in a plain and comprehensive form that makes it a good recommendation for light reading.

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

There were a few of those instagram one sentence breakdowns that I’m not a fan of, but on a whole, this collection is heartfelt, emotional, and strong. (And honestly the one liners didn’t bother me here as there were only a few and nicely dispersed.)

At times, he reminds me of a more romantic, younger Billy Collins (as a huge fan of Collins, this is definitely a compliment). Where Collins takes a place or object and creates an introspective poem, White does this with a person or a feeling.

He writes about finding yourself, being yourself, accepting yourself. He writes of a love, loss, and a spectrum of emotions that come to life with his words.

Of all of the new poets I’ve read this year, White may be my favorite.

[Chanel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC on NetGalley.

I think this might be the first poetry compilation I received from there that I rated more than 1 or 2 stars!

I like that the author plays with style, form, and diction. There were some good literary devices sprinkled throughout (imagery, figuartive language, etc.) Sometimes the more distinct language felt repetitive, though (like vetiver and petrichor). I was disappointed to see that a few of the pieces felt like they piggy-backed off of the current social movement in poetry of pop poetry and she poetry. For the most part, however, the pieces were composed with thought and depth. The author's voice felt authentic; I did not feel like this work was compiled with the intention of reaching any specific target audience (as I have felt with most of the other poetry books I have read recently). I'm not a fan of the uncapitalized and unpunctuated style that is popular for many poets right now, though that really is just a personal preference. Some of the topics throughout the collection felt somewhat overdone and repetitive in comparison to much of the poetry I have read recently (i.e. loving the wrong person, getting over heartbreak, self-affirmation, etc.), though many of the pieces felt real for the author which is much more important to me. Overall, I liked it.

[Natasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have no idea what I was thinking when I bought this book. I can only assume I was drunk.

Two words should tell you everything you need to know: Instagram poetry.

But here are a few more words for those unfamiliar with the genre: sentimental, self-indulgent, and repetitive. Poorly expressed ideas masquerading as profundity. Inspirational lines like “you are a symphony of stardust / and you were born to shine”. Line after line so crowded with metaphors and adjectives that meaning is entirely lost, if it was there at all. Lines like “a mouth / full of muted / magenta — / heather hiding inside / periwinkle petals”.

I’ve been generous and given it two stars, as there were a few striking images and lines scattered throughout the work, like “it is Wednesday / and you are practising theories / in a language that sits / uncomfortably in your jaw” and “the human body is not a safe place / to house my emergencies / and you did not ever ask / to be my waiting room”.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review originally published on my blog, Turning Pages.

I’m a fan of poetry, so I decided to make it my goal to read more this year. That means delving into the plethora of contemporary poetry collections often written in the same style as Rupi Kaur. While I’m not always a fan of this style, I decided to give Songs With Our Eyes Closed a chance.

What struck me immediately about this collection is that many of the poems do in fact rhyme. A lot of contemporary poems these days don’t rhyme at all, so I greatly enjoyed that these ones did. Even the ones that didn’t really rhyme flowed really well and that made them easy to read. For those who can’t commit to intense, traditional poetry, this will be a good option.

Some of the imagery within the poems didn’t speak to me; there a lot of mentions of teeth, for example. But the images that he carried throughout like stars and nature did work well. It also helped connect the poems.

The most important thing about poetry, in my opinion, is whether it affects the reader. Some of the poems really spoke to me, especially the ones about love, and some of the ones about grief and depression. The imagery and language he used I felt expressed things in a very universal way. I also enjoyed his uplifting poems about having courage and being kind to and believing in yourself. A lot of my favourite poems were within the first sections of the book.

Songs With Our Eyes Closed is a really quick read because many of the poems are short. Some of the poems and some of the imagery I didn’t like, but a lot of the poems I did like. They mostly flowed well, and quite a few actually rhymed. Overall I enjoyed reading this collection.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty good first effort. The poems deal in too much abstraction for my taste, without enough concrete imagery to really grab onto -- and perhaps I'm put off by having advice dispensed to me by a speaker who is 26 years old? I'm trying to figure that one out. There are a few instances where White really latches on to a particular word ("petrichor" is one I could do without seeing again) and I find myself longing for variation. Some of the white space is well used, but in certain areas it seems to serve little purpose other than taking up space.

For folks who are just beginning to read poetry, this is an excellent and accessible collection. It wasn't 100% for me, but it's definitely going to find its audience.

[Raquel Costa · Rating 2 out of 5]

***2.5 estrelas***

[Ariana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on: The Quirky Book Nerd

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

I found this poetry collection to be beautiful and extremely well written. Songs With Our Eyes Closed is another example of a recently very popular style of writing—short but impactful poetry and prose. This is a format where a positive outcome is hard to accomplish, and it is definitely not a format that suites the tastes of all readers nor the abilities and voices of all poets. And it’s very true that this type of writing can easily come across as shallow, random, and repetitive. However, I find that this can also be an incredibly powerful and meaningful way to convey many emotions—that was definitely the case for this particular collection.

White’s writing is full of both beauty and sincerity. Even the shortest poems always feel that they were given an equal amount of time. effort, and detail, and did not lack the emotional depth and maturity of longer poems. He shows a great deal of candor as well as creativity, mixing human emotions with vivid and artistic imagery taken from our world and the universe we live in.

White packs this collection with plenty of affirmations, calling us to look at ourselves in a different and more loving way. The language and topics themselves are easily accessible for anyone, whether they are poetry lovers or not—it could also serve as a fantastic introduction into the world of poetry for a first time reader.

As always, poetry is hard to review as it is such a personal experience, and what I took away from this collection is not what everyone is going to take away. However, this is a very well-written work that skillfully captures truly human emotions that each and every one of us has felt or will feel at some point in our lives, ranging from the joy of love to the pain of loss. His words really spoke to me and related so well to where I am in my life and what I have been feeling, whether those words were reflecting my emotions or pushing me into a more positive mindset.

It is very touching and brimming with honesty and earnestness—never feeling rushed or lacking complexity, even in the most straightforward phrases. White has a very lyrical style that flows effortlessly from line to line and is very pleasant to read. I would highly recommend giving this collection a try.

[Rimsha]

It has some precious pieces to read again and again. But it is not a bunch of poetry that can be noted to have a wow factor.

Nevertheless, it does have some insight speech of our heart, unspoken.

[KayCee K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tyler Kent White is now a new favorite poet because of Songs with Our Eyes Closed. There's so, so many lines I bookmarked in this book, that I just need to have. The way he's written some of these poems were just beautiful. Two of my favorite lines from this ARC was "you are a symphony of stardust and you were born to shine" and "the stars folded into the moon". This book is filled with so many, many amazing lines just like these.
Songs with Our Eyes Closed is mixed with short and long poems & a mix of different topics.
White's poetry styles are simply breathtaking.


I received a NetGalley ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This doesn't in any way influence my opinion on it. So, this is a 100% honest review by me.

[Jenb16 · Rating 5 out of 5]

So beautiful. Words that pierce the soul; both with their sheer flowery beauty and their emotional depth and rawness. 👌🏻

[Nathaniel Darkish · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very mixed bag for me. The poetry ranged from the kind of fluffy poetry that somebody pastes below an instagram photo of hands being held, or a sunset, or the like, to some powerful, personal poetry about the poet's relationship (or lack thereof) with his father. So about a quarter of the poems I rolled my eyes at, a quarter really had me engaged as a reader, and the rest were just so-so, not really capturing my interest but featuring enough skill to keep me going. It was definitely abnormally long for a poetry collection, and accordingly I think it would have been perfectly fine to give the fluff poetry the boot.

[Kelli Santistevan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this poetry collection.

[J. d'Merricksson · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Songs with Our Eyes Closed Tyler Kent White has woven a powerful compilation of poetry and short prose to inspire and uplift the spirit. To me, these poems especially spoke of being oneself, not being afraid of your full potential, and knowing your true worth. These were lessons I needed at the moment. Lessons I always need.

Poem after poem reminds that you are the stuff of stars, sharing atoms with everything that is. They are a call to mindfulness, and knowing we are all One. There are poems that speak on forgiveness, of yourself, and others, and those that illuminate the less obvious beauty to be found in the depths of loneliness or loss, as well as that found in love and contentment.

you are a
symphony
of stardust
and you were
born to shine
-Songs with Our Eyes Closed

Most poems were succinct, speaking volumes in the ringing silence stretching between words. These poems are morsels to be savoured, one or two at a time. Many make great meditation prompts. There are longer prose pieces I found equally inspiring. Most of the poems and prose are based upon the author's own life, and relationships.

never apologise
for burning too brightly
or for collapsing
into yourself
every night

that is how galaxies are made.
-Songs with Our Eyes Closed

These poems fair vibrate with the poet’s emotion. They seem written with no goal in mind other than to write, and purge feelings, like lancing a boil. Most are intimate pieces, especially the ones on loss and depression. White was brave, to share these poems, these little pieces of heart and soul, that have laid him bare before the reader.

---know that the voids are
simply places for something
more beautiful to grow.
-Songs with Our Eyes Closed

I enjoyed White’s style. By omitting capitalisation, I feel it left the poems unmolded, in a manner of speaking. For me, the lack meant my mind did not latch on to certain words as 'more important’ just because they were capitalised. These have a lovely flow and feel that I wanted to immerse myself in. I have a dislike of poems where each line is capitalised, be it in the middle of a sentence, or no. It comes across as too rigid.

---my biggest fear is that
when I finally find myself
i’ll still be who i am.
-Songs with Our Eyes Closed

I ended up buying an eCopy of the book, and have plans to acquire a hardcopy to keep by my bed for meditation purposes. For any out there who enjoy poetry, this is a must-read collection!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this.

I've been on a little poetry break after reading a few that were just really disappointing, so finally picking this one up randomly tonight had raised my hopes on the end of this break nearing. Thank goodness I kept going because I connected with so many of these beautiful poems. There were two sections that I couldn't really relate to but I think it's impossible to find a book of poems in which everything is relatable. For what I could connect with, it was incredible. To see my thoughts in such an amazing arrangement of words and poems was really helpful right now.

Even the areas of this book I couldn't quite connect with on a personal level were really great. I enjoyed Songs With Our Eyes Closed much more than I expected and I'm excited to finally get back into reading poetry.

[ダンカン · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Poet's Journey of Love, Loss and Other Experiences... I picked up Songs With Our Eyes Closed on a good feeling and it was a wise choice I have read this well-written collection of poems from Tyler Kent White. As his debut, all of his poems are common themes many modern poets faced today - depression, life, loss, love and resilience. There are some poems I felt connected that I became emotional towards it, and while others I felt are good but not much better. Still, I did enjoy reading them and even though there's nothing exceptional in most of the words we say today, its still a good read. Written poems about life is almost every single poet of what they experience in writing. In brilliance or whether in its common ground that we can identify, Songs With Our Eyes Closed is a good debut read worth picking up.

[shelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

“Never apologize
for burning too brightly
or for collapsing
into yourself
every night.
That is how galaxies are made.”

This was an absolute lovely collection of poetry. I am so happy with it!

[Fateh]

this book was iteresting.

[Moto Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this collection

[Hanna K. Brojan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25/5⭐️

[Avrial || Bookish.and.blissful · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up

[Jeimy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tyler Kent White should seek employment at Hallmark.

[Dora Okeyo · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a certain ability, you could call it, magic or art or sometimes a feeling, something that moves or sways you deep inside. Listen, I am simply saying that I could relate to these poems. I'll leave the magic to Mr. White and his words, but if you love poetry and you also seek to get lost in prose then this is the book for you.
I loved how the publishers aligned the poems, it felt like you started from the top, went to the middle and then the bottom which makes this collection unique because you can actually read the poems from the last page to the first and still love them.
They are arranged in five parts and something about the collection in part three "On nights you do not remember how to sing," struck home. I'm glad I requested to read this book and thank you NetGalley and the publishers.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this!

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a deeply moving, emotional and heartfelt collection of poems. I enjoyed reading through all of them and being drawn in by the powerful way the author wrote each line.
Truly a wonderful collection.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found a few of these poems very beautiful.
It did take me a little while to get used to the format, I couldn’t tell sometimes when one poem was ending and another starting. That being said, I read this as an early e book edition from NetGalley,I think it might be an early formatting issue. The poems have numbers rather than names, I think the page breaks might be in the wrong place. Or maybe it’s just me, this is definitely modern poetry and I’m not totally used to that format yet.

I’d suggest reading the poems in order rather than at random. I feel like I understood what the author was saying more this way.

The book covers poetry about love, loss, depression, death, addiction and illness. There’s a lot about someone trying to love themselves despite their flaws, even as their depression challenged them to do it.

Definitely sad but sad poetry can be moving.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5
I really loved reading this book! The poems were really well written and so emotional, they held lots of power, passion and I could nearly feel the emotions that were written on the pages.

Even though I didn’t always understand how the poems were split up into their parts, I got the gist. Some one liners weren’t my favourite but didn’t bother me all that much, I still really liked this book!

I also saw some connections between poems in the beginning of the book and poems at the middle-end and I thought that was really awesome!

Overall, a beautiful book of poems.

[PameKi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy some poems but I could get to it with my heart. It was OK for me, but it could be really good for someone else.
"Such is the fault of man
that we can speak
and ask others to listen
but we can not listen
and ask others to speak"

[Aude Odeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, if you follow me on snap, you know I have poetry nights where I post snaps of some of my favorite poems from the collection I'm currently reading.

Some books I have issues finding poems to snap, whether they are not good or just not very snappable (multiple pages or weird formatting etc).

This book had the best issue. I had too many poems I loved and I had to limit myself so I didn't post the whole book.

That should tell you enough about this book 💚

[Ignacia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leer Songs with our eyes closed es recordar y revivir todos los desamores y los desengaños amorosos, el sufrimiento de perder a un amigo o a alguien con quien planeabas un futuro.
Aprecié mucho las analogías y metáforas para describir sentimientos que de otro modo son muy difícil describir.