Poetry Magazine May 2021

Poetry Foundation Magazine

by Ashley M. Jones (Editor)

Contributors:

Poems:
Ashley M. Jones
Ashlee Haze
Emily Gallacher Viall
Imru al-Qays
Elena Ramirez-Gorski
January Gill O’Neil
Rebecca Foust
Jennifer Huang
Elizabeth Lindsey Rogers
Rachel Jamison Webster
Kyle Carrero Lopez
Rochelle Hurt
Tarik Dobbs
Caroline Crew
H.R. Webster
Courtney Faye Taylor
Vernita Hall
Faisal Mohyuddin
Rosemary Catacalos
Amanda Gunn
Cynthia Dewi Oka
Casey Thayer
Artress Bethany White

Genres: Poetry

51 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2021

Reviews

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exceptional issue.

[Asher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tons of poems about covid, didn’t annoy me. Courtney Faye Taylor is a genius.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slimmer and sharper than recent volumes. Excellent collection overall, probably the best since I began my subscription. Highlights for me include:

“ALZ Ghazal” by Rebecca Foust
“At the Fish Markets, Banda Aceh” by Elizabeth Lindsey Rogers
“The Pendulum” by Rachel Jamison Webster
“Some People Love War Like a Song” and “Some People Love War Like a House” by Rochelle Hurt
“Charlotte” by H.R. Webster
“Mystic” and “Araminta” by Amanda Gunn

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 - This is one of the better issues of Poetry that I’ve read. Highlights:

“temple” by Ashlee Haze - Since we are coming upon Pentecost 2021, this is a timely poem. The poet speaks of the formlessness of the church and the wildness of the Spirit. There are some great phrases here:

I caught the holy ghost once
after chasing him in the back pews
held onto him long enough to convince my mother of salvation
then went home and set him free in the wild

I am unlearning how to erect myself
as a stained-glass home

“How to decide which human gets your last ventilator” by Emily Gallacher Viall - A heart-wrenching poem about choosing who should live or die (from COVID-19)

“The Wolf” by Imru Al-Qays (trans. by Karen James Abu-Zeid) - A poem from Pre-Islamic poem in new translation. Deceptively simple.

“ALZ Ghazal” by Rebecca Foust - A ghazal is a style of poetry I was not familiar with. From my quick wiki skimming, it’s an Arabic style in a strict form that recognizes that pain of loss while also recognizing the beauty of love. In this poem, Foust lament’s her sister’s Alzheimer’s. Each stanza ends with “repeating.” It creates such a strong rhythm. Very moving.

“At the Fish Markets, Banda Aceh” by Elizabeth Lindsey Rogers - Pairs well with Pablo Neruda’s “Ode to a Large Tuna.”

[Erick Mertz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent issue, one of my favorite covers thus far this year. There were a lot more poems about current cultural topics than I normally enjoy, but these were pretty good.

Some favorites include:

"Modern Fiction" by Kyle Carrero Lopez
"Three White Ole Miss Students..." by January Gill O'Neill

[Timothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started strong, ended weak.

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love some of the work in these volumes and some just baffles me. Either way, it's always worth reading.