Sunflower Facing the Sun

by Greg Pape

Book by Pape, Greg

Genres: Poetry

94 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Camille Stanford · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I noticed as one of the strongest themes in this collection of poetry was the idea of life and of living things. These poems explore nature and the perspective of its creatures like the wriggling nymphs in the water, oysters, and even a whole poem about cows. However, though he looks into the life of nature and its animals, the emphasis is on people: who they are, their thoughts, and how they behave. What I admire most from Pape’s writing is his ability to create a setting that puts the reader there. His use of present tense helps, but the imagery is the most engaging part of these settings. He is excellent at writing a poem from both his own perspective and another’s perspective, a technique that any writer could work to improve. I would recommend this book in of poetry as a good collection of American poetry to read. Especially for those who are interested in seeing nature, people, or events from a different perspective.