What do you think?
Rate this book
Life on Mars: Poems
With allusions to David Bowie and interplanetary travel, Life on Mars imagines a soundtrack for the universe to accompany the discoveries, failures, and oddities of human existence. In these new poems, Tracy K. Smith envisions a sci-fi future sucked clean of any real dangers, contemplates the dark matter that keeps people both close and distant, and revisits the kitschy concepts like “love” and “illness” now relegated to the Museum of Obsolescence. These poems reveal the realities of life lived here, on the ground, where a daughter is imprisoned in the basement by her own father, where celebrities and pop stars walk among us, and where the poet herself loses her father, one of the engineers who worked on the Hubble Space Telescope.
75 pages, Paperback
First published May 10, 2011
417 people are currently reading
21403 people want to read
About the author
Tracy K. Smith
42 books856 followersTracy K. Smith is the author of Wade in the Water; Life on Mars, winner of the Pulitzer Prize; Duende, winner of the James Laughlin Award; and The Body’s Question, winner of the Cave Canem Poetry Prize. She is also the editor of an anthology, American Journal: Fifty Poems for Our Time, and the author of a memoir, Ordinary Light, which was a finalist for the National Book Award. From 2017 to 2019, Smith served as Poet Laureate of the United States. She teaches at Princeton University.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,254 reviews
July 19, 2017
For 2017 I have set a goal for myself to read a minimum of twenty Pulitzer winners across all platforms. Upon hearing that Tracy K Smith had been named the United States poet laureate for the next year, I decided to read her 2012 Pulitzer winning collection Life on Mars. In poetry that is a mix of free verse, prose, letters, and songs, Smith delivers powerful words in a four part opus.
Three poems stood out in this collection. The first, The Speed of Belief, pays homage to Smith's late father. Writing in alternating couplet and paragraph form, Smith's words are so deep that I felt as though I was also mourning a loved one. She writes, "I didn't want to believe/What we believe in those rooms: That we are blessed, letting go, Letting someone, anyone;/Drag open the drapes and heave us/Back into our blinding, bright lives." Her words grow increasingly more poignant throughout this poem as Smith balances her grief with letting go of her emotions, ending with a crescendo of the dynamic between father and daughter. I could not help but shed a tear here.
Smith's title selection Life on Mars balances a plethora of emotions as she describes love, sexual violence, family dynamics, war, amongst other topics in a nine part epic. She begins with two sisters Tina and Anita as they gossip about being in love. Smith writes their section in paragraph form as she alternates between their points of view. Next she segues to describing a father's jailing of his daughter, highlighting the discrepancy between unconditional love and hatred. The poem moves to scenes in a jail and death at the hands of land mines, describing the blight of the death when people focus on hatred as opposed to love. The words here are exquisite and had me on edge, which for me as a reader does not occur too often when I read poetry; Smith's brilliancy was on full display with her centerpiece poem.
Finally, They May Love All That He Has Chosen and Hate All That He Has Rejected pinpoints racial motivated killings during May, 2009. Using couplets alternating with letters, Smith first describes the hate crimes and who killed who. Then, she has the murder victims pen letters to their killers, including a heartfelt plea from a nine year old victim. All describe seeing landmarks for the first time and having unlimited capacity for love now that they are no longer confined to a body. The writing is raw, deep, and an overarching plea to stop the what seems like endless violence in this country. This poem alone merits awards and is near the end of the collection in order to leave readers feeling wowed by this special work.
Tracy K Smith is deserving of her place as a poet laureate. From the small body of her work in Life on Mars, a reader only sees the tip of her exceptional work. Prior to her Pulitzer winning publication, Smith had written two other poetry collections. She has since written a memoir and has another poetry collection due out next year. If it is anything as powerful as Life on Mars, it is sure to be some of the best poetry I have written. At 5 shining stars, Tracy K Smith is one of the top authors I have read in 2017.
Three poems stood out in this collection. The first, The Speed of Belief, pays homage to Smith's late father. Writing in alternating couplet and paragraph form, Smith's words are so deep that I felt as though I was also mourning a loved one. She writes, "I didn't want to believe/What we believe in those rooms: That we are blessed, letting go, Letting someone, anyone;/Drag open the drapes and heave us/Back into our blinding, bright lives." Her words grow increasingly more poignant throughout this poem as Smith balances her grief with letting go of her emotions, ending with a crescendo of the dynamic between father and daughter. I could not help but shed a tear here.
Smith's title selection Life on Mars balances a plethora of emotions as she describes love, sexual violence, family dynamics, war, amongst other topics in a nine part epic. She begins with two sisters Tina and Anita as they gossip about being in love. Smith writes their section in paragraph form as she alternates between their points of view. Next she segues to describing a father's jailing of his daughter, highlighting the discrepancy between unconditional love and hatred. The poem moves to scenes in a jail and death at the hands of land mines, describing the blight of the death when people focus on hatred as opposed to love. The words here are exquisite and had me on edge, which for me as a reader does not occur too often when I read poetry; Smith's brilliancy was on full display with her centerpiece poem.
Finally, They May Love All That He Has Chosen and Hate All That He Has Rejected pinpoints racial motivated killings during May, 2009. Using couplets alternating with letters, Smith first describes the hate crimes and who killed who. Then, she has the murder victims pen letters to their killers, including a heartfelt plea from a nine year old victim. All describe seeing landmarks for the first time and having unlimited capacity for love now that they are no longer confined to a body. The writing is raw, deep, and an overarching plea to stop the what seems like endless violence in this country. This poem alone merits awards and is near the end of the collection in order to leave readers feeling wowed by this special work.
Tracy K Smith is deserving of her place as a poet laureate. From the small body of her work in Life on Mars, a reader only sees the tip of her exceptional work. Prior to her Pulitzer winning publication, Smith had written two other poetry collections. She has since written a memoir and has another poetry collection due out next year. If it is anything as powerful as Life on Mars, it is sure to be some of the best poetry I have written. At 5 shining stars, Tracy K Smith is one of the top authors I have read in 2017.
February 13, 2020
"When the storm
Kicks up and nothing is ours, we go chasing
After all we're certain to lose, so alive ---
Faces radiant with panic.”
Tracy K. Smith’s Life on Mars is a fantastic collection of poems that explores a wide variety of issues: grief, illness, pop culture, the weather and David Bowie. What drew me in further was how Smith linked her poems through space and science fiction imagery to question who we are and what we are doing at this moment. Sometimes, I felt like I was exploring the depths of space and time (and humanity) along with Smith. At other times, her tone reminded more of a conversation. I like poetry, but I don’t usually review it. One reason is that I seldom read a complete book of poetry. Instead, I read one or two poems at a time. If I liked the poems, I return to the book (or author) a week or two later (or more often three or four months later) and read some more. And I repeat. Even then, I sometimes just read the poems that initially caught my eye. This time was different. I’ve read Life on Mars twice and returned to a number of the poems more often than that. A selection highlighting Bowie is below. I highly recommend Life on Mars. Fantastic!
After dark, stars glisten like ice, and the distance they span
Hides something elemental. Not God, exactly. More like
Some thin-hipped glittering Bowie-being - a Starman
Or cosmic ace hovering, swaying, aching to make us see.
And what would we do, you and I, if we could know for sure
That someone was there squinting through the dust,
Saying nothing is lost, that everything lives on waiting only
To be wanted back badly enough? Would you go then,
Even for a few nights, into that other life where you
And that first she loved, blind to the future once, and happy?
....
He leaves no tracks. Slips past, quick as a cat. That's Bowie
For you: the Pope of Pop, coy as Christ. Like a play
Within a play, he's trademarked twice. The hours
Plink past like water from a window A/C. We sweat it out,
Teach ourselves to wait. Silently, lazily, collapse happens.
But not for Bowie. He cocks his head, grins that wicked grin.
Time never stops, but does it end? And how many lives
Before take-off, before we find ourselves
Beyond ourselves, all glam-glow, all twinkle and gold?
The future isn't what it used to be."
"Don't You Wonder Sometimes?"
Kicks up and nothing is ours, we go chasing
After all we're certain to lose, so alive ---
Faces radiant with panic.”
Tracy K. Smith’s Life on Mars is a fantastic collection of poems that explores a wide variety of issues: grief, illness, pop culture, the weather and David Bowie. What drew me in further was how Smith linked her poems through space and science fiction imagery to question who we are and what we are doing at this moment. Sometimes, I felt like I was exploring the depths of space and time (and humanity) along with Smith. At other times, her tone reminded more of a conversation. I like poetry, but I don’t usually review it. One reason is that I seldom read a complete book of poetry. Instead, I read one or two poems at a time. If I liked the poems, I return to the book (or author) a week or two later (or more often three or four months later) and read some more. And I repeat. Even then, I sometimes just read the poems that initially caught my eye. This time was different. I’ve read Life on Mars twice and returned to a number of the poems more often than that. A selection highlighting Bowie is below. I highly recommend Life on Mars. Fantastic!
After dark, stars glisten like ice, and the distance they span
Hides something elemental. Not God, exactly. More like
Some thin-hipped glittering Bowie-being - a Starman
Or cosmic ace hovering, swaying, aching to make us see.
And what would we do, you and I, if we could know for sure
That someone was there squinting through the dust,
Saying nothing is lost, that everything lives on waiting only
To be wanted back badly enough? Would you go then,
Even for a few nights, into that other life where you
And that first she loved, blind to the future once, and happy?
....
He leaves no tracks. Slips past, quick as a cat. That's Bowie
For you: the Pope of Pop, coy as Christ. Like a play
Within a play, he's trademarked twice. The hours
Plink past like water from a window A/C. We sweat it out,
Teach ourselves to wait. Silently, lazily, collapse happens.
But not for Bowie. He cocks his head, grins that wicked grin.
Time never stops, but does it end? And how many lives
Before take-off, before we find ourselves
Beyond ourselves, all glam-glow, all twinkle and gold?
The future isn't what it used to be."
"Don't You Wonder Sometimes?"
August 12, 2012
An outstanding book of poetry. There's a real narrative quality to many of the poems and I particularly appreciated the breadth of topics Smith engages with in her poetry. Some of the strongest poems are those that deal with current events. There's a strong sense of accessibility in that...these are the kind of poems that are meant to be read and understood and appreciated. Some moments are simply breathtaking. She uses the word gracile, which is a lovely, lovely word. The whole collection is mighty and well worth reading, more than once.
May 5, 2022
Do not be fooled. Tracy Smith's poetry might seem more accessible than other works of poetry but there is insurmountable depth in each and every word, in every space, capital letter or question mark. A whole universe of meditation about death, injustice and grief squeezed into 97 pages.
In some poems, like in Solstice, she shoots line after line, as if bullets were crossing the streets and nobody took the situation seriously. There is chaos in that poem, and Smith tries to put some order through her stanzas, willing to find the logic in the countless absurdities we witness every day, but there is also rage at the general apathy of the population, a contained indignation that leaks through every word.
But mainly Smith's poetry is an elegy to the delicate balance between life and death, absence and presence, the constant change in optics when we consider the smallness of human life against the greatness of the universe.
You will find music, soul and genius in Smith's poems. And a lot of heart. More than enough for this reader to pursue her other works and dance to her tune until I can't disguish where she begins and I end.
We are here for what amounts to a few
hours,
a day at most.
We feel around making sense of the
terrain,
our own new limbs,
Bumping up against a herd of bodies
until one becomes
home.
Moments sweep past. The grass bends
then learns again to
stand.
Us&CO.
In some poems, like in Solstice, she shoots line after line, as if bullets were crossing the streets and nobody took the situation seriously. There is chaos in that poem, and Smith tries to put some order through her stanzas, willing to find the logic in the countless absurdities we witness every day, but there is also rage at the general apathy of the population, a contained indignation that leaks through every word.
But mainly Smith's poetry is an elegy to the delicate balance between life and death, absence and presence, the constant change in optics when we consider the smallness of human life against the greatness of the universe.
You will find music, soul and genius in Smith's poems. And a lot of heart. More than enough for this reader to pursue her other works and dance to her tune until I can't disguish where she begins and I end.
We are here for what amounts to a few
hours,
a day at most.
We feel around making sense of the
terrain,
our own new limbs,
Bumping up against a herd of bodies
until one becomes
home.
Moments sweep past. The grass bends
then learns again to
stand.
Us&CO.
July 4, 2018
I wanted to love this wholeheartedly, but it straddled the line between "Oh, that's pretty!" and "What did I just read?" I forgot to mark this on Goodreads so it's been about a week since I've read it, and I honestly couldn't even give you a synopsis of what these poems were about because I think their message was a little lost on me, but I did mark several lines and poems I enjoyed, so I'm glad I picked it up.
March 17, 2021
I didn’t want to believe
What we believe in those rooms:
That we are blessed, letting go,
Letting someone, anyone,
Drag open the drapes and heave us
Back into our blinding, bright lives.
Review to follow.
What we believe in those rooms:
That we are blessed, letting go,
Letting someone, anyone,
Drag open the drapes and heave us
Back into our blinding, bright lives.
Review to follow.
June 18, 2017
This was great. My favorite was the one about Bowie ("Don't You Wonder, Sometimes?"), but I loved the set of poems about her father, and the way she kept using outer-space imagery and themes. When she was named Poet Laureate, I immediately took this out of the library and inhaled it, but I can see myself getting my own copy and rereading it someday.
March 18, 2016
I had a really hard time with this collection. I really wanted to like it. And if it hadn't received a Pulitzer, I would not have judged it so harshly, but, because I expect quality and a respect for the macrocosm of poetry from Pulitzer-prize-winning poetry and poets, I approached this collection with high expectations. I was deeply disappointed.
Tracy Smith does have a certain innocence and wonder for life that is touching, and she asks probing questions, but her observations are too generalized. She only touches the surface of life, she never digs deeper. Pointing out the wonder of life is the beginning of a poet's job, not the entirety of it. Reveal the truth, put words to the truth. Don't be a tour guide. In Life on Mars, Smith is merely a tour guide, and not even an exciting one.
After all was read and done, the whole collection was a big let-down. And, I found the tie-ins to David Bowie a distasteful, almost shameful, gimmick.
Tracy Smith does have a certain innocence and wonder for life that is touching, and she asks probing questions, but her observations are too generalized. She only touches the surface of life, she never digs deeper. Pointing out the wonder of life is the beginning of a poet's job, not the entirety of it. Reveal the truth, put words to the truth. Don't be a tour guide. In Life on Mars, Smith is merely a tour guide, and not even an exciting one.
After all was read and done, the whole collection was a big let-down. And, I found the tie-ins to David Bowie a distasteful, almost shameful, gimmick.
Read
November 20, 2018Not wall-to-wall winners, but a damned interesting mix of styles and moods and words, all built around the theme of space and a departed dad (her father worked on the Hubble telescope).
Pulitzer prize-winning poetry. Triple P. And I shared multiple poems from the text on my blah, blah, blog starting down this here rabbit hole and moving forward two or three posts, chronologically.
Pulitzer prize-winning poetry. Triple P. And I shared multiple poems from the text on my blah, blah, blog starting down this here rabbit hole and moving forward two or three posts, chronologically.
June 8, 2017
Wow. That was a beautiful collection.
My favorites:
- The Universe is a House Party
- Museum of Obsolescence
- Aubade
- US & CO.
My favorites:
- The Universe is a House Party
- Museum of Obsolescence
- Aubade
- US & CO.
December 5, 2014
Tracy Smith has written a volume of poetry touching on a favorite theme of mine, life on earth which requires one to stand and let imagination vault into the meaningless distances of outer space. Her book is ultimately about love, I think, concerned as it is with her father who famously worked as an engineer on the Hubble Telescope project. Her poetry here connects the closeness of earth with the reaches of space her father made it possible to see. In that way Smith can be thought of as life on earth yearning for what she can't reach, her departed father, or Nature beyond our solar system. She is earth-bound man looking into interstellar space for hope, her father. The poems situated on earth are darker than those about her father. Hope lies in the vast regions the Hubble can see but which man will never reach. This terrible dichotomy fills her book, the surprising partnership of faith and science, of light and darkness, and the yin/yang of existence is the matter filling Life on Mars. My favorite is called "Solstice." It's from the darker side of the book but has its own dichotomy. It's a villanelle, one of the most rhythmic, delightful poetic forms, a form so musical and pleasant that it stays with you throughout your day. But it's about killing troublesome geese at JFK. It's that kind of book.
Read
November 2, 2015Interesting concept -- poetry about or inspired by science fiction.
Overall I found the ideas more impressive than the aesthetic qualities of the poems themselves.
Overall I found the ideas more impressive than the aesthetic qualities of the poems themselves.
In those last scenes of Kubrick’s 2001
When Dave is whisked into the center of space,
Which unfurls in an aurora of orgasmic light
Before opening wide, like a jungle orchid
For a love-struck bee, then goes liquid,
Paint-in-water, and then gauze wafting out and off,
Before, finally, the night tide, luminescent
And vague, swirls in, and on and on. . . .
In those last scenes, as he floats
Above Jupiter’s vast canyons and seas,
Over the lava strewn plains and mountains
Packed in ice, that whole time, he doesn’t blink.
In his little ship, blind to what he rides, whisked
Across the wide-screen of unparcelled time,
Who knows what blazes through his mind?
Is it still his life he moves through, or does
That end at the end of what he can name?
On set, it’s shot after shot till Kubrick is happy,
Then the costumes go back on their racks
And the great gleaming set goes black.
February 11, 2018
I listened (read by the author) to this book, and there were some beautiful poems in this volume. I think I will need to read these, though, to get a better appreciation for the author's word choices and emotions.
March 30, 2025
When the storm
Kicks up and nothing is ours, we go chasing
After all we’re certain to lose, so alive—
Faces radiant with panic.
Given the day’s forecast, I consider this apt. It has been a good run. The idea of a supercell being formed by our carbon indulgence and dashing my life to splinters sounds reasonable enough. As much as anything else. I bought this collection with a slight quiver of excitement. Bowie and time travel through the prism of social justice? Count me in. I wasn’t expecting the tendons of grief which connect the sections. That appeared timely as well. I initially thought this was a recent composition and was surprised that it is nearly 15 years old. Certain themes appeared indolent while an emancipatory imagination is allowed to unfold like certain paper sculptures when dropped into water.
Kicks up and nothing is ours, we go chasing
After all we’re certain to lose, so alive—
Faces radiant with panic.
Given the day’s forecast, I consider this apt. It has been a good run. The idea of a supercell being formed by our carbon indulgence and dashing my life to splinters sounds reasonable enough. As much as anything else. I bought this collection with a slight quiver of excitement. Bowie and time travel through the prism of social justice? Count me in. I wasn’t expecting the tendons of grief which connect the sections. That appeared timely as well. I initially thought this was a recent composition and was surprised that it is nearly 15 years old. Certain themes appeared indolent while an emancipatory imagination is allowed to unfold like certain paper sculptures when dropped into water.
November 1, 2022
this was a great work of poetry. i loved most of the poems in this collection, if not all of them.
the words are so powerful and oftentimes hard to analyse, but i think that’s the beauty of this collection. it’s the fact that we live in a world where we can’t know everything for certain. and i think that’s the beautiful and both painful part of this book.
it was a very short collection. i’ve been reading through it very slowly (despite the dates shown on here) and reading about a poem or two a day.
some of my favourite poems are: the universe is a house party, it’s not, no-fly zone, and the museum of obsolescence.
i highly recommend this collection. it was a special one.
all in all: a very good and necessary book to read. 4.25 stars
the words are so powerful and oftentimes hard to analyse, but i think that’s the beauty of this collection. it’s the fact that we live in a world where we can’t know everything for certain. and i think that’s the beautiful and both painful part of this book.
it was a very short collection. i’ve been reading through it very slowly (despite the dates shown on here) and reading about a poem or two a day.
some of my favourite poems are: the universe is a house party, it’s not, no-fly zone, and the museum of obsolescence.
i highly recommend this collection. it was a special one.
all in all: a very good and necessary book to read. 4.25 stars
July 14, 2019
US & CO.
We are here for what amounts to a few hours,
a day at most.
We feel around making sense of the terrain,
our own new limbs,
Bumping up against a herd of bodies
until one becomes home.
Moments sweep past. The grass bends
then learns again to stand.
We are here for what amounts to a few hours,
a day at most.
We feel around making sense of the terrain,
our own new limbs,
Bumping up against a herd of bodies
until one becomes home.
Moments sweep past. The grass bends
then learns again to stand.
March 7, 2016
"Sailors fighting in the dance hall
Oh man! Look at those cavemen go
It's the freakiest show
Take a look at the Lawman
Beating up the wrong guy
Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know
He's in the best selling show
Is there life on Mars?"
-Life on Mars, David Bowie.
I choose that song over any of these poems any day, but that does not detract from my enjoyment of the poems presented in this collection.
The future isn't what it used to be. Even Bowie thirsts
For something good and cold. Jets blink across the sky
Like migratory souls.The future isn't what it used to be. Even Bowie thirsts
For something good and cold. Jets blink across the sky
Like migratory souls.
- Don't You Wonder, Sometimes? I read this with the music of Life on Mars. It makes sense if you do it.
But she does not only refer to science and space, there is a poem in which she makes reference to the Fritzl case.
The same pipes threading through his life
Led in and out of hers. Every year the footsteps downstairs multiplied.
- Life on Mars
However, sadly, most of her poems failed to resonate with me, as they seemed to make my eyes glide off of the page. I see much potential, and a not so great execution.
I will point out, that maybe in the hands of another poet, and a more centered focus on the science and Bowie aspect, rather than her occasional focus on her father, this idea for a poetry book could be done much better.
Oh man! Look at those cavemen go
It's the freakiest show
Take a look at the Lawman
Beating up the wrong guy
Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know
He's in the best selling show
Is there life on Mars?"
-Life on Mars, David Bowie.
I choose that song over any of these poems any day, but that does not detract from my enjoyment of the poems presented in this collection.
The future isn't what it used to be. Even Bowie thirsts
For something good and cold. Jets blink across the sky
Like migratory souls.The future isn't what it used to be. Even Bowie thirsts
For something good and cold. Jets blink across the sky
Like migratory souls.
- Don't You Wonder, Sometimes? I read this with the music of Life on Mars. It makes sense if you do it.
But she does not only refer to science and space, there is a poem in which she makes reference to the Fritzl case.
The same pipes threading through his life
Led in and out of hers. Every year the footsteps downstairs multiplied.
- Life on Mars
However, sadly, most of her poems failed to resonate with me, as they seemed to make my eyes glide off of the page. I see much potential, and a not so great execution.
I will point out, that maybe in the hands of another poet, and a more centered focus on the science and Bowie aspect, rather than her occasional focus on her father, this idea for a poetry book could be done much better.
November 16, 2011
Will have to come back to this one. I know it's been highly lauded, but . . . It didn't do it for me. Though there were a few poems I really liked. Could be me. I should come back with a more open mind.
April 16, 2018
A group of poems, many overtly political, that stand on their own as poetry as well (for the most part). One particularly moving section has people who have been killed writing letters from the beyond to their murderers.
November 21, 2022
I confess that I am not much for poetry, but I so admire Smith's ability to articulate grief and loss and social injustice. He concept of visualizing through astronomy was fascinating and effective. I enjoyed the poems, though I may listen to the book to capture its full weight. A radical but captivating departure from my wheelhouse.
4 Stars
Read on kindle
4 Stars
Read on kindle
April 4, 2022
3/5
The cover is gorgeous but this collection didn't work for me.
The cover is gorgeous but this collection didn't work for me.
August 28, 2025
Sealey Challenge 2025: 18/31
Well, I'm a bit conflicted on this one. I enjoyed Smith’s style in this collection. Her writing isn’t overly concerned with strict rhythm or rhyme, but there’s still a subtle music to the language that gives many of the poems a quiet, reflective power.
Thematically, the collection casts a wide net. Smith takes on the vastness of space and the mysteries of the universe, grounding those cosmic meditations in more human, intimate experiences—grief, love, memory, music, and mortality. I loved how she invites readers to consider our place within both the infinite and the ordinary. The result is a collection that feels expansive in scope, but still emotionally resonant.
The book is divided into four sections, and I found the first half the most compelling. The earlier poems, which focus more on awe, the cosmos, and a kind of philosophical wonder, were where Smith’s voice felt strongest to me. The tone then shifts in the latter half toward more grounded, social, and personal themes. While I still found memorable lines and images in those sections, they didn’t strike quite the same chord. Some of the later poems felt looser in construction and occasionally lacked the polish or cohesion of the earlier ones.
That brings me to my one major critique: while many poems are beautifully written and rich with metaphor, others didn’t feel fully formed. There were moments when I struggled with the rhythm or structure of certain sections. A few poems even came across as somewhat flat or underdeveloped, which was surprising given the strength of others in the collection.
Still, even with that unevenness, I’m glad I read this. Smith has a sharp and curious mind, and her ability to toggle between the cosmic and the deeply personal is impressive. I didn’t love every single poem, but the collection as a whole gave me a lot to sit with. I’d recommend this to readers who enjoy meditative, idea-driven poetry, especially those interested in themes of existence, spirituality, and human vulnerability.
Well, I'm a bit conflicted on this one. I enjoyed Smith’s style in this collection. Her writing isn’t overly concerned with strict rhythm or rhyme, but there’s still a subtle music to the language that gives many of the poems a quiet, reflective power.
Thematically, the collection casts a wide net. Smith takes on the vastness of space and the mysteries of the universe, grounding those cosmic meditations in more human, intimate experiences—grief, love, memory, music, and mortality. I loved how she invites readers to consider our place within both the infinite and the ordinary. The result is a collection that feels expansive in scope, but still emotionally resonant.
The book is divided into four sections, and I found the first half the most compelling. The earlier poems, which focus more on awe, the cosmos, and a kind of philosophical wonder, were where Smith’s voice felt strongest to me. The tone then shifts in the latter half toward more grounded, social, and personal themes. While I still found memorable lines and images in those sections, they didn’t strike quite the same chord. Some of the later poems felt looser in construction and occasionally lacked the polish or cohesion of the earlier ones.
That brings me to my one major critique: while many poems are beautifully written and rich with metaphor, others didn’t feel fully formed. There were moments when I struggled with the rhythm or structure of certain sections. A few poems even came across as somewhat flat or underdeveloped, which was surprising given the strength of others in the collection.
Still, even with that unevenness, I’m glad I read this. Smith has a sharp and curious mind, and her ability to toggle between the cosmic and the deeply personal is impressive. I didn’t love every single poem, but the collection as a whole gave me a lot to sit with. I’d recommend this to readers who enjoy meditative, idea-driven poetry, especially those interested in themes of existence, spirituality, and human vulnerability.
January 4, 2014
Move right along, nothing to see here. I expect so much more out of Pulitzer Prize winning book. It flabbergasts me how something like Life on Mars won? The book is ridden with clichés and horrible metaphors; high school senior level verse.
He leaves no tracks. Slips past, quick as a cat. That’s Bowie
For you: The Pope of Pop, coy as Christ. Like a play
Within a play, he’s trademarked twice. (page 19)
Seriously? Like SERIOUSLY? “quick as a cat..coy as Christ?” What is so coy about the Messiah?
More cliché’s :
o play within a play
o mi casa es su casa
o Watching the cream disperse into their coffee/ Like the A-bomb
o ...shot through like ducks
o …like a kettle about to blow
Need I go on? I’m sorry. If this is the height of poetry in the United States, no wonder people are becoming more and more illiterate. With the exception of a poem or two, and a few passages, this is quite a forgettable collection. I don’t see what the hubbub is. It’s a mixture of mundane with some philosophical tinkering and a dash of the personal.
The strongest few lines are found in section 2. of the title poem Life on Mars. It recounts some of the horrors where Joseph Fritzl kept his daughter as a sex slave for 24 years.
He leaves no tracks. Slips past, quick as a cat. That’s Bowie
For you: The Pope of Pop, coy as Christ. Like a play
Within a play, he’s trademarked twice. (page 19)
Seriously? Like SERIOUSLY? “quick as a cat..coy as Christ?” What is so coy about the Messiah?
More cliché’s :
o play within a play
o mi casa es su casa
o Watching the cream disperse into their coffee/ Like the A-bomb
o ...shot through like ducks
o …like a kettle about to blow
Need I go on? I’m sorry. If this is the height of poetry in the United States, no wonder people are becoming more and more illiterate. With the exception of a poem or two, and a few passages, this is quite a forgettable collection. I don’t see what the hubbub is. It’s a mixture of mundane with some philosophical tinkering and a dash of the personal.
The strongest few lines are found in section 2. of the title poem Life on Mars. It recounts some of the horrors where Joseph Fritzl kept his daughter as a sex slave for 24 years.
June 4, 2018
So, I’m not a big fan of poetry because it typically goes over my head. However, there are some that have recently caught my attention due to either social media or personal recommendations. I learned about Tracy K. Smith last December when a friend shared her memoir with me. Upon looking her up, I discovered that Tracy K. Smith is the US Poet Laureate (I didn’t even know that was a thing!), and that she had published some poetry collections. I then decided to begin with Life On Mars, which won a Pulitzer in 2012.
When I started reading this collection, I was skeptical; but as I kept reading, and her words washed over me, I realized I was reading something special. Something brilliant. This collection draws inspiration from a variety of influences like David Bowie, Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, her late father, and more. The poems here are teeming with vivid imagery, pulsing with imagination and grounded in a sense of curiosity.
I really love this collection of poems, and highly recommend it!
When I started reading this collection, I was skeptical; but as I kept reading, and her words washed over me, I realized I was reading something special. Something brilliant. This collection draws inspiration from a variety of influences like David Bowie, Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, her late father, and more. The poems here are teeming with vivid imagery, pulsing with imagination and grounded in a sense of curiosity.
I really love this collection of poems, and highly recommend it!
July 12, 2016
"Everything that disappears/Disappears as if returning somewhere." (from the poem "The Universe: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack")
Riveting and heartfelt poems involving relationships, space, David Bowie, dark matter, and the afterlife. This book has been on my to-read list for a few years now, and I am grateful that I finally got around to it.
Favorites:
"The Weather in Space"
"Cathedral Kitsch"
"The Largeness We Can't See"
"The Soul"
Riveting and heartfelt poems involving relationships, space, David Bowie, dark matter, and the afterlife. This book has been on my to-read list for a few years now, and I am grateful that I finally got around to it.
Favorites:
"The Weather in Space"
"Cathedral Kitsch"
"The Largeness We Can't See"
"The Soul"
September 8, 2016
Whew. This is excellent, thought-provoking poetry. And that makes it too much for me -- it takes way to much processing power to pour over the layers -- deep layers -- of meaning in each poem. But they are beautiful (although I prefer rhyme as well as scansion) and meaningful and even occasionally fun. Highly recommended to the poetry aficionado.
August 24, 2015
Review: On August 8th I reviewed Tracy K. Smith's memoir, Ordinary Light and after awarding it five stars and opining that in my 75 years I had never read a memoir that gifted me with greater satisfaction, I indicated that in my next review, the subject would be her Pulitzer Prize Winning book of poetry, Life On Mars, which I was reading slowly along with Tracy's memoir.
Now, to begin, I must confess that I felt uncomfortable awarding a book of poetry that won the Pulitzer Prize only three stars. I mean, in my 75 years, despite much effort, I have only had 23 poems accepted by various literary journals, while all 3 of Tracy's books of poetry have won major awards. So that being the case, how can little old me judge a Pulitzer Prize Winner? Well, after much thought, I reminded myself that no one comes to a book of poetry wanting to love it more than I do, because I love poetry dearly. And secondly, I have always believed that the purpose of language is to communicate. So, given those "credentials," my opinion remains that only three stars were warranted.
There are 33 poems forming Life On Mars, and only 2 of them, The Good Life, and Song, fully resonated with me, and by this I mean that I felt that I fully understood what the subject was and the message that Tracy was communicating about it. In reading 12 others, I was able to clearly grasp the subject, but was not able to fully understand what Tracy was sharing with me about it. And as for the remaining 19, I was fundamentally lost.
In all cases I read and re-read the poems several times, both silently and aloud, in an effort to fully appreciate them, but only with the limited success I described above.
Tracy's ability to use language to create beautiful and meaningful images is clearly demonstrated, some of my favorites being: "a downpour of days," (in Winter) "stars glisten like ice," "clouds muddy as cold coffee," and (while daydreaming) "In deep concentration, I tell time to get lost." However, while her gift of language is most impressive, with the exceptions I referred to above, I did not come away feeling that I had gained fresh insights into life experiences, or a different and unique angle from which to view them. As a result, I cannot recommend this book in spite of my great admiration for Tracy's accomplishments, as well as her prose.
June 11, 2014
Sci-Fi poetry? Yes, please!
I really enjoyed this collection in two different modes: Pt. 1, the 'sci-fi' part, is a blast to read. Playful and sincere and deepdark like the universe and awash in pop culture. The dad opus in part 2 destroys hearts. The whole collection is unguarded, and that's where the gold is.
I also l-o-v-e-d "Savior Machine", with:
I really enjoyed this collection in two different modes: Pt. 1, the 'sci-fi' part, is a blast to read. Playful and sincere and deepdark like the universe and awash in pop culture. The dad opus in part 2 destroys hearts. The whole collection is unguarded, and that's where the gold is.
I also l-o-v-e-d "Savior Machine", with:
I spent two years not looking
Into the mirror in his office.
Talking, instead, into my hands
Or a pillow in my lap. Glancing up
Occassionally to let out a laugh.
Gradually it felt like a date with a friend,
Which meant it was time to end.
Two years later I saw him walking
Up Jay Street into the sun. No jacket,
His face a little chapped from wind.
He looked like an ordinary man carrying
Shirts home from the laundry, smiling
About something his daughter had said
Earlier that morning. Back before
You existed to me, you were a theory.
Now I know everything: the words you hate.
Where you itch at night. In our hallway,
There are five photos of your dead wife.
This is what we mean by sharing a life. Still,
From time to time, I think of him watching me
From over the top of his glasses, or eating candy
From a jar. I remember thanking him each time
The session was done. But mostly what I see
Is a human hand reaching down to lift
A pebble from my tongue.
May 29, 2015
For my first run-through (books of poetry always deserve multiple readings), I was very impressed with this award-winning collection of poetry. The most notable facet of these poems is its utterly perfect rhythm. It was impossible for me to read this book silently. Every word wanted to be read aloud; so as I spat out sentence after sentence, Smith seemed to be proving just how well she understand the English language. These poems were at turns punchy and reflective, but every one left me startled by its understanding of the world around me—only she makes that world appear a lot larger and filled with more mystery.
My favourite was oddly, the very first poem, "Sci-Fi." That was the one I wanted to immediately share with my high school students. "My God, It's Full of Stars," of course, is an impressive piece of work, and "The Universe as Primal Scream" was a stunner, too.
Tracy K. Smith is a first-class poet, and I'm better off having read her work. She's officially on my radar. (Thanks, Tess!)
My favourite was oddly, the very first poem, "Sci-Fi." That was the one I wanted to immediately share with my high school students. "My God, It's Full of Stars," of course, is an impressive piece of work, and "The Universe as Primal Scream" was a stunner, too.
Tracy K. Smith is a first-class poet, and I'm better off having read her work. She's officially on my radar. (Thanks, Tess!)
April 19, 2018
This was good, but I am currently really bad at appreciating poetry. So, I will happily revisit this after a little poetry education regimen.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,254 reviews