Tag Archives: poems

A Review of “Dalliance; A Collection Of Poetry And Prose”

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Many thanks to JC for taking the time to review my book, “Dalliance; A Collection of Poetry and Prose”. You can find JC’s blog here, (https://nimbus432.wordpress.com/). To download “Dalliance” please visit http://www.amazon.com/Dalliance-collection-poetry-prose-Morris-ebook/dp/B00QQVJC7E (for the US) or http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dalliance-collection-poetry-prose-Morris-ebook/dp/B00QQVJC7E (for the UK).

Disclosure: JC received a free copy of “Dalliance” in exchange for an honest review.

 

A Book Review of…

 

Dalliance; A Collection of Poetry and Prose

 

By K. Morris

 

The dictionary defines the word dalliance as ‘a brief or casual involvement with something’. Such is the title of a new book of poetry and prose by author K. Morris. True to the title, the reader’s presented with page after page of short verse and story, a dalliance of each you might say.

 

But a casual relationship is far from the truth as one begins reading. Though each title can stand on its own in meaning and structure, they immediately pull the reader in and before long, you feel as though this collections written for you and you alone as your own thoughts and interpretation bleed from each page. To me, this is a sign of great writing when an author can invoke in the reader a personal relationship with his work where the reader cannot ignore where a writer’s words are taking them.

 

Each poem and each prose in this collection symbolizes a different layer of consciousness. Love’s celebrated in I Heard the Birds Sing, the poignant Listening To the Rain, the lovely simpleness of Beauty in Bleakness and Let us Go; the humorous Bird Song on an Autumn Evening, the melancholy of Sun and Rain. Further along, we see hints of depression in Be Still and the metaphysical in I Am and outright darkness in Dark Owl, Enigma, Night Terrors and the title poem Dalliance.

 

This collection has glimpses of Edgar Allan Poe, Silvia Plath and Emily Dickinson along with a nod to John Keats and William Blake.

 

For me the best way to read this book so as to get the most out of it is to first, read the book in its entirety, let the overall structure and balance of the work embrace you. Then come back for a second reading with an emphasis on each title, like a meditation if you will. From my first reading to my third, I found a subtle beauty and haunting sensation in this collection that will stay with me for some time.

 

This book would do honor to any bookshelf. I highly recommend it.

 

-JC

 

Nobody Knows This Little Rose By Emily Dickinson

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The below poem by the American poet, Emily Dickinson is deceptive in it’s simplicity. The final 2 lines arrest the attention of the reader,

 

“Ah Little Rose — how easy

For such as thee to die!”.

 

Nobody Knows This Little Rose By Emily Dickinson

 

Nobody knows this little Rose —

It might a pilgrim be

Did I not take it from the ways

And lift it up to thee.

Only a Bee will miss it —

Only a Butterfly,

Hastening from far journey —

On its breast to lie —

Only a Bird will wonder —

Only a Breeze will sigh —

Ah Little Rose — how easy

For such as thee to die!

The Rules Of Poetry

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I came across this entertaining piece on the rules of poetry while browsing the web, (http://www.improve-education.org/id49.html). The writer argues there are, in fact no rules or rather if the poet does follow rules they should be of their own making. Rules do, in the view of the writer stifle creativity, replacing vibrancy with the dead hand of uniformity.

Love In 10 Sentences

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I have been challenged by Caitlin the Teen Day Dreamer to write a poem about love,consisting of 10 sentences, each containing 4 words. Each sentence must contain the word love. The challenge also asks that I include a favourite quote about love and nominate 15 bloggers to complete the challenge. I don’t want anyone to feel obligated to participate but, if you would like to do so please feel free to link back to this post once you have completed the challenge. For Caitlin’s post please see here (https://theteendaydreamer.wordpress.com/2015/03/23/challenge-love-in-10-sentences/).

Love is a kiss

Love is a hug

Love is true friendship

Sometimes love hurts terribly

Unrequited love hurts badly

Love turns to hate

Love is joy unbounded

Love is not lust

Love ends in dust

Love can’t be defined

 

Quote About Love

 

I have perhaps cheated here by including a poem by Shakespeare which, while mentioning love is not primarily about that emotion. I hope my readers will forgive this indulgence on my part.

 

“Fear no more the heat o’ the sun;

Nor the furious winter’s rages,

Thou thy worldly task hast done,

Home art gone, and ta’en thy wages;

Golden lads and girls all must,

As chimney sweepers come to dust.

 

Fear no more the frown of the great,

Thou art past the tyrant’s stroke:

Care no more to clothe and eat;

To thee the reed is as the oak:

The sceptre, learning, physic, must

All follow this, and come to dust.

 

Fear no more the lightning-flash,

Nor the all-dread thunder-stone;

Fear not slander, censure rash;

Thou hast finished joy and moan;

All lovers young, all lovers must

Consign to thee, and come to dust.

 

No exorciser harm thee!

Nor no witchcraft charm thee!

Ghost unlaid forbear thee!

Nothing ill come near thee!

Quiet consummation have;

And renowned be thy grave!”