Jane Hirshfield is a visionary, profoundly original American writer whose poems ask nothing less than what it is to be human. Both sensual meditations and passionate investigations, they reveal complex truths in language luminous and precise. Rooted in the living world, her poems celebrate and elucidate a hard-won affirmation of our human fate. Born of a rigorous questioning of heart, spirit and mind, they have become indispensable to many American readers in navigating their own lives. Bloodaxe published her retrospective Each Happiness Ringed by Lions: Selected Poems in 2005, followed by After in 2006, a Poetry Book Society Choice which was shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize. Her latest collection, Come, Thief, centres on the beauty and fragility of our lives, touching on love, science, ageing and mortality, war and the political, the revelatory daily object, and the full embrace of an existence that time cannot help but steal from our arms. Whether delving into intimately familiar moments or bringing forward some experience until now outside words, Hirshfield finds for each facet of our lives its transformative portrait, its particular memorable, singing and singular name. 'Hirshfield's lucid poems are philosophical and sensuous, concise yet mysterious... Wittily deductive and metaphysically resplendent, Hirshfield's supple and knowing poems reflect her long view, her quest for balance, and her exuberant participation in the circle dance of existence' - Donna Seaman, Booklist, on Come, Thief. 'Come, Thief is a book of silences... a deep well full of strength and wisdom' - Dana Jennings, New York Times. 'Come, Thief is as much the accomplishment of a life in poetry as it is of a life given to inner investigation of what it means to be a human being' - Afaa M. Weaver, Orion.
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[For a few days only / the plum tree outside the window / shoulders perfection FRENCH HORN]***
(@BloodaxeBooks, 14 May 2014, first published 1 January 2011, 91 pages, borrowed from @natpoetrylib via @OverDriveLibs)
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I've read a decent amount of the author's poetry in various anthologies over the years. I've never had the pleasure of reading a full collection. I enjoyed the poems on offer here. They are well-written; make good use of imagery and are engaging at times. The main issue I had is that while at times very nice, none of the poem had much depth. I flicked past some I found a little dull. A great number of the poems are very vague and left me feeling puzzled as I didn't really grasp what the poet was getting at. I enjoyed The Dark Hour, The Lost Love Poems of Sappho and The Conversation and that was about it. I chose this collection because I loved the title but was disappointed overall. None of the poems will stay with me.
