Rainer Maria Rilke: Selected Poems - Rainer Maria Rilke

Advantages: Creative, interesting, moving without false sentiment
Disadvantages: None

...to heart in his poetry, which seems to have a lot of flesh on the words, with thick descriptive power putting the reader in the heart of the feeling and experience. This book includes all of the poems from Williams' previous volumes of poems, 'After Silent Centuries' (1994) and 'Remembering Jerusalem' (2001), in addition to new ones. Some relate directly to the icon work Williams did in relation to his meditative texts on praying with icons, 'Ponder These Things: Praying with Icons of the Virgin Mary' and 'The Dwelling of the Light: Praying with Icons of Christ'. There is also a selection of some of his translations from German and Welsh. - - - - -First Set- - - - - Williams didn't order the poems in a particular sequence, but rather put them together in groups. The first set is without title, and consists of many... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: none
Disadvantages: can't read it

...if you are a fan of reading german poetry then i would not recommend this. rilke wrote in prague, but is always put in second place on the great prague writers to Kafka (Kundera is also pushing for a place), and is deservedly there. he is difficult to follow. if you want to read simialr poetry, but which is better, read Baudelaire - it is much more rewarding. as regards german poetry he is rather inaccessible. poets like hienrich heine are far better. he is funny and at least when he writes of love and women it is with a touch of ironic honesty. i find rilke too concerned with himself and not concerned enough with his reader. but then again that culd be what he was trying to do. make your own choise and good luck!... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Genuinly touching poetry
Disadvantages: Bleak and a little obtuse

...I read this as part of my English Lit A-Level and loved it. Plath is a truly great poet and her poetry is at times heart breaking. Selected Poems includes most of her best work like Ariel and Lady Lazarus as well as some other gems such as Winter Trees. Her poetry often uses images of nature and it mainly refers to her life or moods. This means that it can help if you know a little bit about Plath before reading it. My favourite poem in this collection has to be Lady Lazarus. The poem is long compared to some others of hers but it has a real beauty about its language that makes up for this. The meaning is a little obtuse but so is much of Plaths work and readers would do better to simply listen to the flow of words and admire her talent. Plath can be to bleak for everyone's taste and you couldn't call her an uplifting poet... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful