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Loading... The Moon Is Always Female (1980)by Marge Piercy
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. I came across this book at random at a local used book store. From the title, I expected, fluffly, trite, possibly pagan, probably feminist poetry. A confession - I looked at it to make fun of it. Instead, I found myself moved by the first poem I read. I flipped to another random page, sure that was a fluke. The next poem gripped my heart as well. I repeated that twice more before realizing that if I didn't buy the volume, I was going to sit myself down right there and read it in the store. I took a long time to read this. I enjoyed being able to give each poem as much time and attention as it needed. I don' think this would be everybody's cup of tea, but I found it powerful, moving, and a joy to read. I really enjoyed reading all these poems—some more than others. "My mother's novel", "For strong women", "The moon is always female", "Right to life" and "Crescent moon like a canoe" in particular stood out for me. On April 2020 re-read I was struck by the powerful and evocative imagery in many of the poems. This is a readable and relaxing collection, exploring the casual in graceful and head-turning language. Mostly narrative in style, the poetry here has a constant eye to the feminine experience, to the place of the artist, and to individual independence from society and gender roles. At times, the poems seem deceptively simple, but many of them have a depth that invites further consideration and gives a nod to the irony embedded in everyday experiences. I found this collection relaxing and straightforward, refreshing in its humor and quiet depth. I'd recommend it to poetry readers, with the single warning that the first half of the book is undoubtedly the stronger portion of the book, so that while the whole work Is worth reading...the end is somewhat disappointing and plain in comparison to the beginning. Still, highly recommended. no reviews | add a review
Her seventh and most wide ranging collection. In the 1st of 2 sections, the poems move from the amusingly elegiac to the erotic, the classical to the funny. The 2nd section is a series of 15 poems for a calendar based on lunar rather than solar divisions No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)811.54Literature American literature in English American poetry in English 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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Borrowed because the title intrigued. Did not remember why I dnf'd the author's most famous time travel novel.
Was feeling dissatisfied until I finally figured out why, p. 46.
The poems are too accessible, too easy, at least for me (and I am not educated nor a snob). They've really not much more depth or sophistication than rock/pop lyrics... and they don't have the music to provide the 'hook.' Also the content doesn't particularly enchant me. The first two thirds of the book are these 'everyday' poems.
The rest is the poems about the moon, and women. I felt very much under the influence of womyn who wear henna and light candles and belong to a tribe etc... not for me.