Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #150850 in Books
• Published on: 1997-06-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 88 pages

Customer Reviews

"Straight to the point can ricochet"
This set of books frighten me. Both are powerful and wonderful and deserve your immediate and lasting attention. The poems are not new, they are a themed selection. Interestingly enough placed in seperate but equal volumes.

The Stream and the Sapphire is a selection of poems that elucidate the growth of Denise as a Christian. And an exciting growth it is. My favorite of the moment are words I use as prayer: "How can I focus my flickering, perceive at the fountain's heart the sapphire I know is there?"

The Life Around Us is subtitled "selected poems on nature". In "A Reward", we live a harried day with the narrator and watch with her as "the heron, unseen for weeks, came flying widewinged toward me."

What is probably a marketing tool, a most wise one by the publisher, is what scares me about these two volumes. In theme, the power of God is told in lush detail in both volumes. The heron in the nature selection is the holy spirit of the religious selection, and in our natural state both can and will be the same. Those brief moments of recognition of something outside ourselves.

So with these two volumes to recommend, why should I be trepiditious? The marketing folks know us so well, and as poets we cannot overcome the marketing department. "Christians" are right winged slobs that grow fat and salute the flag and make fools of themselves on TV. They have absolutely no regard for nature because they are Republicans bound and determined to destroy the rainforest. Friends of the natural world cannot be interested in true spiritual life because they worship nature, and are Democrats, and would not consider a Christian a person. A nature person is good and upright and has never done wrong, and therefore has no need of the "crutch" of Christianity.

Crass? Yep. That's why I'm scared of these two books. Because it brings out the crass nature of our commercialized economy. Everything is cut and dry - a cookie cutter product determined and produced by a media that thrives on exacting stereotypes. I can hear the salesman now walking into the Christian bookstore pitching the blue book; and the same salesman waking into the New Age bookstore pitching the green book. I'm saddened and scared that it's come to this - even in poetry. It's been with us in every other aspect of life for so many years now that I guess it had to be inevitable.

Truth is, most Christians live in a more calm life than the wild-eyed frothing at the mouth pentacostal, or the bomb-throwing fanatic at an abortion clinic. It may be surprising to those who only read newspapers and watch tv to find out that many Christians believe God commanded them to take care of the planet. And vice-versa. Not all nature lovers worship the earth as God. Not all folks who are concerned with the environment are anti-Christian. Surprisingly to the media-fed public is the fact that there are many people who love the outdoors who feel abortion is just as wrong as shooting a bald eagle or a snowy songed owl.

Not all republicans are anti-abortion; not all democrats are pro-abortion; and not all those who could care less about politics have no opinion either way. There are many varieties of individuals; and within most of us, I believe strongly, there is a wonderful mixture of all the above. Let's face it, when confronted with a child molester who just raped his child, the strongest anti-abortion catholic would probably much rather kill the man as see him live, even if only for a brief moment. Why? Because we are human.

Which brings this around from a silly sermon back to the issue at hand - Denise Levertov celebrates our humanity. We see Thomas - in some circles known as the twin brother of Christ - struggling with his doubts. We hear in other places the voice of the poet struggling with questions and wandering doubts. In the nature series we hear the narrators of the poems finding a deep peace - if only momentary, a solace - a knowledge. Read together we find these powerful insights are all one insight into our inner selves.

And, slyly, in selecting the poems, Denise was able to confound the marketing department. From the nature series: "God is imaged as well or better in the white stillness resting everywhere, giving all things an hour of Sabbath." And from the religious series: "Dull stones again fulfill their glowing destinies, and emptiness is a cup, and holds the ocean." Why not combine these two selctions of poems into one fine volume? Marketing. Sad, but true. Recently, ND published Robert Duncan's selected - 170+ pages for $12.95. By seperating Denise's poems for a perceived dual market (and unfortunately the perception is probably true), the sales force is able to sell the two slender volumes for $8.95 apiece. A few extra bucks - and because of the targeted audience - a lot more sales!

My recommendation? Confound the marketing department. Buy both books! Praise both books. And praise Denise for giving us such interesting meditations on life. If you can, then read or re-read her past volumes and experience her growth in a more natural form; but if you are in a position of experiencing her poetry for the first time, these two small volumes will be an appetizer that will send you searching to experience the flavors of The Jacob's Ladder, Evenings In Babylon, Evening Train, and quite a few more.