Holding On and Then Letting Go- A Book of Assorted Poems

A woman holds the glass door open, waits patiently for my empty body to pass through. All day it continues, each kindness reaching toward another — a stranger singing to no one as I pass on the path, trees offering their blossoms, a retarded child who lifts his almond eyes and smiles. Somehow they always find me, seem even to be waiting, determined to keep me from myself, from the thing that calls to me as it must have once called to them — this temptation to step off the edge and fall weightless, away from the world. This is the second one I have read and I would like to read the rest.

Risking Everything: 110 Poems of Love and Revelation

He always introduces me to new poems and poets. Also he usually includes poems that I already know — however the context of his collections helps me to see those poems more clearly. It was good to see these both again along with other favorites. I know that many of us have had teachers who meant well, but who taught us that poetry is hard and we need to work to understand what the poet meant. Instead of working, I read poems out loud, slowly. If they hit a nerve or make me happy, I might read them again. If not, then I move on the next one.

I know that not every poem is for every reader. I will be visiting with this book again. I hope other readers will try it. Aug 09, Jon Tupper rated it it was amazing Shelves: It's on my nightstand. It's a healing set of amazing writing. Some of these poems, that I read occasionally before trying to rest, simply stop my mind. Jul 07, Sasha whispersofthesilentwind rated it liked it. I didn't connect or like the flow of most of them. There were some gems in here but most were kinda 'eh'. Jan 26, AnandaTashie rated it it was amazing Shelves: The introduction states, "Yet it is precisely the crack in our lives that can let the light pour through.

I didn't love all of the poems, but I liked a majority, and truly deeply fell in love with a good number. The collection featured some favorite poets like Mary Oliver, Rumi, and E. Also, lines like these: Jan 28, Joy rated it really liked it Recommended to Joy by: Tracy the yoga instructor. My yoga instructor often reads a poem or an excerpt from this book during shavasana, and everytime I'm quite moved. It's filled with the classic poets and contemporary poets, the famous and less well-known.

Risking Everything: Poems of Love and Revelation by Roger Housden

Poetry is a great cleanser of the palate in between books, in between moods, late at night. I love the following poem so much, and it's one that found me a long time ago, and then burrowed its way into my sleeping mind, and then found me again. A Blessing by James Wright Just off the highway to My yoga instructor often reads a poem or an excerpt from this book during shavasana, and everytime I'm quite moved. And the eyes of those two Indian ponies Darken with kindness.

They have come gladly out of the willows To welcome my friend and me. We step over the barbed wire into the pasture Where they have been grazing all day, alone. They ripple tensely, they can hardly contain their happiness That we have come. They bow shyly as wet swans. They love each other. There is no loneliness like theirs. At home once more, They begin munching the young tufts of spring in the darkness.

I would like to hold the slenderer one in my arms, For she has walked over to me And nuzzled my left hand. She is black and white, Her mane falls wild on her forehead, And the light breeze moves me to caress her long ear That is delicate as the skin over a girl's wrist. Mar 05, Kitty rated it really liked it. Sometimes it is a relief to have an anthology instead of constant reading of tottering piles of books, magazines and an overwhelming sense of futility.

And with a title, in brackets, "risking everything" I appreciate the efforts of Roger Housden to put in one volume the poem which respond to the Mary Oliver quote that prefaces his introduction. May 17, Jennifer Gilbert rated it it was amazing. I bought this on a whim and it's now one of my favorite books. If you know anyone going through a hard time or a big transition, this makes an especially great gift If you long to be inspired by something richer than your typical essay but have found poetry too inaccessible or cumbersome in the past, this might be the collection for you; there are some truly I bought this on a whim and it's now one of my favorite books.

If you long to be inspired by something richer than your typical essay but have found poetry too inaccessible or cumbersome in the past, this might be the collection for you; there are some truly gorgeous poems in here that aren't much more difficult to understand than straight prose. Best of all, the overall tone of the book, including the touching introduction, urges you to live larger, more boldly. Mar 12, Lauren rated it it was amazing.

If I could give this book a thousand stars, I'd still want to give it more--it's absolutely my favorite book of poems ever, and I am very picky about compilations, even when they're the best of from a single author. I usually feel that having more than 25 or so poems in one book is overwhelming and I end up not really reading any of them, but this book keeps me fascinated and moved over and over again.

I bought it on an intuitive hunch, I've slugged it around so much that I've lost it and then b If I could give this book a thousand stars, I'd still want to give it more--it's absolutely my favorite book of poems ever, and I am very picky about compilations, even when they're the best of from a single author. I bought it on an intuitive hunch, I've slugged it around so much that I've lost it and then bought it again.

If I could only have one book in the whole world, this would be it--it's really that good. Jan 31, Damon Brandt rated it really liked it. A friend of mine gave me a snippet of a Mary Oliver poem. I liked it so much that I went looking to read more. So, I spent a lazy cold Sunday afternoon reading poetry from this book. Many of the poems I liked, some I did not like and a few I will revisit many times over.

Roger Housden writes that"Great poetry happens when the mind is looking the other way and words fall from the sky to shape a moment that would normally be untranslatable. A very good A friend of mine gave me a snippet of a Mary Oliver poem. A very good read for a cold winter day in the warmth with a hot cup of tea. May 18, Madeline rated it really liked it Shelves: A very nice collection of poems, and by a good mix of modern and contemporary authors. Most of them are deep, beautiful, touching, etc, and then some are about oatmeal.

Its consistency is such that it is better for your mental health if somebody eats it with you. That is why I often think up an imaginary companion to have breakfast with. Possibly it is even worse to eat oatmeal with an imaginary companion. Nevertheless, yesterday morning, I ate my A very nice collection of poems, and by a good mix of modern and contemporary authors.

Nevertheless, yesterday morning, I ate my oatmeal with John Keats. Dec 27, Heidi rated it really liked it Recommends it for: Best read over time, pick it up, read, put it down, mull over a poem Homcoming by Wendell Berry One faith is bondage. In the trust of old love, cultivation shows a dark and graceful wilderness at its heart. Wild in that wilderness, we roam the distance of our faith; safe beyond the bounds of what we know. Show me my country. Jan 29, Meg rated it liked it Shelves: I start almost every day with reading poetry over my first cup of coffee.

This book was a satisfying collection unified by the theme of revelation and love too, meaning love in the spiritual sense. Since I do read a lot of poetry, there were many poems that were familiar to me But there were enough fresh surprises and new translations too, to keep it interesting, awakening, and "quotable". Jun 24, Monique rated it really liked it Shelves: This is a book of exquisite poetry about loss, love, revelation and inner life.

Most of the poems are touching and lead to reflection. Human nature is well represented in all its internal manifestations. The poems come from all ages and cultures, making it even more interesting to see how different cultures portray the same human emotions. There is a poem suitable for any occasion, any mood, any thought.

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I would strongly recommend this book to any poetry lover. May 30, Theresa rated it really liked it Shelves: I read a poem out of here almost every night before going to bed. Often I read a couple, because depending on the day's actions, some hit me more potently than others depending on my frame of mind. However, I haven't been disappointed with Roger Housden's choices in this book. After a rough or busy day of to-do's and should-have-done's, these poems often bring you back to thinking about the things that really matter. Sep 13, Person rated it really liked it.

While I didn't like every poem in this collection, I liked most of them, and that's saying something. This served as a great introduction to poetry and, most satisfactorily, covered a range of cultures and ideas. Housden has a sense of taste very similar to my own. Also, his introduction is worth a read. It complements his poem choices fabulously. May 08, Jessica rated it liked it Shelves: There are a lot of excellent pieces in this anthology, but it feels more like the selected works of a few poets. Robert Bly, in particular, receives a lot of attention both as poet and translator.

I would've been happier with more variety. Jun 12, Marina rated it really liked it. Roger Housden has such a talent for collecting poems from different periods and cultures and weave a wonderful tapestry of ideas, images, and emotions which "crack open" spaces for creating a life which is truly ours.

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A great discovery is the poetry of Mary Oliver, more coming up! Feb 24, Edmund Davis-Quinn rated it liked it Shelves: Some good poems, a lot that didn't hit my heart. I think I want to read more of Robert Bly. Flew through the end of this to return to library. Also reminded me I should read more Rumi. Dec 21, Melissa rated it really liked it Shelves: I love Housden's ten poems series and I was expecting this to be similar but he doesn't give explanations with each poem.

Having said that some of the poems really touched me and I will definitely be going back to this book for inspiration. Oct 18, Ron rated it really liked it Shelves: I saw this book on the bookshelf at the library and thought I'd give it a read. As with most poetry collections, there are some winners and some losers.

Feb 17, Laura rated it it was amazing Shelves: I was surprised by the number of poems I hadn't read before and the number of poems I loved. My copy from the library is full of little post-it flags marking poems I want to reread and remember. May 29, Inkberry's Quill rated it it was amazing. One of the best gifts I was ever given. I never stop wondering at the wealth of wisdom within these pages. Truly a book that every human being should possess. Nov 22, Nita rated it it was amazing. Jul 04, Rachel rated it really liked it. Some wonderful poems, a few that aren't so great.

All in all a lovely collection though. Jun 26, Geoffrey Gioja rated it it was amazing Shelves: Along with the Robert Bly edited anthology and "The soul is here Sep 19, Ward Bell rated it it was amazing. Marvelous collection of contemporary poets: May 29, SmarterLilac rated it really liked it. Great to see Dorianne Laux's strong work in here. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Roger Housden is the author of some twenty books of non fiction, including the best selling Ten Poems series. Books by Roger Housden.

Trivia About Risking Everythin No trivia or quizzes yet. Quotes from Risking Everythin Looking at the word choice of a text helps us "dig in" ever more deeply. If you are reading something longer, are there certain words that come up again and again? Are there words that stand out? While you are going through this process, it is best for you to assume that every word is important—again, you can decide whether something is really important later. Even when you read prose, our guide for reading poetry offers good advice: Mark the words that stand out, and perhaps write the questions you have in the margins or on a separate piece of paper.

If you have ideas that may possibly answer your questions, write those down, too. The poem starts with something unpleasant: Then, as we look more closely at the adjectives describing the spider, we may see connotations of something that sounds unhealthy or unnatural. When we imagine spiders, we do not generally picture them dimpled and white; it is an uncommon and decidedly creepy image. There is dissonance between the spider and its descriptors, i. Already we have a question: We should look for additional clues further on in the text.

The next two lines develop the image of the unusual, unpleasant-sounding spider:. On a white heal-all, holding up a moth Like a white piece of rigid satin cloth—.

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6. A Short Guide to Close Reading for Literary Analysis?

Now we have a white flower a heal-all, which usually has a violet-blue flower and a white moth in addition to our white spider. Heal-alls have medicinal properties, as their name suggests, but this one seems to have a genetic mutation—perhaps like the spider? Does the mutation that changes the heal-all's color also change its beneficial properties—could it be poisonous rather than curative? A white moth doesn't seem remarkable, but it is "Like a white piece of rigid satin cloth," or like manmade fabric that is artificially "rigid" rather than smooth and flowing like we imagine satin to be.

We might think for a moment of a shroud or the lining of a coffin, but even that is awry, for neither should be stiff with death. The first three lines of the poem's octave introduce unpleasant natural images "of death and blight" as the speaker puts it in line four. The flower and moth disrupt expectations: Well before the volta , Frost makes a "turn" away from nature as a retreat and haven; instead, he unearths its inherent dangers, making nature menacing.

From three lines alone, we have a number of questions: Will whiteness play a role in the rest of the poem?

How does "design"—an arrangement of these circumstances—fit with a scene of death? What other juxtapositions might we encounter? These disruptions and dissonances recollect Frost's alteration to the standard Italian sonnet form: Put simply, themes are major ideas in a text. Many texts, especially longer forms like novels and plays, have multiple themes. That's good news when you are close reading because it means there are many different ways you can think through the questions you develop. So far in our reading of "Design," our questions revolve around disruption: Discovering a concept or idea that links multiple questions or observations you have made is the beginning of a discovery of theme.

What is happening with disruption in "Design"? What point is Frost making? Observations about other elements in the text help you address the idea of disruption in more depth. Here is where we look back at the work we have already done: What is the text about? What is notable about the form, and how does it support or undermine what the words say? Does the specific language of the text highlight, or redirect, certain ideas? In this example, we are looking to determine what kind s of disruption the poem contains or describes.

Rather than "disruption," we want to see what kind of disruption, or whether indeed Frost uses disruptions in form and language to communicate something opposite: After you make notes, formulate questions, and set tentative hypotheses, you must analyze the subject of your close reading. Literary analysis is another process of reading and writing! It is also the point at which you turn a critical eye to your earlier questions and observations to find the most compelling points and discard the ones that are a "stretch" or are fascinating but have no clear connection to the text as a whole.

We recommend a separate document for recording the brilliant ideas that don't quite fit this time around. Here follows an excerpt from a brief analysis of "Design" based on the close reading above. This example focuses on some lines in great detail in order to unpack the meaning and significance of the poem's language. By commenting on the different elements of close reading we have discussed, it takes the results of our close reading to offer one particular way into the text. In case you were thinking about using this sample as your own, be warned: Plus it doesn't have a title.

Frost's speaker brews unlikely associations in the first stanza of the poem. These lines are almost singsong in meter and it is easy to imagine them set to a radio jingle. These juxtapositions—a healthy breakfast that is also a potion for dark magic—are borne out when our "fat and white" spider becomes "a snow-drop"—an early spring flower associated with renewal—and the moth as "dead wings carried like a paper kite" 1, 7, 8.

Like the mutant heal-all that hosts the moth's death, the spider becomes a deadly flower; the harmless moth becomes a child's toy, but as "dead wings," more like a puppet made of a skull. The volta offers no resolution for our unsettled expectations.

Having observed the scene and detailed its elements in all their unpleasantness, the speaker turns to questions rather than answers. How did "The wayside blue and innocent heal-all" end up white and bleached like a bone 10? How did its "kindred spider" find the white flower, which was its perfect hiding place 11?

Was the moth, then, also searching for camouflage, only to meet its end? Using another question as a disguise, the speaker offers a hypothesis: This question sounds rhetorical, as though the only reason for such an unlikely combination of flora and fauna is some "design of darkness. Such a design appalls, or horrifies. We might also consider the speaker asking what other force but dark design could use something as simple as appalling in its other sense making pale or white to effect death.

However, the poem does not close with a question, but with a statement. The speaker's "If design govern in a thing so small" establishes a condition for the octave's questions after the fact There is no point in considering the dark design that brought together "assorted characters of death and blight" if such an event is too minor, too physically small to be the work of some force unknown. Ending on an "if" clause has the effect of rendering the poem still more uncertain in its conclusions: Behind the speaker and the disturbing scene, we have Frost and his defiance of our expectations for a Petrarchan sonnet.

Like whatever designer may have altered the flower and attracted the spider to kill the moth, the poet built his poem "wrong" with a purpose in mind. Design surely governs in a poem, however small; does Frost also have a dark design? Can we compare a scene in nature to a carefully constructed sonnet?