Fuel: Poems (American Poets Continuum , No 47)

Rating:
Summary: Talentless, execrable
Review: I remember a time when poems were supposed to be intelligent and well-written and creative. What has happened, that this lazy, self-indulgent, unimaginative writer has received even the lukewarm acclaim that she has?

Rating:
Summary: Nye has not forgotten the job of the poet!
Review: It is quite difficult to get through the work of many contemporary poets. So many write of themselves only, and have a tendency to go on and on...writing from the heart is one thing, but to rant incessantly is quite another. As a children's poet, I teach the importance of observing, valuing, cherishing the world around, to see it with "new eyes", and to feel free to share what you discover. It was always apparent to me that the poet's job is to "make new" what is usually thought of as ordinary, to help us to reconnect with the world and each other. This may sound idealistic, but these are the poets/the poetry I find to be most effective (effective in stirring emotion). And Ms. Nye's poetry is so effective...she finds the sublime, the painful, the curious in everything and everyone around her. THAT is poetry! I am so happy that she is around to remind us of it!! We need more poets/teachers like her...

Rating:
Summary: A positive review on one of America's favorite poets
Review: Naomi Shihab Nye is still able to find greatness in the small things. Her new book of poems, "Fuel,"reminds the reader that there poetry is all around us, on our street, in our children and even in a garden of beans. Nye's poetry is a work of surprising images and deceptive simplicity. In "Alphabet" we watch as older residents of her neighborhood who are "going up/into the air." Her writing is poignant and clears the air of stuffy, undecipherable, ego poetry. It is obvious with poems like "Messenger" and "Hidden" is that Nye's goal is to write accessible and enjoyable poetry for her readers. Nye mixes humor with clarity and subtle observations to create a grounded book of poems about life and living. "Fuel" shows us that Nye still has many stories left to tell and she has done so exquisitely in this collection.