As someone who hasn't delved into poetry for years, this book was a surprising and refreshing read. Despite my initial reservations, I found myself easily understanding and, more importantly, connecting with the author's ideas and emotions.
The author expressed her tragedies, joys, and struggles with self-image, perceptions of what she should be or could be, and belief in her own potential to achieve and move forward in life.
I was surprised, although I should not have been, that some pieces of poetry encapsulated a concept or emotion and were very short, while others were longer and expanded to capture a scene or relationship. The language was simple, not convoluted, and did not attempt to use exotic words or arrangements.
I can see this as a model to follow in my own efforts at writing poetry. I feel that I have to figure out what exactly poetry is supposed to be and how it should look and feel. Sometimes, I think that anything goes when it comes to poetry, but there must be rules and a direction to follow that will lead to a high summit of achievement attained through practice and effort. Someone recommended I use Frances Mayes's book The Discovery of Poetry as a self-instruction guide. I am making an effort at writing my own poetry to express ideas and emotions felt by characters from my novels.