The Carrying: Poems

I was skeptical of poetry until I read this collection! So beautiful!

I'm so pleased that she is the new poet laureate of the United States. Her poems are first rate -- deeply emotional, deeply intelligent, and also accessible.

It should not be a surprise that the writer is the current Poet Laureate of the U.S. Her poems are lovely, often lyrical, insightful and a joy to spend time with each line in each poem. Her poems easily open the heart and the eyes, each truly a delight to read and to read again.

I heard Ada Limon read "Wonder Woman" on the radio, and was so moved by it, that I had to pick up the book. The collection is, to borrow a metaphor from a previous reviewer, a thunderstorm. It is slow to start - the first 18 poems didn't really grab me or really capture my imagination. But like a storm, the pressure builds until there is a tremendous release and torrent. So, too, here, as the remaining two-thirds of the collection really hit me where I live. Among my favorites are her "The Contract Says: We'd Like the Conversation to be Bi-lingual" in which Limon writes,"When you come, bring your brown-ness so we can be sure to pleasethe funders. Will you check thisbox; we're applying for a grant.Do you have any poems that speakto troubled teens? Bilingual is best. ..."Several of her poems seem to be of a more personal nature, which I struggled connecting with. Those that touched on issues of politics, race, gender and broader descriptions of relationships and life resonated more with me - like "Wonder Woman" and "Instructions on Not Giving Up":"More than the fuchsia funnels breaking outof the crabapple tree, more than the neighbor'salmost obscene display of cherry limbs shovingtheir cotton-candy colored blossoms to the slatesky of spring rains, its the greening of the treesthat really gets to me ..."I am glad that I pushed through the first section of the collection - the images, the perspectives, the emotions that Limon stirred in me through her poems were why I read poetry in the first place: they capture moments in time and open a door through which I can connect with the poet. A beautiful anthology.

Not every poem in this book resonated with me, but the ones that did were AMAZING! Definitely worth reading. 4/5

This collection includes topics about fertility, chronic illness, nature, the different parts of the US, family, love and relationships. Some feel like they were painfully ripped from the author’s soul, others have a bit of a humorousness to them. Very much enjoyed this collection.

This is a voice that is worldly wise, and I mean wise in the sense of cherishing her world. A voice engaged in nurturing that world. This is a voice whose owner is uncertain about her own strengths, a modest, sometimes almost self-effacing voice. This is an earth mother’s voices and the voice of a woman who is childless. But she cannot help but nurture nature, cherish her mate, bond with the sparrows over birdsong. This is a writer who loves language with a giving, generous spirit, giving life to her ideas and emotions, and allowing them to breathe. I look forward to reading her other collections. She picked me up and returned me to the ground, hence carrying me to a very pure place.

The author is truly original; delving deeply into the hardest human emotions in a unique style that is both personal and universal. However, I struggled with the weight of unrelenting bleakness.

I loved everything about this poetry book. From beginning to end, from the middle, from the top to bottom. If I could give it ten stars I would. I folded so many pages to go back to read the poems. Most of them touched me deeply and I felt a connection to them. It's rare these days that happens. This is a special poetry book to keep close. I highly recommend it.

Really good book, great value, would definitely recommend

I devoured these and then bought her previous book. Just great.