kwarehime's review
4.0
Kelly Garwood
Vecchione, P. (Ed). (2001). Truth & lies: An anthology of poems. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.
Genre: Poetry
Award(s): N/A
Format: book
Selection process: Nilsen, A. P. (Ed.). (2013). Literature for today’s young adults. (p. 199). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Review:
A teacher of poetry for more than 20 years and an editor of many anthologies, Patrice Vecchione brings together a collection of poems based on issues that consume us all: truth and lies. This anthology includes poems from a wide array of centuries and cultures that shed light on the complexities of these seemingly opposite issues, revealing that it is not always easy to differentiate between the two.
It is important with an anthology of poems to read the author’s introduction to truly appreciate what the collection symbolizes. Vecchione explains that “Basic truths such as the need for love, the comfort of understanding, the necessity to stand up for what we believe in are at the heart of being human” (p. xiii). Many of the poems are aimed towards first loves and first heartbreaks, something many young adults experience.
The poems illuminate both sides of the story, however. Sometimes lies are not just falsifications but omissions. Vecchione poses questions to the reader about what makes a lie and a liar: “If you go along with something you know is untrue, are you contributing to that lie? But what is the price of telling the truth? Sometimes it can cost you your friends, your family, even your country. Is that too high a price?” (p. xiv).
Some of the poets included are well-known: Emily Dickinson, Sir Walter Ralegh, William Carlos Williams, W. B. Yeats, and many more. Others are newer poets less recognized: Julia Alvarez, Merrill Moore, Marge Piercy, and the Crow People (a Native American tribe). The time range the poems goes as far back as the twelfth century to the present; authors from America as well as India, Scotland, Israel, Germany and all over the world are included. The organization of this anthology speaks to the time and thought Vecchione put into collecting them. A progression occurs throughout the book guiding the reader to an understanding. The book begins with a poem from The Simple Truth by Philip Levine:
“…Some things
you know all your life. They are so simple and true
they must be said without elegance, meter and rhyme,
they must be laid on the table beside the salt shaker,
the glass of water, the absence of light gathering
in the shadows of the picture frames, they must be
naked and alone, they must stand for themselves….” (p. 3).
Highly Recommend
Vecchione, P. (Ed). (2001). Truth & lies: An anthology of poems. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.
Genre: Poetry
Award(s): N/A
Format: book
Selection process: Nilsen, A. P. (Ed.). (2013). Literature for today’s young adults. (p. 199). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Review:
A teacher of poetry for more than 20 years and an editor of many anthologies, Patrice Vecchione brings together a collection of poems based on issues that consume us all: truth and lies. This anthology includes poems from a wide array of centuries and cultures that shed light on the complexities of these seemingly opposite issues, revealing that it is not always easy to differentiate between the two.
It is important with an anthology of poems to read the author’s introduction to truly appreciate what the collection symbolizes. Vecchione explains that “Basic truths such as the need for love, the comfort of understanding, the necessity to stand up for what we believe in are at the heart of being human” (p. xiii). Many of the poems are aimed towards first loves and first heartbreaks, something many young adults experience.
The poems illuminate both sides of the story, however. Sometimes lies are not just falsifications but omissions. Vecchione poses questions to the reader about what makes a lie and a liar: “If you go along with something you know is untrue, are you contributing to that lie? But what is the price of telling the truth? Sometimes it can cost you your friends, your family, even your country. Is that too high a price?” (p. xiv).
Some of the poets included are well-known: Emily Dickinson, Sir Walter Ralegh, William Carlos Williams, W. B. Yeats, and many more. Others are newer poets less recognized: Julia Alvarez, Merrill Moore, Marge Piercy, and the Crow People (a Native American tribe). The time range the poems goes as far back as the twelfth century to the present; authors from America as well as India, Scotland, Israel, Germany and all over the world are included. The organization of this anthology speaks to the time and thought Vecchione put into collecting them. A progression occurs throughout the book guiding the reader to an understanding. The book begins with a poem from The Simple Truth by Philip Levine:
“…Some things
you know all your life. They are so simple and true
they must be said without elegance, meter and rhyme,
they must be laid on the table beside the salt shaker,
the glass of water, the absence of light gathering
in the shadows of the picture frames, they must be
naked and alone, they must stand for themselves….” (p. 3).
Highly Recommend
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