steph_demel's review
3.0
This collection contains five volumes of Bogan's poetry, alongside a section of uncollected work. Her poetry is lyrical, dream-like, and sensuous, peopled by dark shades and ghostly images of the natural world. "Night", "Song for the Last Act", "Putting to Sea", and "Fifteenth Farewell" are particularly beautiful and richly layered with meaning.
Nonetheless, I find many of the poems in "The Blue Estuaries" difficult and inaccessible. I suspect that Bogan is one of those poets whose work one must read several times over in order fully to appreciate. While I'm certainly willing to try reading this one again in the future, I'm giving it three stars for now, largely on account of this inscrutability.
I will, however, unreservedly award five stars to her achingly lovely poem "Leave-Taking", which, sadly, is not included in this collection, but which I recommend to anyone who enjoys lyric poetry.
Nonetheless, I find many of the poems in "The Blue Estuaries" difficult and inaccessible. I suspect that Bogan is one of those poets whose work one must read several times over in order fully to appreciate. While I'm certainly willing to try reading this one again in the future, I'm giving it three stars for now, largely on account of this inscrutability.
I will, however, unreservedly award five stars to her achingly lovely poem "Leave-Taking", which, sadly, is not included in this collection, but which I recommend to anyone who enjoys lyric poetry.
jeeleongkoh's review
1.0
I found one truly memorable poem in the collection, a sharp observation transformed by a peculiar sensibility, a formula advocated elsewhere in the book but rarely followed. Even in this instance, the poem would have been better served if the last line had been removed.
Roman Fountain
Up from the bronze, I saw
Water without a flaw
Rush to its rest in air,
Reach to its rest, and fall.
Bronze of the blackest shade,
An element man-made,
Shaping upright the bare
Clear gouts of water in air.
O, as with arm and hammer,
Still it is good to strive
To beat out the image whole,
To echo the shout and stammer
When full-gushed waters, alive,
Strike on the fountain's bowl
After the air of summer.
Roman Fountain
Up from the bronze, I saw
Water without a flaw
Rush to its rest in air,
Reach to its rest, and fall.
Bronze of the blackest shade,
An element man-made,
Shaping upright the bare
Clear gouts of water in air.
O, as with arm and hammer,
Still it is good to strive
To beat out the image whole,
To echo the shout and stammer
When full-gushed waters, alive,
Strike on the fountain's bowl
After the air of summer.
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