A review by sophie_hboff
Aphrodite Made Me Do It, by Trista Mateer
2.0
I always feel terrible disliking someone's book of poetry simply based on the fact it falls into the realm of "Instagram poetry." I wrote this in my review on [b:The Flame|37941942|The Flame|Leonard Cohen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1528831218l/37941942._SX50_.jpg|59667642], but I believe that as soon as we start putting boundaries on what poetry can and cannot look like, we put walls on self-expression.
Poetry, to a lot of people, and to myself, is a powerful form of finding your own individual voice. I truly believe that the main purpose of poetry has little to do with the reader, and more to do with the writer. There are so many poems in this book that come from a place of trauma, and pain: I don't want to trivialize how important it is to write about these things, and make yourself feel heard. Because that is extremely powerful.
The Aphrodite parts of this collection were extremely rich and raw. The rest, although more personal, were less resonant.
I write this review because the style of poetry wasn't my cup of tea. Because it wasn't. I didn't enjoy it but I won't make fun of it because I know how close to the heart poetry is to the ones that write it. I think the subjectivity of poetry is what makes it hard to review. I personally just feel that the new wave of poetry is something that I can't connect with. I don't like the simple, one-lined sentences that serve more as generic statements or affirmations, lacking symbolic depth.
The content of the poems, and the use of Greek mythology, was beautiful however, and I think that overall Mateer is gifted with words.
It makes me happy to read poetry even if I don't enjoy it. Because it means people being vulnerable and meditating on their own feelings and experiences. And to me, that is almost always a good thing. :)
Poetry, to a lot of people, and to myself, is a powerful form of finding your own individual voice. I truly believe that the main purpose of poetry has little to do with the reader, and more to do with the writer. There are so many poems in this book that come from a place of trauma, and pain: I don't want to trivialize how important it is to write about these things, and make yourself feel heard. Because that is extremely powerful.
The Aphrodite parts of this collection were extremely rich and raw. The rest, although more personal, were less resonant.
I write this review because the style of poetry wasn't my cup of tea. Because it wasn't. I didn't enjoy it but I won't make fun of it because I know how close to the heart poetry is to the ones that write it. I think the subjectivity of poetry is what makes it hard to review. I personally just feel that the new wave of poetry is something that I can't connect with. I don't like the simple, one-lined sentences that serve more as generic statements or affirmations, lacking symbolic depth.
The content of the poems, and the use of Greek mythology, was beautiful however, and I think that overall Mateer is gifted with words.
It makes me happy to read poetry even if I don't enjoy it. Because it means people being vulnerable and meditating on their own feelings and experiences. And to me, that is almost always a good thing. :)