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This is a discussion topic for the November 2023 Book of the Month, Artwords by Beatriz M. Robles.


What did you think of the poems in this book?

Like in most books of poetry, some of these I loved, and some, tbh, I didn't want to finish reading. The sexual metaphors are a little too much in some of them. However, Kidding Around, while it appeared to be sexual in nature, ended up with an awesome ending and encouraged me to keep reading. I also found the ones where she'd just circled some words from existing texts a little harder to follow.

Some of the poems are really good, some are just okay, and some don't quite do it for me. But that's what poetry is all about. The poems have an okay structure, but because they're written in such a personal and intimate way, they end up being pretty great. I'm halway through the book and so far I'm liking it!

I'm always sceptical in judging poems generally because just like art, its relatable to the beholder. Some of the poems stood out to me, some didn't frankly.

It's the first time that I'm indulging in calligram poetry, and I find it quite fascinating. I can deduce that it required prodigious effort to compose these poems, and they deserve notable appreciation. Although the sexual implications of some poems might deter sensitive readers, I have to applaud the author for the creative shift of thought that she impressively formulated.

I did like the poems, however, I was surprised by a lot of them. I felt that the sexual nature of the majority of them was a shock. Once I realized that this was her style of writing, I was able to get into the poems a little more. I liked the poems about nature. My favorite was "Clouds of Comfort" because of the wording and the picture that it made. Poetry is definitely subjective and I felt that my personal thoughts got in the way at first. I became more open minded after reading a few and found that I liked the majority of them.

I am not really a lover of poetry in any case, so just because I didn’t like it is no reason for me to judge. It wasn’t these poems in particular, but poetry in general. Most of it goes over my head.

I didn’t started to read yet. I’ll do fist thing tomorrow. I’m reading a huge book for a review.

The poems were fifty-fifty to me. Some stood out, but most did not do it for me, and I can say some have been forgotten. But thah could be because I am not into poetry, but I had decided to give this book a chance.

I found the author's writing style very confusing. I prefer straightforward poetry and not circled words.

I am not a fan of poetry, but I decided to give this book a try. Some of the poems were quite clever. You thought that you knew what the author was writing about, but it turned out that you didn't know the subject at all. About half, I would say, were sexual in nature and I would think, oh my, but then it turned out to be about something not sexual at all. Very good!

Stephen Christopher 1 wrote: ↑01 Nov 2023, 21:27 Like in most books of poetry, some of these I loved, and some, tbh, I didn't want to finish reading. The sexual metaphors are a little too much in some of them. However, Kidding Around, while it appeared to be sexual in nature, ended up with an awesome ending and encouraged me to keep reading. I also found the ones where she'd just circled some words from existing texts a little harder to follow.

I struggled with this too! I wish each poem was written in the current format and then on a plain page after. I would find that a lot easier to read and still have the art/photography to refer back to for the full experience.

Catherine Radford wrote: ↑06 Nov 2023, 05:53

I struggled with this too! I wish each poem was written in the current format and then on a plain page after. I would find that a lot easier to read and still have the art/photography to refer back to for the full experience.
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Yes Catherine, I agree with that too. I like the concept, but they were hard to read, maybe if they'd been side by side, the original and then your idea, they'd be easier to read and understand. Did you have a favorite one from the book in the end?

I have never loved poetry books at just first glance. Some seemed very nice and well written and I did notice some that took me a while to follow. Unlike the opinions here, I did enjoy the sexual metaphors used and in the end I would give it an A because most of the poems were great tbh.

Some of the poems were sexual and I found them part scandalous and part delightful. Poetry is a way for the author to share their thoughts, and I mostly enjoyed the poems in this one.