Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Bradbury's Chapbook: Review


A poetical review of Ray Bradbury's A Chapbook for Burnt-Out Priests, Rabbis, and Ministers.

Dear Ray,


I nearly despaired
of you
in the writing of poetry

It's not what I expected
from one of the
fathers
of science fiction
Not even free verse


Your rhythm and cadence
threw me
I just couldn't see Moby Dick
as a giant spaceship

or Noah in the galaxy

Of course, I'm not

a Melville fan

Maybe that was it


But then--
along came "Christus Apollo"

and you blew me away

with the imagery

and the beautiful language

and "wow"--just wow

And "Joy Is the Grace We Say to God"
Love that one too
A poem about joy
has to be good

I just wish your poems
had been more even
That they all
had been as good
But there are too many
that leave me cold
or scratching
my head

Beautiful language
is your trademark--
even in the oddest of the
science fiction tales
Beautiful rhythm
should hallmark
your poetry in
every verse
Not quite


A decent little outing. And a different look at one of the founding fathers of science fiction. In this collection, Bradbury gives us his spiritual side--his belief in mankind and our place in the universe. Nearly all in free verse with some essays mixed in. Solid work...with a hint of brilliance. Three stars.

2 comments:

Yvette said...

Brilliant, Bev. Never heard of the book though I do know Bradbury's advice to writers is to 'read lots of poetry'.

Bev Hankins said...

Thanks, Yvette. It's been a while since I've tried my hand at poetry. I couldn't resist replying to Bradbury in kind.