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The Complete Poems to Solve
description
A selection of the author's poetry, largely dealing with nature, which challenges the reader to guess the subject of each poem or a meaning not immediately obvious.
awards • reviews
The Hungry Mind Review, Children's Books of Distinction Award
The National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval
From School Library Journal
(Grade 5 Up) "A characteristic of all poetry," writes Swensen
in her introductory essay," . . . is that more is hidden in it
than in prose." That belief is obvious in both the title and in each of the selections found here. With one exception, the
72 poems appeared in the previously published Poems to
Solve (1969; o.p.) and More Poems to Solve (1970; o.p.,
both Scribners) and provide a major representation of the
work of one of America's leading poets. The sly riddle poems will appeal to children. Many, like "Living Tenderly," can be pleasantly decoded with a little effort. Others are more demanding: "An Extremity" begins: "Roused from napping in my lap,/ this nimble animal or five-legged star/ parts its limbs sprat-wide" (a hand). The sophisticated tone and challenging vocabulary will require readers' full attention; but with sensitive presentation, the magic of the poems will be accessible to a broad audience.
—Lee Bock, Brown County Public Libraries, Green Bay, WI
The National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval
From School Library Journal
(Grade 5 Up) "A characteristic of all poetry," writes Swensen
in her introductory essay," . . . is that more is hidden in it
than in prose." That belief is obvious in both the title and in each of the selections found here. With one exception, the
72 poems appeared in the previously published Poems to
Solve (1969; o.p.) and More Poems to Solve (1970; o.p.,
both Scribners) and provide a major representation of the
work of one of America's leading poets. The sly riddle poems will appeal to children. Many, like "Living Tenderly," can be pleasantly decoded with a little effort. Others are more demanding: "An Extremity" begins: "Roused from napping in my lap,/ this nimble animal or five-legged star/ parts its limbs sprat-wide" (a hand). The sophisticated tone and challenging vocabulary will require readers' full attention; but with sensitive presentation, the magic of the poems will be accessible to a broad audience.
—Lee Bock, Brown County Public Libraries, Green Bay, WI
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