Title: Waiting for the Word. (Kindle Edition)Author: Malcolm Guite
Info: Copyright 2015: Norwich: Canterbury Press
Rating (on a scale of 1-4 stars): ✮✮✮ 1/2
Where Acquired: Kindle Purchase
Category: Recommended reading. I was talking to a coworker about trying to find something to read or study for the Advent season. He recommended this volume.
Synopsis: This anthology presents various poems that follow the daily path of the season from Advent, through Christmas, and up to Epiphany. Following each poem, Guite gives some insight into the poem's meaning, how it relates to the holiday, and any additional information the author felt was pertinent.
Favorite Quotes:
It is the purpose of poetry to show us something we think we already know, and in that showing, show us ‘something more’. - Location 1980
We have a shepherd who knows what it is like to be a lamb. He has himself been one of the vulnerable flock, he has been misled by false shepherds, and made victim of the wolf. And that is why he is able to wipe away the tears from our eyes, because he himself has wept them. - Location 2082
We should listen to our neighbours who do not share our faith, and do them the courtesy of taking our differences seriously, as they should do for us. But acknowledging those differences does not mean alienating ourselves from them or denying their humanity. On the contrary, we recognize one another’s needs in the very act of sharing notes on our faith. - Location 2683
My favorite poem in the anthology:
O Clavis by Malcom Guite
Even in the darkness where I sit
And huddle in the midst of misery
I can remember freedom, but forget
That every lock must answer to a key,
That each dark clasp, sharp and intricate,
Must find a counter-clasp to meet its guard,
Particular, exact and intimate,
The clutch and catch that meshes with its ward.
I cry out for the key I threw away
That turned and over turned with certain touch
And with the lovely lifting of a latch
Opened my darkness to the light of day.
O come again, come quickly, set me free
Cut to the quick to fit, the master key.
The Positive:
- I read very little poetry in school, so understanding how to read and gather deeper meaning from poetic verse was difficult. This was my first foray into the poetic genre as an adult. Guite's commentary on each poem was not only enjoyable, but absolutely necessary. I wouldn't have gotten as much out of the poems had he not included that.
- The author cites sources for the poems in the anthology. That should be a normal occurrence, but it has become a rarity.
- The anthology included a variety of poets: both male and female, classic poems and modern verses, well-known authors and obscure authors.
- The poems selected tell the story of Advent, but they weren't necessarily an overt announcement of "Hey, I'm a CHRISTMAS poem!" That gave the selections a deeper meaning.
- I thought it would bug me, but Guite throwing in a few of his own works was very fitting.
The Negative:
- The Kindle edition doesn't have real page numbers. This is a newer publication, so this seems to be an unnecessary omission.
- The author seems to view any kind of holiday ritual or tradition with derision. For example, this quote from Location 2029: "...this poem does not sentimentalize the nativity into some baby-worshipping Christmas-card vision of niceness..." Dude, really? Sure, if ritual and tradition are held in higher esteem than the Lord Himself, one should be wary. However, to me, ritual, tradition, and iconography help keep the entirety of the Advent season in mind. Guite is a tad bit too harsh on this point.
- Information about the contributing poets seemed lacking. It felt like in compiling the collection, the author assumed the reader was already familiar with the poets. I knew nothing.
Conclusion:
Though absorbing the poetry was difficult, I looked forward to each daily reading. This volume was quite engaging and ignited a desire to read more poetry. I plan to purchase Guite's anthology for Lent. Until then, I'd like to find some sort of explanation guide for the various types of poetry and how to better understand them.
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