Collected Poems: 1953-1993

A poem is a poem is a poem, right? Wrong. At least to me poetry is something that comes from within, something that's born perfect, something that doesn't need the craftsman. I know I'll draw a lot of criticism from the school of thought that swears by crafted poetry, but no, that's not my cuppa. John Updike has always passed this touchstone test of mine, more so in this collection. True, not all pieces in this volume are spontaneous, but thanks to his respect for poetry, he has segregated his poems from his "light verse." In his own words, "In making this collection, I wanted to distinguish my poems from my light verse. My principle of segregation has been that a poem derives from the real (the given, the substantial) world and light verse from the man-made world of information - books, newspapers, words, signs. If a set of lines brought back something to me something I actually saw or felt, it was not light verse. If it took its spark from language and stylized signifiers, it was."The fact that Updike understands the thick line between poetry and prose in verse, doesn't make his poems and verses any less interesting. In fact, it adds to their character.

I really love the variety in this collection. He writes about science, travel, nature, and much much more. Each poem is quite different from the others. This variation makes each poem unique and very interesting.

John Updike has accomplished a great deal in his career, but his poetry cuts to the heart of his obessions/teachings/observations on life. What a wonderful collection to behold. He makes one appreciate how poetry can once again speak to the heart as well as the mind. I highly recommend this excellent collection for poetry lovers and non-poetry lovers alike.