Book Reviews: ode to poet by Annika Andersson

Trigger Warning: The book in today’s review, ode to poet by Annika Andersson, contains a poem which briefly mentions suicide. There are also portrayals of political/social views which some may find controversial. If you are triggered by such discussions or otherwise wish to avoid these topics, proceed with caution.

I want to follow up my discussion of prose and poetry with a review of another modern poetry collection. This collection is called ode to poet by Annika Andersson.

In its brief 36 pages, Annika Andersson’s ode to poet represents a wide variety of poetry topics and styles. Some of the themes discussed include the life of a poet, faults in communication, the horrid condition of humanity as portrayed on the news, and suicide. Each poem is bite-sized, creating a collection which is perfect for the busy reader looking for something to read in between shifts or while chauffeuring their children.

Andersson is definitely a modern poet. For most of the collection, her work does not follow any prescribed form or rhyming pattern. Even punctuation is irregular throughout the book, sporadic at best but always with a purpose. Andersson, much like T.A. Price, has an ear of her own and relies on it to craft her poems. Yet these poems provide a much different perspective from Price’s work, covering themes more common to city-dwellers and boasting a more “urban” voice and feel.

I think my favorite lines in this book come from “Savannah”:

 

and when I can find the time, I can’t

find the energy

 

Energy seems to be a rare commodity these days.

 

I straighten away from the mirror and

pull my hair

out of the top knot

in which it seems to permanently reside.

I have too much hair. I should really cut it.

I’ve been saying that for months.

 

Not only do I find these lines to be beautiful as poetry, I also connect with them on a personal level. I suffer from depression and, while it is mostly under control at the moment, I still have many days when energy and the will to care escape me. I believe that Andersson has captured these struggles perfectly in “Savannah”.

However, my favorite section in the collection is the second section, titled “Poetic Styles Through Time”. Andersson really flexes her writing muscles here, taking on eight different poetic movements from the late 18^th to late 20^th centuries. Better yet, she puts her own stamp on these styles and gives them modern twists.

My favorite poem from this section, from the book in general, is the one dedicated to the Harlem Renaissance style, titled “10 O’clock News”:

 

I turn on the television

Screen fills up with black and white

Static noise from indecision

Channels flash with colored light

 

–we bring news of yet another

Trayvon Martin been attacked–

Hoping praying not a brother

Son or father: family cracked

 

They deny that it’s a pattern

Claim there’s no repeat offense

But then why so many battered

But then why are we so tense

 

I turn on the television

For a transient escape

Instead greeted with a vision

Yet some more bright yellow tape.

 

In addition to the powerful message (which I know not everyone will agree with), I found the rhythm and structure of this poem particularly natural, like music, in a way. I suppose that that embodies the Harlem Renaissance, which is exactly what Andersson set out to do with this poem. I think, even more so than the other poems in this section, “10 O’clock News” best represents the era of poetic style which it is meant to imitate, and I would love for her to explore more work in this style.

All in all, I think that Annika Andersson’s ode to poet is a wonderful collection. It’s different from T.A. Price’s Bent, but the change is refreshing; I really enjoy reading a wide variety of poems about a wide variety of themes in a wide variety of styles, so going from Bent to ode to poet gave me that range of voices I’m always looking for in poetry.

As with most poetry, this book contains some debatable messages, which is fine. In fact, I think that’s preferable for any work but especially poetry. After all, the purpose of writing is to get us thinking and talking, and what gets us fired up more than topics which we passionately agree or disagree with?

You can order ode to poet in paperback through Amazon.

Do you know of any books I should read? Want your work reviewed on this blog? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com or message me on Fiverr and we can arrange something.