Lit eZine Vol 3 | p-19 | BOOK REVIEW | We are Poetry: Lessons I Didn’t Learn in a Textbook

BOOK REVIEW

WE ARE POETRY: Lessons I Didn’t Learn in a Textbook
A Review by Khaya Ronkainen

What comes to mind when you think about poetry? Boring, obscure, high-brow, dead or the new generation of Instapoets destroying the art of poetry. Whatever you think, you are not alone. So many have written obituaries about poetry. Lately, there’s a lament for the demise of the traditional form.

While we can make our own individual assessments about poetry and its value, many of us were introduced to poetry through educational systems that presented a single narrative about what is poetry, and who can write, read or appreciate it. A narrative that persists even today, as disparities in poetry continue. No wonder it sometimes feels detached from our realities.

Poetry isn’t just about words, stanzas, or the poet. It’s about connecting emotion to the experience, a voice to the story, and spiritual beats to your heart.

Kym Gordon Moore is here to remind us that poetry is still alive, vibrant, wondrous, and inventive, in capturing joys, despairs and all the things that make us human, as it’s been doing for centuries. We Are Poetry: Lessons I Didn’t Learn in a Textbook (Independently Published, 2022) is a big book both in terms of volume and ideas. I’ll fall short of capturing the author’s vision and mission for this book.

Regardless, I consider the book a comprehensive textbook in its own right. Except, it exists to disrupt the conventional order of poetry. Because the author believes “throughout centuries there has been a one-sided presentation and exposure to the world of arts and humanities.”

The book is into divided into two parts. In part one, Gordon Moore establishes a premise; poetry as the underdog of literature. She backs up her argument by presenting the architecture and anatomy of poetry, disparities in poetry, the geographical dynamics of poets and poetry, and so on. And no, she doesn’t only present problems, but offers solutions too.

The author also highlights some benefits of poetry. Poetry as an art of conversation to bridge an understanding, a healing voice and power to fight against illiteracy. In her words:

Poetry awakens our curiosity, ignites our imagination, unveils our visions, and stirs up our emotions.

By the end of part one, the reader walks away with actionable new ways of engaging with and appreciating poetry. The author holds poets accountable too, in how they tell their stories to engage audiences, marketing and selling their works, instead of waiting to be discovered.

Poetry is a journey and each verse on that journey is carefully crafted like a sign or landmark, along the highway meandering through your heart and thoughts.

Part two of the book is all about life lessons through poetry. Gordon Moore’s own personal collection takes the reader on a journey as she explores various themes and topics. Some poems are nostalgic and some humorous as they offer encouragement, and marvel at the beauty of nature, among other things. But it’s the poems or lessons of TheraPoetry (a term coined by the author) that are my favourites because they show the power of poetry in communicating emotions that are often difficult to talk about.

In conclusion, Kym Gordon Moore is a self-professed educational advocate. She is on a mission to eradicate illiteracy and aliteracy. Her book contributes to the discourse about the accessibility of poetry to all readers and the representation of diverse voices. To me, this book exists because the author could identify a problem and an underserved market in her community. Then she set out to write a book that offers solutions.

We Are Poetry is in conversation with books such as Why Poetry by Matthew Zapruder; a call for a return to reading poetry and making poetry accessible to all readers, and Our Words, Our Worlds: Writing on Black South African Women Poets edited by Makhosazana Xaba, which examines the accessibility of poetry and the literary landscape in South Africa, among other things.

For creative writing teachers and literature professors, We Are Poetry is a brilliant teaching aid to inspire a love for poetry in the classroom. Gordon Moore, herself, facilitates poetry workshops and mentors aspiring poets as part of her community outreach.

For school librarians, this book is essential. Talk to your school board or whoever approves the budget and have this book available in your libraries.

For readers, the beauty of this book is that it offers a refreshing perspective through the lessons it presents. It’s also written in a conversational style, which makes it accessible to the reluctant poetry reader as well. So, if you find poetry boring and irrelevant, read this book!