tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883575980086212146.post2165931114416102481..comments2024-03-28T02:47:41.111-05:00Comments on Smoke & Mirrors: Literary Wives #10: Poetry!Lynn @ Smoke & Mirrorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00464153596817995684noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883575980086212146.post-29857519762615373692014-08-05T10:15:26.002-05:002014-08-05T10:15:26.002-05:00Thanks so much for stopping by, Carolyn! I evident...Thanks so much for stopping by, Carolyn! I evidently wasn't very clear in my statement regarding feminism. What I meant was that I considered all these wives to be feminists, but at varied intensities. As I stated in my reply to Kay, I read and re-read these poems over a period of two weeks trying to determine whether my initial reaction was my "true" thoughtful interpretation. I do agree Duffy is an extremely talented writer, her material is just not my favorite. So glad others felt much differently! I believe you have some new converts to her work, and that's great! I am glad I read this collection. Lynn @ Smoke & Mirrorshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00464153596817995684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883575980086212146.post-15595410788711772892014-08-05T10:09:35.132-05:002014-08-05T10:09:35.132-05:00Thanks for stopping by, Cecilia. I would totally a...Thanks for stopping by, Cecilia. I would totally agree that Duffy is a very talented writer, unfortunately, I just didn't quite resonate with this collection as a favorite read. I'm glad everyone else seemed to like it much more than I did. I always want each author to be appreciated and succeed! Lynn @ Smoke & Mirrorshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00464153596817995684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883575980086212146.post-85070250429983636392014-08-05T10:06:20.859-05:002014-08-05T10:06:20.859-05:00Thank you for your comments, Emily! Glad you could...Thank you for your comments, Emily! Glad you could determine some similarities in our reactions. I guess the term "femi-Nazi" comes to my mind when I consider some of these poems. I guess that's what I was trying to say by this comment: "To say these wives were feminists is perhaps a drastic understatement." Certainly not all the females depicted were as "militant" as others, but I do believe they all qualified as feminists, just at varying places on the intensity scale? :) It was certainly an interesting read. Lynn @ Smoke & Mirrorshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00464153596817995684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883575980086212146.post-46260698544260030862014-08-05T10:02:22.290-05:002014-08-05T10:02:22.290-05:00Thanks much for your comments, Kay! I think this e...Thanks much for your comments, Kay! I think this excerpt from my review: "Overall, I did feel these poems expressed to some degree how living with another person can become a trial on certain days, once the thrill of a new relationship has settled into daily routines," echoes your last sentence. At least that is what I meant... :) I read and re-read these poems trying to determine if they really struck me as that negative, and unfortunately, they did. But we are all different in our reactions, as evidenced by our differing reviews! :) Lynn @ Smoke & Mirrorshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00464153596817995684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883575980086212146.post-18971604748373484082014-08-04T17:06:39.450-05:002014-08-04T17:06:39.450-05:00I agree with Emily re: feminism in the poems -- fe...I agree with Emily re: feminism in the poems -- feminism and misandry are not the same thing, and mostly I felt the poems were much more personal than political. <br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883575980086212146.post-85500291261530604632014-08-04T15:52:49.461-05:002014-08-04T15:52:49.461-05:00As always it is interesting to see your view and i...As always it is interesting to see your view and insights, Lynn. I definitely saw and felt what you did. Reading some of the poems really reminded me of some conversations I have had with women friends, when they had reached a point in their marriages where they felt free to simply mock or laugh at their husbands. There was that uncomfortable feeling of wanting to hear more but feeling somehow morally wrong for wanting to hear more. I did enjoy the collection though, for Carol Ann Duffy's cleverness and writing talent.Ceciliahttp://onlyoublog.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883575980086212146.post-5205282349684542052014-08-04T10:56:30.816-05:002014-08-04T10:56:30.816-05:00It sounds like we had similar feelings going into ...It sounds like we had similar feelings going into the book, as I haven't read any poetry in a while either! I loved how although the poems were accessible, there was something deeper there. The "light" facade of the words were deceptive in the depth of the meanings portrayed. I disagree that the women were all feminists simply because they were angry or vengeful, as that doesn't characterize all types of feminisms or feminists, but I picked up on the same theme. There is certainly and underlying current of resentment toward the men in their lives throughout the collection. Could that be because the men weren't all that supportive or understanding or capable of the mutual love and respect you described? I'm not willing to pin the relationship problems the women had solely on them and their reactions to their individual situations. I think this collection aptly describes any relationship, where difficulties will arise, as you mention with this awesome insight: "these poems expressed to some degree how living with another person can become a trial on certain days, once the thrill of a new relationship has settled into daily routines." So true!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883575980086212146.post-15576470805527764182014-08-04T08:27:13.038-05:002014-08-04T08:27:13.038-05:00Interesting comments! I guess I didn't take it...Interesting comments! I guess I didn't take it as negatively as you did. I actually think Midas is considered greedy in myth, though, and I could see why his wife would believe he was stupid and greedy for making such a wish. Although some of these poems are violent, and some are lovely (particularly Anne Hathaway), I think they are more about the pain of love and the petty annoyances that drive people apart, exaggerated.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com