Word Craft ~ Prose & Poetry
Crafting Poetry One Syllable at a Time
COLLEEN’S 2020 #BOOK #REVIEWS – “a kiss for the worthy: Poetry inspired by the Walt Whitman poem ‘Leaves of Grass’ (A Love Poetry Trilogy Book 2),” BY AUTHOR, Frank Prem @frank_prem
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About this Book
Houses and rooms are full of perfumes,
the shelves are crowded with perfumes,
I breathe the fragrance myself and know it and like it,
The distillation would intoxicate me also,
but I shall not let it.. . .from Leaves of Grass
Drawing on the phrasing of Walt Whitman’s great late 19th century poem Leaves of Grass (above) Frank Prem has produced a collection of expansive and outward looking love poetry written, as always, in the unique style that allows every reader to relate.
Prem’s interpretations breathe new life into contemporary exploration of themes of love in poetry, and utilise Whitman’s original phrases to inspire a contemplation of the self in the context of landscape and the wider world:
and as they open
I realise
they are filled
with sweet perfumesgolden glory
wafted aroma
from a house filled (with the sensual)
a kiss for the worthy is the second of three collections that together comprise A Love Poetry Trilogy, with each revisiting outstanding work by stellar poets of the past to produce vibrant new collections. The first collection, walk away silver heart, draws on Amy Lowell’s deeply personal Madonna of the Evening Flowers, while the third, rescue and redemption, derives from T.S Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.
This is a new kind of poetry that tells stories, draws pictures and elicits emotional responses from readers. Just as the best poetry should.
Amazon.com
MY RECOMMENDATION
HERE is my review for book one, “Walk Away Silver Heart, Poetry Inspired by the Amy Lowell poem ‘Madonna of the Evening Flowers.'”
American poet, Walt Whitman, and his collection, “Leaves of Grass,” provided the poetic inspiration for Frank Prem’s second book in the Love Poetry Trilogy series, called “A Kiss for the Worthy.”
This author, much like Whitman, celebrates his philosophy of life and humanity written in thoughtful bursts of poetic expression. Prem describes his process of creating found poetry, wherein he chooses a phrase from the body of “Song of Myself – Leaves of Grass” as his inspiration for creating a new poem of his own making.
What follows is a deeply introspective look at love and life from the author’s perspective. I loved his poem, “espresso (no and no)” where he describes his love hate relationship with the beverage in such great detail that I swear I could smell the heady aroma of the brew.
My favorite poem was “not much left (of me).” Powerful and moving, this poem strips away all the subterfuge, revealing the naked truth behind the author’s psyche. He shares portions and pieces—traces of his soul revealing that he is simply in the end, all he can be.
As a lover of all forms of poetry, I found this collection deeply satisfying to read. I savored several bits of prose, weighing the words on my tongue, repeating them out loud. Prem augments his own rhythm creating a nice flow. Nothing is overstated or flowery. Instead, the meaning is obtained from the brevity of his word choices. My kind of poetry!
I enjoyed this collection. Many thanks to the author for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy. I look forward to the additional books in this trilogy.
MY RATING
*I follow the Amazon Rating System*
About the Author
Frank Prem has been a storytelling poet since his teenage years. He has been a psychiatric nurse through all of his professional career, which now exceeds forty years.
He has been published in magazines, online zines and anthologies in Australia, and in a number of other countries, and has both performed and recorded his work as spoken word.
He lives with his wife in the beautiful township of Beechworth in North East Victoria, Australia.
Amazon Author Page U.S.
How to Connect with the Author
BLOG: frankprem.com
TWITTER: @frank_prem
FACEBOOK: Frank Prem
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36 Comments on “COLLEEN’S 2020 #BOOK #REVIEWS – “a kiss for the worthy: Poetry inspired by the Walt Whitman poem ‘Leaves of Grass’ (A Love Poetry Trilogy Book 2),” BY AUTHOR, Frank Prem @frank_prem”
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Blessed BE!
Thank you, Colleen. I’m delighted you enjoyed A Kiss for the Worthy. Makes it worthwhile to receive such wonderful responses as yours.
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Well deserved, Frank. I’m really enjoying the brevity of words in your writing. Your poetry has strengthened in meaning. I like that. ❤
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Pingback: COLLEEN’S 2020 #BOOK #REVIEWS – “a kiss for the worthy: Poetry inspired by the Walt Whitman poem ‘Leaves of Grass’ (A Love Poetry Trilogy Book 2),” BY AUTHOR, Frank Prem @frank_prem | Frank Prem Poetry
A lovely review for this collection Colleen… a wonderful trilogy from Frank..♥
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Thanks, Sally. I’ve really enjoyed this series. Frank’s poetry has evolved into a lovely brevity of words and meaning. ❤
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Thank you so much, Sally.
F~
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Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the book of poetry, Colleen! It sounds lovely!
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Thanks, Jan. I’ve been following Frank’s series from the start and have enjoyed it immensely. <3lk
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Hi Jan. Thank you.
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Lovely review Colleen. I like how Frank’s poetry has been inspired from some fabulous lines of Walt Whitman. Wishing him great success.
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Thanks so much, Balroop. I’ve been enjoying Frank’s series. I like being inspired by classic poetry. The found poetry is satisfying to read and write. ❤
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Hi Balroop.
Thank you, so much.
F~
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Great review. Colleen. I’m intrigued by the Walt Whitman inspiration of the book.
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I like Whitman. Frank’s found poetry is all inspired by lines from the Leaves of Grass. Many poets are experimenting with this type of poetry. I think it’s brilliant. ❤
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Thank you. It was wonderful to write to him. I’ve gained new appreciation for each of the 3 poets I visited with.
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Best wishes to Frank! Lovely review, Colleen 🙂
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Thanks so much, Jessica. Appreciate the read. ❤
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Thank you, Jessica. Thanks for stopping by.
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Great review, Colleen! I also enjoyed A Kiss for the Worthy.
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Frank’s brevity of words is excellent! 😍
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Yes, it is. And I know it’s harder than it looks to pull it off well!
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That’s a fact! 😍❤️
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🙂
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Thank you, Liz.
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You’re welcome, Frank.
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Lovely review, Colleen, and wishing Frank much success. I enjoy his brevity of words and how they easily flow.
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Thanks, Francie. I couldn’t agree with you more. Frank’s poetry is lovely. ❤
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Thank you so much, Eugenia.
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Fab review Sis. I too look forward to book 3 awaiting me ❤
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Yes, I just started it. I’m working so hard on my book that I’m not reading tons at night! 🤦🏼♀️ So tired.
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Can’t imagine, lol ❤
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Thank you, Debby.
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Wonderful review, Colleen. I read Franks collection based on Madonna of the Evening Flowers and look forward to this one. 🙂 Such talent!
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Thank you so much, Diana. I’m inspired to do more through the way these first books have been received.
Looking at tackling something really big to see if I can sustain the flow and narrative (and interest for a reader).
Nice challenge.
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I agree. A great flow of words. It’s written in a way we can all relate to. ❤️
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