Selected Poems Book

(Is probably closer to 4.5/5, but worth rounding up)

CK Williams is a wizard-- I don't know if I would recommend him (or this volume) to a person who isn't interested in poetics; popular poets are popular for a reason, and Williams never got a ton of widespread fame. However, he won lots of poetry awards, and for good reason. His trademark style with long, almost prose-like lines, is a beautiful structure for his work. This volume stitches together poetry from throughout much of his career, showing his artistic evolution.

Early on he was a bit more specific and political, which was fun- some of his work on the Vietnam War was great and stirring. But his best work is definitely later on, when he gets existential and personal. There's a sense of moral urgency, Williams demands that we think about our surroundings in ways that draw out a sense of curiosity and wonder. His environmental description made me smile so many times, and I've bookmarked about 7 poems (and over 15 specific quotes) to come back to in about a week just to redigest them.

Not every poem hits deep, but such is the nature of a poetry collection. My only real issue is his sometimes crude depiction of sexuality and female characters. It never feels outright toxic to me, especially in a genre where so many male writers are outright pigs to women. Nevertheless, my asexual self cringed several times and often would quickly skim through the more sexual writings..