All the Poems

May 1, 2016

"I like to sit and pry and peer/ And poke and watch the light of fear/ Shine in your eyes...." Nearly forgotten, mostly uncelebrated, Smith's poems aren't easy to categorize. Is she feminist, humorist, or a light versifier? She draws subjects often from myth and traditional fairy tales. Acerbic and witty, many poems are dark and sometimes humorous tales of death. "My true love breathed her latest breath/ And I have closed her eyes in death/ ...She was not like other girls--rather diffident, / And that is how we had an accident." Characterized by simple diction, Smith's poems are sometimes set to music--hymns and traditional songs. Unlike previous collections, this volume offers all her published works. Their numbers are considerable, but reading is enhanced by the comprehensive introduction, as well as a biographical chronology and multiple indexes. Poems are arranged in the order of publication. Included are Smith's whimsical drawings, which enhance the spirit of playfulness, her contradictions, and her original style. Smith skewers religion, domesticity and other poets equally. "Let all the poets be gathered together in classes/ And let prizes be given to them by the Prize Asses." VERDICT This volume should place Smith's work where it belongs, solidly in the contemporary canon. It is an important addition to modern poetry collections.--Karla Huston, Appleton, WI

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