Above the River: The Complete Poems

Above the River: The Complete Poems by James Wright is a collection of poems that span life's ups and downs. Wright makes the mundane poetic with some beautiful turns of phrase. Above the River includes poems that are immersive and approachable as well as poems that feel just beyond reach in a way that made me reach for them. Wright's poems often feel incredibly personal and other times just as impersonal. At times, it was hard to discern the truly personal from Wright's observations of other people's lives. A group of translations in the middle of the book were interesting but still my least favorite part of the book. Some of the prose pieces in the latter part of the book left me wanting more and others were a struggle to get through. show more I was initially drawn to Wright's work because of Wright's connection to the Ohio River because I grew up on the Kentucky side of the Ohio not too far from the river, and was thrilled to see poems about the region as well as reaching well beyond. Above the River is a worthwhile collection of poetry to read. show less

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