Frost is one of those poets who is accessible to kids (if my kidhood is a good example); the rhythm of his words is easy to slip into. I know nothing about literary criticism of poetry, but Frost’s work has always struck me as more sophisticated than it appears on the surface; there’s more there there. A young reader, or someone who just wants to enjoy the words and how they’re put together, can read it for the pure enjoyment of the language, while of course others can delve into analyzing what it all means beyond the literal.
“What Robert Was Thinking” section at the end gives a very brief synopsis and clarification for each poem included – not overburdening the poetry with too much Meaning and Allegory and Symbolism, just distilling it down and occasionally asking a leading question or two.
As always, my primary focus is on the pictures. The painterly illustrations by Michael Paraskevas are sometimes lush, sometimes spare, whichever befits each poem, and always more than just pretty, enhancing the poetry and inviting the reader deeper into the world of each verse. The invitation is emphasized by the fact that so many of the paintings are without humans, or with one human walking away, or walking in the distance, whose face cannot be seen. They’re lonely landscapes and interiors – waiting for the reader to walk in.
This isn’t just for kids.
The usual disclaimer: with thanks, I received this book via Netgalley for review.
Stewartry 