Title: Poetically Speaking: Artistically
Author: Thelma Cunningham
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1-5434-3848-9
Pages: 290
Genre: Poetry
Reviewed by: Ella Vincent
Pacific Book Review
Poetically Speaking: Artistically is a collection of poems that speak about the many aspects of love, romance, and faith. Thelma Cunningham has written a poetry collection that readers will find entertaining and heartwarming as well.
Poetically Speaking covers a range of topics, including the heartbreak of love. In poems like “Swore” the narrator laments a lost love: “I was deceived by love/I gave my best and when this one ends/This is surely enough and I say to you heart/never, never again.” In other poems like “I Love You” the narrator expresses her affection for a partner: “I love you because/ Your thoughts are beautiful/ Your actions are kind.” The poems about a wedding day and the narrator’s husband are also very romantic. The text has poems about God and faith. Additionally, she mixes Bible verses such as The Beatitudes into the text to focus on her faith, a recurring theme in the book. Poems such as “Stairway to Jesus” show a narrator’s faith and devotion to her Christian beliefs.
Cunningham also writes about topical issues like the death of Trayvon Martin in poems like “Who Was I” and “The Hoodie”. Another poem, “Black Lives Matter” movingly lists the names of African-Americans killed by police and asks for a nonviolent response. “Love/Care/Serve God/United for the Good is the Goal.”
Cunningham’s writing is poignant and evocative. Her writing in poems like “Here Comes Spring” offer vivid descriptions about the seasons of the year that will have readers easily imagining the flowers blooming in spring or ladybugs crawling on flowers in the summer. Cunningham has written numerous poems, but they are short and memorable with the optimistic and inspirational verses.
Poetically Speaking would be best for readers who are fans of poetry of Maya Angelou. Cunningham’s poems about love and faith are similar to Angelou’s, especially in her tribute to Angelou, “Maya.” Cunningham’s poems would be great for fans of Nikki Giovanni, another African-American poet who wrote classic poetry about love. The book would also be best for readers who want to read spiritual or Christian-based texts. Additionally, the book could be for readers who want to explore poems about modern topical events as well.
Poetically Speaking is a poetry collection which readers can easily relate to and enjoy. The book will have inspiring poetry for readers to love.
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