The Art of Blessing the Day : Poems with a Jewish Theme

Rating:
Summary: "The Discipline of Blessings"
Review: Among the many blessings to be found in American literature and poetry are the works of American-Jewish writers. Jewish-American poets have been celebrated in two recent anthologies: Telling and Remembring edited by Rubin and Jewish-American Poetry edited by Barron and Sellinger. Ever since Emma Lazarus, writing in the late 19th Century, the poetry written by American Jewish women have played a large part in this literature.

Marge Piercy may well be the best of the Jewish-American poets writing today. Her work is featured prominently in both the Rubin and the Barron and Sellinger anthologies with the latter collection including an essay as well. Both anthologies draw heavily from Ms. Piercy's "The Art of Blessing the Day" which prompted me to explore the entire volume.

The book as written, the dedication states, "for all who may find here poems that speak to their identity, their history, their desire for ritual -- ritual that may work for them". The collection is, indeed, specifically Jewish but its themes transcend any particular religious commitment and reach out to those who seek themselves in a spiritual path. The broad theme of the book is announced in the title poem (from which I have taken the title of this review) as "to taste/each moment, the bitter, the sour, the sweet/ and the salty, and be glad for what does not hurt." Again "Bless whatever you can/with eyes and hands and tongue. If you/can't bless it, get ready to make it new."

I was struck by the unity of the collection. Unlike most books of poetry where the reader may pick and choose among poems, this collection is best read as an integral whole from beginning to end. The unity of the collection is particularly impressive because many of the poems had been published earlier in a variety of places.

The book is divided into six sections with themes running cross-currently. The opening section, "Family" describes the poets difficult relationship with her mother and her loving relationship with her old-world grandmother. The section on her marriage was for me the most beautiful of the book with its celebration of erotic, physical and spiritual love. My favorite poem in the third section, "repair of the world" is the poem "to be of use" which celebrates the value of the world of work. (too infrequently praised). The next section is titled "Of history and Interpretation", explores women's issues and the Holocaust, as seen from the eyes of an American, among other themes. The final two sections "Prayer" and "The Year" are based respectively on the daily liturgy used in Judaism and on the yearly cycle of the Jewish holidays including the New Year, the Day of Atonement and Passover. Her versions of the traditional prayers I found insightful and eloquent.

Ms Piercy writes beautifully, with elegance and understatement. Her poetry, with its reflections on the past and on nature and on her surroundings is informed by love rather than anger and by an effort to understand. It is a book that may be turned to repeatedly and thought about over time.

Poetry is an underappreciated art in America, even though many of our writers have shown high achievement. This book is one woman's contribution to the form.

Rating:
Summary: Treasures
Review: Marge Piercy's poems are all treasures, many people know that. Here though are particular, specific treasures that relate to her Judaism. Especially poignant and full.

Easiest though, and most precious to me, are the ones available to each of us for our own siddur of our creation. Her Nishmat is, itself alone, priceless. For instance.

Unique and invaluable!

Rating:
Summary: It takes skill, practice and our attention
Review: Marge Piercy's poems are made of the substance and stuff of life. The taste of a fresh peach, the joy of picking the first garden tomato, become sources and places of contact with the mystery of creation and the Creator! However,it takes a disciplined eye that has time to pay attention to the detail of ordinary daily events to see something eternally extraordinary. !!Piercy's has the eyes to see , the mind to imagine and the skill to tell us where, and how to look!