“I’m becoming more and more myself with time. I guess that’s what grace is. The refinement of your soul through time.”
~ Jewel
I absolutely love poetry. I love reading it even more.
Oblivious to the fact that singer and songwriter Jewel had released her own book of poetry, A Night Without Armor, once I had it in my hands I began to, naturally, devour it poem after poem.
In a brisk 160 pages, Jewel delivers sweet, vulnerable, and painful poems that cover everything from the brutality of heartbreak, to the darker and lonely side of fame, to the naked truth of one’s own spirituality. I was surprised to read some of the harsh Goodreads comments about this work, because even though it may have seemed very ‘simple’ in the eyes of ‘poetry critics,’ (whatever that means) I found it to be an easy read that kept my attention.
I wanted to keep reading her thoughts after I had turned the last page. I began searching to see if perhaps she had released another work of poetry. (Turns out, she was going to release a second collection though decided not to publish it).
In all honesty, when it comes to rating books of poetry, of course, I give my honest opinions about it, though I think it’s kind of stupid to ‘rate’ it.
After all, the author is releasing personal thoughts and observations from the intimacy of their own mind, and for someone else to come along and just blandly say, ‘Well, I thought it sucked.’ Or, ‘How did they get this published?’ is somewhat ignorant to me.
I think, when it comes to prose and poetry, the best way to base your opinion about it is to talk about whether or not you felt connected with it. Whether you could see your own life experiences through the words and diction of the author’s. Whether you deeply felt the emotions described on the page as you read them.
That’s, at least, how I rate any kind of poetry I read.
You don’t have to even be a fan of Jewel’s music to enjoy her poetry. Maybe you’re not a fan of celebrity’s writing books on anything, maybe you think they should just stick to their main profession.
Whatever your opinion may be, as an avid poetry lover, (not a critic or someone with a degree in Poetry Studies (is that a thing?) or anything similar), I think that just about anyone would enjoy A Night Without Armor.
Poetry Suggestions:
- Tears For Water by Alicia Keys
- Selected Poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay
- Selected Poems by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
- Poems by Maya Angelou
- Inside A Thug’s Heart by Angela Ardis, Tupac Shakur
YouTube Channel: James Spisak
Featured image via Hollywood Reporter