Thomas and Beulah: Poems
by Rita Dove
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Book Summary Information
Author: Rita DoveEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1987-09
ISBN: 0887480217
Number of pages: 79
Publisher: Carnegie-Mellon University Press
Book Reviews of Thomas and Beulah: Poems
Book Review: Excellent Read
Summary: 5 Stars
I really enjoyed this book because of the unconventional way it was written. I really admire Rita Dove's use of a series of short poems to tell a story. After reading Thomas's half of the book, I couldn't wait to read Beulah's half. The different ways that these two experience the same events, is wonderful. Every poem shows so much feeling; it makes the reader feel like part of what is going on. Once it was pointed out to me that certain symbols stay constant through the entire book, I appreciated the way it was written even more. It gives the reader something to grab onto and follow throughout the sets of narrative poems. In the poems, there is not a use of extremely difficult language. Instead, Rita Dove uses very simple language. The use of simpler words helps convey the time the events were taking place and the people whose point of view they are coming from. By this I mean that historically, because of racism, during these time period many African Americans where not even allowed an education. My favorite poem in the book would have to be "The Zeppelin Factory." In the first stanza, I love the use of the term "whale" to describe the air craft. It gives the image of this gigantic, lumbering piece of machinery. To me it also relates the hollow moan of a whale, to the moaning and creaking of the joints of the airship. The feelings of sadness in the first stanza, quickly translates to the second and third stanzas, as the airship floats out of control, and three people lose their lives. In the third stanza, the image of these tiny looking men falling is absolutely horrifying. It made me realize that I can't even imagine witnessing something so terrible. It made me feel sorry for Thomas, because he didn't even want to be part of the airship in the first place, when he had to work on it, and now he had to witness this depressing event. In the fourth stanza, the reader gets a glimpse into Thomas's feelings of the event. He seems to have feelings of guilt because he did not lose his life that day. The last stanza brings you back to now, with Thomas looking at a Goodyear blimp. When reading this poem, I experienced so many feelings, and so many images ran through my head. The poem just gave mea feeling of guilt, much like Thomas had in the fourth stanza of the poem. This one poem is a great example of how heartfelt and emotional, some of the other poems in the book are. I don't want to give the idea that the entire book is depressing. There are many poems that are lighthearted and will bring a smile right to the readers face. Even though these poems are written about events in a different era, the reader can relate many times throughout the book to the feelings and thoughts going through Thomas and Beulah's head. I would recommend this book to anyone. It is a short read that is definitely worth every second spent reading it.
Summary of Thomas and Beulah: Poems
The poems in this unusual book tell a story, forming a narrative almost like a realistic novel. Read in sequence as intended, they tell of the lives of a married black couple (not unlike Dove's own grandparents) from the early part of the century until their deaths in the 1960s, a period that spans the great migration of blacks from rural south to urban north. But this is merely the social backdrop to the story of a marriage. Two separate sequences offer two views of the couple's lives: the first, "Mandolin," consists of 23 poems giving Thomas's side, and "Canary in Bloom" gives Beulah's in 21 poems. Together they paint a detailed, poetically dense portrait of two lives in all their frailty, dignity and complexity. The collection was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1987.Poetry Books
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