Quite a few poems I enjoyed
Lots of feminism and poems about princesses, love, loss and trauma

Quite a few poems I enjoyed
Lots of feminism and poems about princesses, love, loss and trauma

How much do I adore reading poetry (especially stuff that’s as powerful as Nikita Gill’s is)? The limit does not exist. How much do I still hate trying to sum up poetry collections in a concise review, even if they are comprised of moment after moment of brilliance? See previous answer. But once again, we’ll give it our best shot. I came to Gill’s poetry via her Instagram, shared (I’m sure) by one of my many weird and wonderfully witchy friends, and was immediately hooked by the powerful narrative quality of her poems, which often centred on themes of feminism, myth, and magic. Even at their most heartbreaking, her poems hold a strength in their honesty, laying bare the harsh truths of the world we live in and bringing the reader to a familiar place recognizable by all Wild Women. This collection is one of her earliest, but still spans topics and themes that will be familiar to any fan of her work will be drawn to - treading steps from the heart’s graveyards to the far reaches of the sparkling and silent stars before settling home in each reader’s own inevitably changed mind. There are so many poems in this collection that stuck to my soul, and I’m sure with subsequent re-readings my favourites will change, but there are a few that I’m sure will continue speaking throughout the years. The reminder in “Endings”, that every ugly ending sparks a magical new beginning; the ultimate Wild Woman manifesto that is “Artemis”; and the haunting rendition of a heart’s death in “Ghost Story” are just a few moments of magic held herein, but maybe the most important one is her reminder that “[we] can strive to be perfect[,]/Or you can strive to be art.” I know which one I choose; forever and always. ( )

Nikita Gill does not disappoint. These poems are full of empowerment, healing, and loving yourself. ( )

Oh poetry.

We have a sordid relationship.

I like poetry that awakens my soul and for me, that needs to have very intentional language, formatting, even punctuation. When it comes to Wild Embers, it wasn't a good fit for me. And I find it very difficult to judge poetry in this way, because I know that so many of my opinions are very objectivists. Frankly speaking, what works for other readers doesn't work for me at all. So here's what I learned from Wild Embers.

First of all, I don't think I particularly enjoy contemporary poetry. This book came highly recommended to me and while I love the person who suggested it and I love that she loves it, I didn't. I felt like I was reading the same poem over and over. Many of the poems I think I would have liked if they ended sooner. That said, this very uplifting for people who need that in their life. They felt like they could have been featured on an Instagram that posts girl power, "you are enough" messages as their brand and there's nothing wrong with that. It's just not what I was looking for. Especially not repeated over and over and over for 150 pages.

Additionally, Nikita Gill's style just didn't do it for me. I ended up losing the flow in the middle of several poems because some lines or stanzas were particularly wordy. Because of the short form of poetry, I look for each word to have significant purpose. Gill's style is more of a natural flow, train of thought method. At least, that is how it appeared to me. And a lot of people really like this, and I think it's a good way to start, but I don't feel each word bore its proper weight. Again, this is a style thing - lots of people will like natural flow poetry. It's just not something I enjoy. It doesn't hit me powerfully.

At the end of the day, there were only three poems I enjoyed. Two of them, 'Artemis' and 'Athena', are very similar.

If you're looking for uplifting, light poetry with a lot of "you are a beautiful flower" reminders (which many of us do need from time to time!!) then Wild Embers will be something you really enjoy. For myself, I think I need to start looking for a different kind of poetry. ( )