Mary Ruefle

A career-defining retrospective by a much-beloved contemporary master.

Selected Poems

Libby G

Ruefle’s writing is like a puppy, bouncing from one toy to the next. Each line is full of energy. I firmly believe that Ruefle’s poems are not meant to be dissected. There’s no deep meaning, no deep truth to life, that you can unearth by digging through the poem with pen and highlighter. Her poems, I believe, are meant to be enjoyed as one enjoys a symphony. You listen and you feel. You can dig for treasure in her poem, but you’ll be disappointed. The treasure is the way the electric word choice draws you in and makes you feel all the wild feelings. You could spend hours attempting to connect and the bizarre and interesting turns the poems take, Ruefle does not sit on one image too long, but you will struggle to find one that makes sense. To find the connection you need to let go of being analytical and just let the feeling of the poem drive you.

Selected Poems

Reviews