Dark Musings continues to garner rave reviews.
Perhaps readers of Light Musings are testing their limits. While I love every person who takes the time to even rate one of my books; I was wowed by this review. Here are the highlights. Thank you Renier.
DARK MUSINGS – POETRY WITH A JUNGIAN TWIST (REVIEW)
A poetic narrative is defined as the following: “A narrative poem includes the necessary elements of storytelling. A short story must include developed characters, and a plot with action, conflict and resolution; so too must a narrative poem.”
However, once I decided to invest in “Dark Musings”, I refused to let go. I read the poem about five times. I needed to fully understand the depth with which Xtina Marie wrote “Dark Musings”.
Not only were there elements of feminine sexuality, Jungian archetypes, and totemic Freudianism, but also nuanced verses juxtaposed against valiant direct social commentary.
One feels arrested by Xtina’s “musings”, as well as trapped by the literary psyche she created.
Existential, nihilistic – at times fatalistic – Xtina manages to circumvent garden variety poetry by using all three of the above philosophical elements. I found myself being drawn to Friedrich Nietzsche’s work at several key points in the poem. Unexpected twists and magnanimous metaphors are inherent in Xtina’s work. This means that her poetry, albeit terrifying and disturbing, creates a narrative which is so subtle that one needs to reread it several times before fully understanding what can only be described as a tour de force.
I also picked up on neo-romanticism during my third reading of the poetic narrative. Xtina abandoned realism several times and forced her work to become fully abstract and devoid of the “noblesse oblige” self-indulgence of modern poets. The perspicuous similes and metaphors give the reader the opportunity to both enjoy and dissect the work on several levels. One could either read Xtina’s poetic narrative without delving into the symbolism, or one could really dig into it and bite off the true nature of this fictional psyche.
It’s potent, powerful and intense. You will feel slightly disturbed at the end. But it’s a good disturbed, a sense of knowing that you just experienced literary art.
“Dark Musings” is interesting and courageous. It could have been a disaster, especially if it were in the hands of someone who is not seasoned enough to carry the magnitude of a narrative poem.
Xtina is seasoned enough. And she knows how to write. Move over, Homer. The Iliad will have to make space for “Dark Musings” on my bookshelf.
RENIER PALLAND – Bloody Good Horror Books <<<< Click this link to see the full review.
