This is a collection of poems that are very readable. With poetry, I tend to find that some resonate more than others and this is the same with this collection. There is a nice introduction from the author who gives some information about who he is and where he has come from and why he writes as he does.

There were some poems that I didn't always understand, but even these I did find had some wonderful sentences in them. They are emotional and simple at times but with a rich use of language. A real treat for those who like to sit and think about things as they read, a thought-provoking collection indeed.

The poems are observations of people and the world around us, nature is a prominent feature. Having the poems set in one area made for interesting thoughts from the author.

I like this a lot and if you like a more getting back to nature and emotional aspects then this is one that you may enjoy, I did and I would happily recommend it.

"The Greenwood Poet" was an interesting collection of poetry based around the Greenwood Cemetery. This collection was gothic and full of metaphors, but I found they just weren't my cup of tea.

This was an interesting read! I don't believe some of the metaphors came across the way the author intended. I also don't believe the metaphor concerning being a man who has become impregnated by his love for poetry and is giving birth to his poems will be received well by a female audience.

Greetings from Tokyo! It felt fitting to write this post in the place I read this book. Most of my reading took place on trains and the metro and it was perfect for it. The poems were great bit sized portions for reading of the train and made it such a pleasant experience.

My favorite poem out of the bunch was Threnody for Granny, I might be biased because it had my name but I could feel the emotion the author was feeling while writing it. I loved the imagery and the sadness that comes from writing about someone you love who has passed. Beautifully written and I know these poems will stay with me for life.

Final Thoughts: Overall, I love the theme of poems all written in one location, you can tell how much the author cared about Greenwood and the impact a location can have on your life and the lives of others.

Disclaimer: Thank you Netgalley and Vale for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“The Greenwood Poet” was an intriguing collection of poems based around the theme of the Greenwood Cemetery. I found some poems resonated with me while others proved to be too obtuse for me. If you enjoy gothic symbolism, or reflections on humanity, memory, and New York City, you may find this collection interesting to peruse.

Hum - poetry, not my thing and yet… The blurb states that the author spent two years looking around the Green-Wood cemetery "America's oldest and greatest rural cemetery". Here he uncovered "stories of love and loss, stories of shipwreck and tragedy" and met Fae creatures. The idea of this book really appealed to me.

I read it gently over a period of time and it often allowed my thoughts to bubble up. For example that in a graveyard life as well as death can be seen or felt at least. Equally that time has no purpose in a graveyard so millennia can be considered and if the world can be seen in a grain of sand then there is plenty of space for things of this world and others in the Green-Wood. I am grateful to the author for taking me on a personal journey here.

Certainly some of the poems I got and they resonated with me. Some simply seemed strange. I think from the UK side of the pond some words/aspects are rather USA specific and that sometimes interrupted my reading of the poem.

The poems/lines that worked well were really great. Some were "stream of consciousness" type things. An example would be Anti Rebellion which was great in places and lost me in others. An example of one I did enjoy would be the "Sonnet of a Siren's Sorrow". I liked the Gothic nature of it too. Equally I thought "Oh Barren Womb" was well crafted.

Reflecting on this I think the shorter poems had more punch for me than some of the longer ones. It takes hard work to get short stories to work well and maybe that applies to poems too. I found parts of this enjoyable however I'm not sure it delivered quite what I'd hoped for.

I'm usually a fan of poetry, and open-minded when it comes to style. Add to this the fact that the subject matter of this collection is absolutely my cup of tea, and you'd think this book would give me great joy.

Alas, not so.

Poetry needs to draw the reader in, speak to their emotions, and make them feel a connection of some sort with the poet and the thing of which they write. The poetry in this collection, sadly, could not hold my attention past the first few lines of each piece. The never-ending sentences make these poems difficult to read, difficult to find a rhythm that allows the lines to make sense.

This one may be just what some people want, but it was not for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Vale for the chance to read and review this!

Unfortunately this collection was absolutely not for me and I didn't like it!

The Greenwood Poet offers an interesting, modern take on heroic metered poetry. While a bit convoluted at times, it is worth a read for the subject matter and its inclusion of fantasy elements.

I was given a copy of this by Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

'The Greenwood Poet spent two years spelunking the archive, grounds, and barrows of Greenwood Cemetery - America's oldest and greatest rural cemetery. While there, he uncovered stories of love and loss, stories of shipwreck and tragedy.'

Not my favorite kind of poetry; rhyming, singsong style. Didn't suit the subject.