Instrumentals by Maté Jarai
Reviewed by Realistic Poetry International
With a keen sense for emotion and humanness, Jarai’s poetry artistically photographs poignant reactions to life, as in the poem, ‘before the beginning and through the end,” where he effectively uses a metaphorical style to describe and elaborate on a journey surrounding self. This selection takes us through the narrator’s rapid thought process, in which he intensifies his message by playing with the element of sound through various forms in reference to the subject of life, such as ‘rhythm,’ ‘drums,’ ‘metronome,’ ‘guitars,’ and ‘melody,’ wisely connecting the idea of 1. Living 2. Chaos, struggle/adversity and 3. Relief, calmness and the finale. The symbolic representations also reflect and can be easily linked to the title of this unique collection, ‘Instrumentals.’
Its attractive theme is compelling and pulls us in because unlike common perceptions of silence, in metaphorical terms, Jarai’s inspiring depiction makes the concept of silence the long-awaited, peaceful finale that, once and for all, ends what he calls an “anamic struggle.”
One of our favorite poems from this collection, ‘Love,’ charms us by uniting the effects of surrealism and realism as Jarai expertly dramatizes a memory he recalls from a lucid dream that is so evocative, he can still sense the kiss of the special one he dreams of once he finally awakens. The Author’s writing speaks with a tone that is wistful and makes a simple, ordinary vision engaging and intriguing. He places great emphasis on the emotional aspect of the mind and provides a transparent example of love’s potent influence.
Each thought is like a priceless gem, simply beautiful by thought, composition, and creativity. His feelings are intricately detailed and described, clearly revealing heartfelt sentiments through an ordinary prose-like language (colloquy-style) that feels practical and authentic.
Reading more into Jarai’s work, we can’t help but feel the substantial weight of unhappiness as he releases his own truth of psychological adversity, venting of often feeling overwhelmed, sinking into the pits of depression.
The Author prompts us to feel and visualize by use of compelling word scenery that supports and draws out significant underlining aspects of mental disconcertion as in the poem entitled, ‘Drowning;’ a reflective, profound, and sensory poem with a haunting disposition that depicts an ‘emotionally blue’ mind state of someone internally ‘sinking,’ but interestingly, in the midst of doing so, also finds solace in the process. He refers to this certain ‘stillness’ as, ‘quiet,’ which seems to be symbolic for ‘peace,’ or perhaps even freedom.
Jarai’s abstract and metaphorical style of writing makes reading about such intense mental experiences stimulating, and from a mechanical perspective, innovative, but also particularly meaningful. In some instances, his verbal figurative allegories involving a variety of different literary devices are like puzzles, using figurative language to explain the poem’s details instead of ordinary lingo, like when he says, “a last breath is void as the baby sharks circle the empty space in which he swam, drowned…” Overall, his twist of words and mix of metaphors certainly defines his originality as a writer and poet.
While reading this book, we also find the poem ‘reflecting on my first ink’ quite a memorable experience! In fact, this reflection is so realistic, it’s almost as if we are reading the real pages to his journal as he provides a “behind-the-scenes” glimpse into the moment leading up to his decision to finally get permanently inked (at the age of twenty-nine). But Jarai includes so much more than just a tattoo. He places much thought into this reflection, even displaying his confusion as to why he feels the sudden urge or incline to consider the idea of a tattoo at all. The poem is a fantastic example of the intricate complexity of the human mind and how we ultimately simplify most of our own conflict by following our heart’s desire.
In depth, imaginative, emotional, mythical and genuinely realistic, Jarai’s book of poems, ‘Instrumentals,’ proficiently defines the essence of poetry with words that are sure to provoke and entertain.
Certain obvious characteristics such as his sincere candidness, reminiscent nostalgic monotone, and inverse creative thinking (such as the poem ‘my heart isn’t on my sleeve, it’s in my fist’) reveal the deepness of the blue, submerging readers into an ocean of both beauty and conflict.
We are glad to present this book with a 5-star rating and truly enjoyed reading it. It is mind-provoking!
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