Sewn In Red
Book Review by Realistic Poetry International
Sewn in Red by Author Benedicte Kusendila is a memorable and impressive work of poetry, exceptionally written, and through fine elegant and articulate language, the Author captivates us with fulfilling poetic stories, like unheard of one-of-a-kind parables, crafted specially for the heart, spirit and mind.
Witty, intelligent and intricate, we are captured by her phenomenal writing skill, from both a mechanical and artistic perspective, completely drawn to her potent recipe of unique euphonic combinations and clever choice of words that express feeling, describe people, scenes, experiences, moments, thoughts and places.
There are plenty of examples of this signature technique noticeable throughout the duration of the book, however, one of our favorite selections to properly demonstrate this effect is the poem entitled, "Only Fools Rush In," a clever and detailed poem that resonates with a narrator's voice, complemented by a prose-poetry style of writing and complete with enigmatic, unorthodox metaphorical allegories that are thought-provoking, mind bending even, and subtly abstract as well as encrypted.
Leaving readers to configure the pieces of the elusive vision in this poem, we’re prompted to engage with our imagination in an attempt to unravel Kusendila’s savvy interpretation.
In one part she says, "I will not mention them. Squirrels in a story full of ants," using interesting figurative language and personification to characterize and disguise identity, essence and two specific roles. Yet and still, with the deep abstractness involved in this poem, we find ourselves stricken by incurable curiosity as our minds search between the verses and symbolism to translate the ambiguous underlying meaning.
At one point, she expresses her truth of feeling "smaller than an ant" in the context of what appears to be a commitment with someone she displays genuine compassion for, saying to the person, "...let me be the wind in your sails. You will not need to fear shipwrecks. To pray past sirens. To know of anything else than this: You and I embarked on this journey long before, once upon a time, there were squirrels and ants."
In a sense, her thoughts sound romantic and dreamy as the voice narrating flip-flops between the perspective of telling a story from a narrator’s point of view, to directly speaking about someone near and close to her heart. It is an intriguing creatively constructed tale in which we absolutely adore the uniqueness of its tailored concept and theme! Plus, there are many more like this a part of this exquisite collection, each with their own tone, implication and significant takeaways valuable to the reader such as the eventful poem “Happenstance,” and also “Spring Cleaning / Blackbird and the Oak-Wood Door,” a phenomenal poem that falls under the prevalent category of love.
We also fall deeply for the prodigious poem, “Letter,” which greets us with a sagaciously inspiring quote by Rainer Maria Rilke, one of the German languages greatest twentieth century poets, and he says;
“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”
Author Benedicte Kusendila follows up on this with multiple inquiries of her own rooted from Rilke’s quote, asking questions that stir up a rapture of contrasting alternative scenarios and possibilities for readers to ponder saying “Yet what about these people who carve out pixie dust burns as well as the hurt of unforgiving pride…”
Considering helpful literary devices, in this case, the rhetorical effect appears to be useful in the manner in which her questions emphasize key points, as well as stimulate the reader’s thinking. Overall, we believe the way in which she applies this strategy is an excellent way to engage the audience and provoke perspective.
Next, neatly draped in the charm and mystery of subtlety, other poems such as, "Bliss," reflect a wistful nostalgia as the narrator attempts to recall a period of time from the past, immediately leading in with unrequited inquiry; "Was it broken? Had our tie come loose at the seam," only to end with even more wonder, asking "will he blame or thank the sleepless moon?" The theme and subject of this poem places the Author’s mentality in central focus by simply one verse when she references to her own knowledge saying, "My ignorance is word for legends tonight if it does not cover all the stars in its brightness nor shine its light over him…"
The artful language of her stanzas is literally written like illustrations to show and tell through the creative arrangement of exotic similes, metaphors and other comparative devices. We cannot help but to be enchanted by these animated word-pictures and strongly believe there lives an artist deep down inside Kusendila which allows her to enhance the poetic stories and thoughts her gifted pen exhales. This poem also reminds us of the catchy cliché many of us are familiar with, “ignorance is bliss,” with Kusendila ingeniously putting her own original spin on the classic proverb!
With numerous remarkable poems a part of this book, it is a challenge to say which one best epitomizes the Author’s talent and vision, but in sum, we must say that the smoothness and profundity of Author Benedicte Kusendila’s words easily make many of her poems original timeless classics! Prestigious classics that recall the antique style of poetry from long ago, with a posh fancy quality, intertwined with a modernized contemporaneous flare that exceeds ‘mediocre,’ and is far from typical run-on-the-mill poetry that some may be accustomed to.
Indeed, this publication is a literary rarity that surely delivers a wonderous reading experience that poetry enthusiasts can relish in and enjoy. For this reason, we are glad to present this book with a 5-star rating and encourage others to read the book as well. It is a beautiful representation of poetry at its finest.
Superior work, Author Benedicte Kusendila, you are truly a talented writer and poet.
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