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Hummingbird Sleep: Poems, 2009-2011
The poems in Hummingbird Sleep move associatively between Coleman Barks's personal experience and his extensive reading, weaving together a wild and eclectic range of material. A discussion of Plotinus, Barks's appearance on PBS NewsHour , a note Keats once left on Wordsworth's mantelpiece, a splinter in the heel, and a quote from the Upanishads-all make their way into Barks's most recent poems, which achieve intimacy and expansiveness at the same time.
- GenresPoetry
128 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2013
About the author
Coleman Barks
96 books229 followersColeman Barks is an American poet. Despite the fact that he admittedly speaks no Persian, he is world-renowned as a translator of Rumi and other mystic poets of Persia. Barks taught literature at the University of Georgia for three decades. He makes frequent international appearances and is well-known throughout the Middle East. Barks's work has contributed to an extremely strong following of Rumi in the English-speaking world. Due to his work, the ideas of Sufism have crossed many cultural boundaries over the past few decades. Coleman Barks received an honorary doctorate from Tehran University in 2006.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 13, 2014
Coleman Barks writes discursive poetry in the vein of John Ashbery or Patti Ann Rogers. His poems are chatty and informal, beginning in one place and after a looping, swirling journey usually ending in a point you may not have seen coming. Not all are like that. Some are more formal. My favorite of this volume is the title poem, "Hummingbird Sleep," which originally attracted me to his work. I think it one of the more breathtaking individual poems I've read in some time.
December 22, 2014
Lovely, I'll be revisiting this :-)
November 14, 2017
I wasn't sure if I'd like these long poems, but I do. I found surprise and joy in them, as well as considerable scholarship and some wisdom. A poem found early in the volume, "Word Choice," gave me great delight. It lists and discusses words relating to "mud." Along the way you'll meet Robert Bly, Gary Snyder, Christopher Smart, Lisa Starr, and James Hillman. Glad I purchased it from the back table at the WFOP* conference.
*Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets, where Coleman Barks was a featured presenter.
*Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets, where Coleman Barks was a featured presenter.
June 21, 2013
I didn't think I was going to like this very much; upon first glance at the poems, it seemed a little to prosaic for me. But to be perfectly honest I gave it a chance because I loved the titled, and I thought the cover art was beautiful. What can I say? I'm surrounded by books all day, so I have the luxury of judging a book by its cover.
Coleman Barks, (who, I now know, is well known as a translator of Rumi) is the kind of guy I'd love to hang out with, despite our vast age difference (he's in his 70's). He seems incredibly well read, and passionate about life, and about reading and writing poetry.
His poetry is full of recalled experiences, memories, musings on favorite quotes or passages from books, and simply full of life. He writes in a very conversational way, relaying a story to you as if you were an old friend.
Coleman Barks, (who, I now know, is well known as a translator of Rumi) is the kind of guy I'd love to hang out with, despite our vast age difference (he's in his 70's). He seems incredibly well read, and passionate about life, and about reading and writing poetry.
His poetry is full of recalled experiences, memories, musings on favorite quotes or passages from books, and simply full of life. He writes in a very conversational way, relaying a story to you as if you were an old friend.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews