Title: Heart Expressions: A Book on Poetry
Author: Alysha Potente
Publisher: Tellwell Talent
ISBN: 022884388X
Pages: 190
Genre: Poetry
Reviewed by: Michaela Gordoni
Pacific Book Review
Thoughtful, passionate, and heartfelt, Heart Expressions: A Book on Poetry is an earnest collection of 80 adult poems. The poems are brief and consist of a great variety of themes, from admirations of Rihanna and Selena Gomez, to tigers, panthers, dogs, and the feelings of anxiety and of being high on love. Some of them are written from a strong feminine perspective, and each one has a unique image to go along with it. Many of the images are really quite remarkable, and each one matches its corresponding poem perfectly.
One featured a poem called “Sinking Reality,” which is about waking up to reality and depicts sunlight peeking through blinds. Another star poem in this book is titled “Player.” It is about a woman who has been used and abused by a man, and it compares the situation to a game of chess. It displays a beautiful and skilful use of words. Here is a stunning line from that poem: “She’s like a beautiful butterfly that has been encased in a spiders webbed charms.” The poem’s paired image appropriately displays an image of a dark chessboard with a toppled king piece.
Most of the poems are not that deep, moody, or intense, but they contain thoughts, emotions, and expressions that many people, particularly women, will find relatable. The strong female voice within some of the poems is a refreshing take on how one woman thinks about the world and her emotions. After the poems and their paired images come three explanatory chapters: History of English Poetry, Types of Poetry, and How to Write Poetry Analytically. This makes Heart Expressions: A Book on Poetry an excellent choice for adults who are new to reading and/or writing poetry.
Author Alysha Potente has taken a bold step by sharing her thoughts in this creative and artful way. Her candidness in writing enables the reader to become easily immersed in the majesty of her poetry. The variety and skill displayed in this work will appeal to those who are new to poetry and those who simply love poetry in all of its forms. Alysha Potente has revealed through her writing an effective and evocative way of expressing sentiments in a creative manner that will appeal to many lovers of poetry. It is evident that all of these expressions of poetry come from her heart.
