Review of 10 Short Poems to Bless the Soul

[Standor5865]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "10 Short Poems to Bless the Soul" by Tony Darien.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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10 Short Poems to Bless the Soul by Tony Darien represents a collection of the author's thoughts on a few pressing issues weighing heavily on his heart. Looking at the people around us and our lives, it is no secret that we are all going through numerous hurdles, and a lot of the time, these hurdles are difficult and unrelenting, leaving us to question why and what we have done to experience such. While we may feel like there is no one to turn to, Tony Darien, through his poems, provides a gentle reminder of God's love and sacrifice for us while informing us that He will always help us to bear the burdens when we put our trust in Him.

I appreciate the messages the author passes in this book and how he attempts to not just provide relief from a few of the problems we face but also draw us closer to God. While the book is concise at just thirty-seven pages in length, Tony Darien does well to touch on a few relevant issues that readers will find very easy to relate to, which was a positive highlight for me. From the recent tough choices and losses the world has suffered through the pandemic to feeling overlooked and issues with finding our purpose through sin and deception, it oftentimes felt as if the author was talking to me directly, as I could picture certain aspects of my life in his words.

Each chapter of the book is well organized, with a short poem commencing the chapter followed by relevant Bible verses and explanations to make the lessons even clearer. All the poems included in the book consist of couplets throughout, and I also enjoyed reading through them, as the author expertly captures the mood of what it feels like to question life's meaning in tough times while indicating the hope that comes with embracing God's love.

Nevertheless, the book has its flaws in execution. Firstly, 10 Short Poems to Bless the Soul did not seem professionally edited. I found over ten errors while reading through the short book, and a host of awkward sentences did not make things any easier. Also, I understand that the author wanted to keep things as concise as possible, but there were key moments when I would have appreciated an in-depth insight, and it wasn't delivered. A good example was the section where the author attempted to respond to why God allows bad things to happen to good people. He only did well to refer readers to Bible verses that discuss the answer but did not even include the verses or briefly discuss the message in the verses.

Overall, I found this book relatable and helpful. The author has done very well to remind us of the one constant that will never change no matter what is happening around us: God's love. However, the issues I discussed meant that the book was less than perfect; therefore, I rate this piece three out of four stars. Readers who want to improve their relationship with God or are in need of a shoulder to lean on in tough times will benefit from this book.

"The bad news for some is that no matter how often man changes his own moral standard; he will never change God, nor His standard, nor His Word, by which we’ll be judged. The Good News is, however, His Love for us remains the same, despite our moral issues and flaws." - Page 33.

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10 Short Poems to Bless the Soul
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[Racheal Chie]

Insightful Review, however, I don't think the author needed to further explain his poems. Poems are there to extract deeper meanings from life that means we will often find deeper meanings ourselves with poems written from an abstract point of view using literal or everyday things we come across. If the author started explaining his own poems in the whole book it would take away from the mystery. I want to use the words, and all the literal devices therein to find meaning to them. Even if it is different from what the poem had in mind as a subject for writing the poem in the first place, what matters is we find meaning.

[Ekezie1998]

Have always been a great fan of poetry. Would definitely love to have this one on my shelf. Great review!

[Nonso Ok]

God's love is always a constant. Thank you for recommending this book. I should check it out.

[kirthana_shivakumar]

This looks very interesting. It's also one of my favourite genres so I'll definitely give it a try. Thanks for the review!

[Suleiman Mangi]

Hope springs eternal. This collection reminds us that we are only human and there's only so much that we can endure. But with God nothing is impossible. Food for the soul.

[Tasi Desmond]

Indeed drawing close to God is indeed a great criteria that one can propose in his/her life in times of hurdles according to the from the Author.Thanks for the poem Sir.Amazing Review