4 out of 4 stars
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Tesserae, a collection of poems, by BJ Edwards was first published in 2016 by Fantastic Books Publishing. Tesserae is the plural form of Tessera, a small piece used in mosaic work. Also, in ancient times, a Tessera could serve as a token or a ticket. The 65 poems in this fantastic book really brought out the different meanings of the titular word.
Every poem in this book has an amazing name. I read the titles of the poems from the first one, ‘The Struggle’, to the last one, ‘Glimpse of childhood’, and I was amazed at how interesting every title seemed. After reading Edwards masterpieces I realized that it wasn’t just the titles that were striking.
The poems cover various themes such as romantic love, war, religion, mental health, hope, fear, and loss. I do not agree with all of the things that were penned but I can certainly admire and learn from the way they were expressed. I did not find the poems that spoke of God as if he was a man-made construct very agreeable. There were also suggestions to worship gods; Christians (as well as adherents of other religious sects) may feel offended by some of the things that Edwards has to say about religion. However, as previously mentioned, religion is not the only theme that is dealt with in the poems. I especially loved poems such as ‘Little Girl Lost and Found’ and ‘Words’. These poems prompt the reader to embrace new beginnings as well as to pursue literary goals such as writing poetry and novels.
The poet’s writing style was comparable to an artist drawing on a canvas. Every noun seemed to be described with a suitable adjective. Every verb seemed to be aptly modified with an adverb. On average, the poems were three pages long. Edwards mainly wrote free verse and prose poetry. However, one of my favorite poems, ‘Storyteller’, was written as a series of rhymed couplets (two line stanzas). One of the things that I most enjoyed about this book is the varied use of literary devices. Onomatopoeia, personification, simile, metaphor, alliteration and repetition are just some of the devices Edwards employs throughout the poems. This is definitely a book that poets and poetry enthusiasts will enjoy.
In conclusion, I rate Tesserae 4 out of 4 stars. This colorful collection of poems is virtually free of grammatical and editorial errors. I think that readers with an open mind will find this book both thought-provoking and entertaining.
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Tesserae
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