Bright Dead Things by Ada Limón

Lighting does indeed strike twice and so does Ava Limón’s poetry. This past summer I was very much taken by Limón’s latest collection, The Hurting Kind, so much so that I was keen to make my way through her backlist. In Bright Dead Things Limón showcases not only her skill for language, but her ability to breathe life into words and sentences. From the gorgeously rendered , or otherwise striking, imagery underlining most of the poems in this collection to the understated yet captivating reflections on life, nature, memory and connection. One does not so much read Limón’s poems, as experiences them. There is a lushness to her description, and the rhythm created by her words feels like a breeze. The images, memories, and feelings she conveys within these poems are tinged by melancholy, which renders them all the more affecting. I admire the way within this collection, and at times within the same poem, Limón is able to shift between introspection, where what she writes feels very intimate and specific to her, to observations about nature, and questions related to life and death.

A truly stunning collection that was able to simultaneously draw me away from my reality and make me reflect on all of the big and the little things that make-up every-day life. Limón is easily my favorite poet and I can’t wait to read more of her work.

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
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