"Attacked with questions I could not answer freely because of misconceptions of how was I feeling."
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Making of a Poet: Reflections in Verse by Deidre Alexander Traford Publishing
book review by Michael Radon
This anthology encapsulates and preserves the first discovery of poetry by the author in junior high school and her development as a poet through her high school education, college days, and beyond. Subject matter for these insights into a young girl's life include field trips into nature, friendships won and lost, after-school activities, spiritual growth in Christianity, and the highs and lows of finding and releasing love. Various styles and forms are employed throughout, particularly at the beginning when assignments in poetry are translated directly to the page as couplets, cinquains, haiku, and limericks. Each chapter covers a different theme and subject, most often tied to a particular time period in the author's life. An introduction to each section is offered with inside details and explanations, as well as an appendix of the people responsible for inspiring each of the poems included.
By being able to see an interest in poetry cultivated and grown from the classroom to the dorm room, the reader gets a rare glimpse at a writer taking shape through the course of a single collection of work. In time, the author shifts from demonstrations of form and concept to applied mastery of emotional concepts and empathetic communication. These poems rise above their contemporaries through creative stanza breaks during strictly-adhered-to rhyming schemes and deeply personal insights relayed into words any reader can understand. Those looking for inspiration to pursue poetry long-term or just wanting to make a personal connection from the page will be satisfied with this brief but easily cherished anthology. Educators may also find valuable examples to impart to their students about applying school lessons learned to the real world with a serious passion.