This particular work caught my interest because of past work I had studied by Ted Kooser. Prior to this assignment, I had already read Kooser’s “Flying at Night” poem which I enjoyed thoroughly. Therefore when I saw Kooser’s name listed among recommended poets for this assignment, I decided to research his best work. Almost unanimously, my results turned me to “Delights & Shadows,” a Pulitzer Prize winning book of poems by Kooser. After reading the synopsis about the book of poems, I found myself intrigued enough to purchase it. I believe this book of poems started off very strong as one of my favorite poems to read in the entire book of poems was the very first one. The poem, which is entitled “Walking on Tiptoe,” explores the true reality…show more content… This poem particularly struck home with me because I currently live at home with my elderly grandmother who is very sick. I believe that Kooser did a fantastic job detailing the elements surrounding getting old. I see with my grandmother often that she struggles to move around and becomes more and more depressed as her body weakens. She often reminisces on her youth, where she was able to move around better and tells me not to take it for granted. This poem did a fantastic job of communicating that message to its reader. Other poems that I also liked in this book of poems included poems such as, “Tattoo,” “At the Cancer Clinic,” “Father,” and “That Was I.” Although I thought that many of the other poems were just as insightful, these were the specific poems that stood out to me. I believe “Tattoo,” stood out to me because it mirrors my stance on tattoos and how they often turn into regret. Additionally, “At the Cancer Clinic,” was one of my favorites for reasons previously mentioned as my…show more content… Despair is shown throughout as narrators are often facing dark and sad situations that induce gloomy emotions. Additionally, the main themes associated with this collection are dealing with old age. Kooser has several poems in this collection where the narrator spends time reflecting on their youth, or dealing with getting older. Moreover, the realistic nature in which Kooser crafts his poem also serves as a theme for the book of poems. The realistic situations present, such as a visit to the doctors revealing the narrator has cancer, create a sense of emotion that the reader feels because it truly could happen to anyone. I thought that “Delights & Shadows,” was an exceptional piece and I would highly recommend it to anyone just getting into poetry. Kooser’s poems have a straightforward tone and his messages aren’t exceedingly difficult to figure out, yet, are still just as powerful. Overall, I believe that Kooser’s collection was well deserving of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and enhanced my perception on how I view
