Book Title: My Metamorphosis

Author: disorientedsun

Reviewer: Read-aholic2006

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(This review is solely based on the first 10 available poems)

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Cover: 4/5

 I don't quite know how this image relates to the poems, but it somehow seems ideal. Honestly, I love this artistic cover. The dark aesthetic reflects the gloomy atmosphere of each poem. The uncomplicated black background easily spills the spotlight onto the white skull draped in intricate flowers and butterflies. It's a rather simple yet very striking cover. However, the liquidy font used for the title makes it difficult to see and the poet's username should definitely be enlarged. 

Title: 5/5

It's most certainly a unique title for a poetry collection. It's captivating and can be interpreted in several different ways. Some may think the title refers to a physical change or an emotional change or even a change within the poet. Overall, it's a cool title.

Blurb: 4/5

I love the poetic vibe of the blurb. It's short, simple and doesn't reveal much, effectively attracting an audience. But I think that "leave" should become "leaf". 

Creativity/originality: 10/10

This kind of poetry is distinct; it's like the author had scrawled her own signature on every poem. I've never read such deep, metaphorical poetry in my life. This poetry book is like a story and each poem serves as a chapter, a continuation of the previous poem. The speaker is a caterpillar, but not only does it describe itself, but also its surroundings, the changing environment and beautiful yet terrifying scenery. 

External Structure (Formatting/Rhyme/Rhythm): 9/10

The poems are written in free-verse, but there are rare instances of internal rhyme (awaiting my arrival and dictate my survival...broken hands unable to dance), which contributes to the rhythm. 

There is inconsistent formatting throughout this poetry book: The stanzas are right- and left-aligned in one poem, then everything is left-aligned in the other poems and in the last poem the lines are separated by double slashes. I don't know if this change in editing is to reflect the gradual physical change of the speaker or if the author merely wanted to explore the various formatting techniques. 

Internal Structure (Imagery/Language/Diction): 18/20

The author's mind-blowing magniloquence displays a vast vocabulary that stretches far beyond the horizon of my own lexicon. She uses words like empyrean, effulgent, salubrious, quixotic, sanguinary...

It's like the author had been on a strict diet of dictionaries for decades on end. And her carefully chosen diction is powerful and moving. 

However, even though I appreciate the poet's broad vocabulary and fine diction, I personally think she used an excess of polysyllabic words, which greatly slows down the reading process. Readers, such as myself, may not know the definition of 90% of these terms and would have to look it up every time to be able to understand the poem. Others may see this as the perfect opportunity to expand their vocabulary while others may find this to be frustrating and unpleasant.

The poet also makes great use of repetition, making the scene more dramatic, increasing the tension: death. death. death.

The first stanza of the first poem threw me off my feet. The stanza was so well-written. But the last line just stood out to me, the words reaching out a magnetic hand and wrapping around my soul:

...than a lowly animal fed by its master 

That right there, that seemingly simple phrase, struck me across the head so hard it left me dizzy for days because those eight words were so striking, almost heartbreaking, brimming with bitterness or that relatable urge for independence. (I can't believe I just said I relate to a caterpillar.)

And the first four lines of the following stanza is just as beautiful...

my sheltered hands would form calluses 

as the marks of my growth

my petite body would reform

to the physique of a well-seasoned warrior

The poet makes great use of her figures of speech. The constant metaphors are beautiful and vibrant:

a robin with feathers 

of dying sunsets 

And certain stanzas are just so well-worded, you have to acknowledge its brilliance. They're striking and evocative:

as I was a product of

perpetual cycles made

out of pernicious mistakes

a faulty offspring born

by chance

(I wasn't supposed to 

have lived at all)

And this entire stanza stole my heart and I don't even want it back. 

with branches of trepidation;

leaves rustled on themselves

as the haunting gale beckoned

pewter doused clouds in a dance

of sorrowful realization

it was as if the world took pity

on the incapable being

drowning beneath

indigo precipitation

stirred by cruel driven currents

just to flaunt its empathy

The imagery is so clear and vivid. The way the author personified the wind, describing it as being considerate and compassionate toward the caterpillar who cannot survive the oncoming storm. Hence the gale helpfully steers the precipitation away from the tiny creature, as if to protect it.

Finally, the way the speaker describes its inescapable demise and the icy fear of death is flawless:

the calls of the dead

beckoned me to join 

...

numbing sensation of dread // restless chains 

tethered me to the whims of reality

Now, either I'm just too poetically immature to grasp the meanings behind every line or maybe the poet has used too many complex metaphors, but I struggled to interpret certain phrases:

for no rose tinted shards

were enough to change the fate of every star...

What do these "rose tinted shards" refer to? Flower petals? Glass? 

And then there's this:

 a hazy window was the remains...

Hazy window? Is this a figurative image that perhaps represents misty eyes? Or is there a literal hazy window?

But maybe I'm the only one who couldn't comprehend some of the meanings.

Writing style/Grammar 9/10

Although poetry is associated with breaking the barriers of our conventional writing guidelines, certain grammar rules still apply. Other than maybe one instance of using the incorrect punctuation—in the first poem it's should become its and the poet omits the hyphen between a compound adjective (rose tinted), although, this may have been deliberate?—there are no mistakes.

Reading enjoyment: 8/10

I'm actually not a fan of free-verse poems or poems that have an overabundance of hidden meanings and unreachable depths. I mostly enjoy poems that rhyme and have clear-cut meanings and uncomplicated metaphors.

And yet I enjoyed this kind of poetry. It was different, unusual and I think this strangeness was what intrigued me, what amazed me and made me want to read more from this poet.

Overall: 67/75

These poems are picturesque, beautiful and unique. The poet has a noticeably mature vocabulary that is impressive, but it could also be toned down as to not put readers off. The poet has an artistic writing style, each line carefully crafted by a skilled and imaginative hand. Beautiful, beautiful work.