poem. But of the book as a whole, Bloom stated
thatMortal Acts, Mortal Wordsis the ‘‘weakest
volume so far by a poet who cannot be dismissed,
because he seems destined still to accomplish the
auguries of his grand beginnings.’’ Although
Bloom found poems in this volume worthy of
praise, he delivered a mixed assessment of Kin-
nell’s work.
In a review for theChicago Tribune, William
Logan echoed Bloom’s disappointment with
Mortal Acts, Mortal Words, but went a bit fur-
ther. Logan wrote that in this volume of poetry,
‘‘signs of exhaustion are intermittently appa-
rent’’ in Kinnell’s poems. According to Logan,
Kinnell often sacrifices ‘‘substance for senti-
ment.’’ The result, stated Logan, is that Kinnell
has become ‘‘a benign, dotty naturalist,’’ whose
poems ‘‘exhaust the vitality of the nature they
would describe.’’ Although not mentioning
‘‘Blackberry Eating’’ by title, Logan did state
that the existence of blackberries is ‘‘usurped’’
in Kinnell’s effort to make their existence ‘‘exalt
a visionary truth.’’ Not all is negative in this
review, however. Logan noted that there are
places where ‘‘Kinnell still writes vigorously.’’
On the whole, though, Logan’s review ofMortal
Acts, Mortal Wordsreflected his disappointment
in this volume of Kinnell’s poetry.
CRITICISMSheri Metzger Karmiol
Karmiol teaches literature and drama at the Uni-
versity of New Mexico, where she is a lecturer in
the University Honors Program. In this essay, she
discusses the interdependence of nature, imagery,
and poetry in ‘‘Blackberry Eating.’’
Why read poetry? It entertains and teaches.
But perhaps another answer is that poetry forces
readers to think about the world in a different
way. Yes, poetry can be challenging, but like
anything that is rewarding, some effort is
required. Poetry can lead a reader to explore
new territory, a new feeling or emotion, or it
can lead a reader into a blackberry bramble
and help him emerge with a poem, as it does in
Kinnell’s ‘‘Blackberry Eating.’’ Like poetry,
sometimes nature is not what it seems, as well.
When poetry is about nature, the poet entices his
readers to consider nature as capable of surprises
never before imagined. Art and nature provide a
natural pairing for Kinnell, who uses nature as a
metaphor for creativity in this poem. The images
of nature in ‘‘Blackberry Eating’’ engage the
reader in a partnership with Kinnell to explore
the intersection between nature and art.
Kinnell’s poem, ‘‘Blackberry Eating,’’ uses
images of nature that appeal by simulating a
physical response to nature. The images in its
first eight lines describe sensations that are expe-
rienced through the physical senses. The readerWHAT
DO I READ
NEXT?Kinnell’s Pulitzer Price-winning collection
Selected Poems(1982) contains poems from
his first twenty years of writing.
Body Rags(1968) contains a number of Kin-
nell’s best-known poems about animals and
nature.
InNew and Selected Poems(2007), W. S. Merwin,
a contemporary of Kinnell, presents poems
written across four decades.
The English poet Ted Hughes, a contempo-
rary of Kinnell, wrote many poems for chil-
dren. Two hundred and fifty of his poems
for children are included inCollected Poems
for Children(2008). This collection begins
with poems for very young children and
progresses to more complex poems for ado-
lescents and young adults.
Footprints on the Roof: Poems About the
Earth(2002), by Marilyn Singer, is a collec-
tion of poetry for children that focuses on
the natural beauty of the earth. This book is
beautifully illustrated.
Pamela Michael is the editor ofRiver of Words:
Young Poets and Artists on the Nature of Things
(2008), a collection of poetry about water and
nature written by children and teens. The focus
of the book is environmentalism.
The Circle of Thanks: Native American
Poems and Songs of Thanksgiving(2003) is
a collection of songs and poems by Native
American poets that honor nature.Blackberry Eating