“silence isn’t lonely.”

Synopsis: Nocturnal is a collection of words and imagery inspired by darkened skies and sleepless nights. it is a journey of healing and self-discovery whether love stays or leaves. it is dreaming with your eyes wide open while the rest of the world is hiding.

—
and when they ask me,
are you afraid of the dark?
i will remind them that
there’s nothing to fear
when the night is a reason
we can see how honest
everything shines
while the rest of the world
is hiding.

Source: Goodreads

Title: Nocturnal
Author: Wilder Poetry
Links: Amazon CA | Book Depository | Goodreads

Genres / Themes: Mental Health | Poetry | Romance
Point of View: First Person

Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication Date: 2019 (First published 2018)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 163

Book four of five complete in the Bookie Grail challenge! I’ve always been a lover of poetry … there’s something very powerful about the deep meaning and symbolism behind it. Wilder Poetry has slowly grown to one of my all-time favourite poets, her free verse style captivating you with every word. Originally discovering her work on Instagram, I can’t wait to explore more of her work.

A friend of mine mentioned how it’s rather challenging to review poetry, for it’s rather subjective in nature. At first, I couldn’t disagree more … but now, I see where she’s coming from. So these are simply MY OWN thoughts are how this collection made me feel. I also comment on the design of the novel and the organization of the poetry in the collection itself.

CONTENT & TRIGGER WARNING: This book contains topics regarding loss and toxic relationships.

Not only are the poems themselves beautiful, but the physical collection itself is breathtaking. To me, the physical novel that contains the poetry should reflect the poems within it. Poetry is literally a work of art, with the words being the paint and the novel being the canvas. The images in Nocturnal are breathtaking, full of nature and celestial illustrations. You literally FEEL as though you’re being transported into this dreamlike realm, reading and relating to these late night thoughts in the beauty of the night. But the best part is that the imagery actually reflects the written world, making everything blend well together.

The poems in Nocturnal are beyond relevant, making the reader FEEL as though these words are for them and them alone. As many know, poetry’s VERY subjective … you can only connect to and feel it if it’s relatable to YOU … or you’re super empathetic like I am, then you just cry over it all. But Wilder Poetry addresses so many topics that the reader is BOUND to relate to at least one poem, if not more. Toxic relationships, love, loss, self deprecation, self love, growth, learning to let go … Wilder Poetry opens up a discussion on so many different topics, making it easy to fall in love and let the words wrap around and warm up your heart.

To my great delight, this collection accurately portrays “free verse” poetry. I’m a HUGE lover of free verse poetry … I find it not as “forced” as other forms of poetry yet still reflects poetry like elements to keep it from sounding like simple mundane “day-to-day” dialogue. Though this sometimes isn’t achieved, Wilder Poetry had NO problem creating a large collection of poems that demonstrate “free verse” properly. I was actually able to read this aloud without any random awkwardness or strange pauses, which shows even more how great Wilder Poetry’s collection truly is.

As much as I love all the poems in the collection, there were definitely moments of confusion regarding where the poems ended and began anew. I don’t know if it’s how the poems were laid out or what, but there were a number of times where I wasn’t sure if I had finished a poem and moved onto the next or not. There aren’t titles for each poem and only some of them are “signed off” at the end, which I was actually a fan of. However, adding one of these two elements to all the poems may have made this easier. It COULD be possible that Wilder Poetry did this deliberately, but it wasn’t for me.

There are a large number of themes explored in Nocturnal, but they aren’t all TECHNICALLY placed together. Again, this is a VERY personal preference. However, I’m a HUGE lover of collections where the poet moves from one theme to the next … like a river flowing from one area to the next. Discussing self love to then lack of confidence to then self love again makes my mind boggle, for the flow of the collection should be moving FORWARD. But there are PROS to doing it scattered, as more people may relate to that. Just something to keep in mind when reading this collection.

Wilder Poetry’s Nocturnal reminded me why I fell in love with poetry in the first place. The beautifully designed novel captures the essence within the poems greatly, making the experience even more enjoyable. I’m so glad I picked this up and I’m eager to read more of her works!

I recommend this novel if you enjoy:

↠ A collection of free verse poetry
↠ A quick read
↠ Depth to the content and symbolism of the written word
↠ Novels with beautifully detailed deigns inside

Have you read Wilder Poetry’s Nocturnal?

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