3. Averno by Louise Gluck

The tenth collection of poems by poet Gluck, this book refers to a small crater lake in Southern Italy, thought by the ancient Romans as the entrance to the underworld. Although this book only has seventeen poems included, many of the poems have many sections to them and are numerous pages in length. Dark themes are prevalent, including winter landscapes, memories of night, death, and the role of beauty in life and nature. Favorites included “Echoes”, “Telescope” and “A Myth of Devotion.”

Gluck is a former Poet Laureate of the United States and has won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Aware. I try to read at least one or two poetry books per year and have read most of her previous material. Although my favorite of hers is still probably Vita Nova, I enjoyed this collection very much.