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Grady Harp, July 4, 2008

Good Thoughts Sabotaged by the Hip Hop Influence

Duane Ashley Poole is a new writer and his first published book of poetry reflects his nascency. His thoughts and selected topics for poetic interpretation are valid and touching: friendship, love found and lost, transience, spirituality, depression, anxiety and perseverance in the face of obstacles are universals that never tire of being explored.

Poole's thoughts are insightful and tender and few would be able to criticize the content of this collection sixty, one-page poems. The style of writing in rhyming couplets certainly has historic precedence - think Chaucer, et al. But in this era of hip hop music, the use of this poetic device has become so specifically connected to street language that the use of the rhyming couplet on paper, such as in all of Poole's poetry, detracts form the emotional content. It is difficult to read these poems without listening for what Wikipedia defines as 'rhythmic style of speaking called rap over backing beats performed on a turntable by a DJ.'

There is little doubt that Duane Ashley Poole has significant things to say, even in poetic form, but before we can appreciate him completely he needs to try abandoning his beginning style of writing and speak to us in either free form verse or even short story. The content is there as is the heart. Finding a valid mode of expression will be his next challenge.

Grady Harp

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