Fire to Fire: New and Selected Poems―A Collection of Works Reflecting on Mortality, Beauty, Desire, and Artistic Expression

A courageous and emotionally powerful collection, "Fire to Fire" exhibits Mark Doty's poetical range and aesthetic. He speaks with clarity of language and image, is not afraid to allow the natural world to speak for him, and faces death and life after the deaths of so many close to him with honesty and impossible hope:"All smolder and oxblood, these flowerheads, flames of August: fierce bronze, or murky rose, petals concluded in gold— And as if fire called its double down the paired goldfinches come swerving quick on the branching towers, so the blooms sway with the heft of hungers indistinguishable, now, from the blossoms.""Sometimes we wake not knowing how we came to lie here, or who has crowned us with these temporary, precious stones."He reveals the survivor's wonder and guilt when he survives when so many friends and a lover die in the great AIDS crisis:"And why did a god so invested in permanence choose so fragile a medium, the last material he might expect to last?"Doty is not afraid to come close to the sentimental when talking about Beau and Arden, his dogs, as they age through their briefer lives and die before he was ready.Every poems is crafted for this world. And while Doty acknowledges the great rift created by the 1970s Postmodern experimentation and loss of faith in language, he believes in the power of words well-chosen to carry us through our individual and collective search for meaning: He knows the surprise that comes when the poem reaches beyond what the poet thought he wanted:"The poem wants the impossible; the poem wants a name for the kind nothing at the core of time,"Read this collection. You will be heartbroken at times, but that is our lot. And Doty is a great voice and his gentle but courageous presence is welcome on this journey.

Mark Doty is one poet who continually astonishes me. I read his work and am always swept up in his lush vocabulary, the musicality of his language, the richness of details in the images he creates of the natural world. Suddenly, I realize, usually with an audible gasp, that he has taken me somewhere unexpected; he led me gently somewhere I can make meaning in a much more personal context. One way he does this, I believe, is by giving the reader emotional distance by using metaphors so deftly and so subtly. The reader finds beauty even in the darkest places.Doty is the poet who led me to poetry, and I do believe that "Fire to Fire" is the book I'd take to the proverbial "desert island" with me. I've reread his paperback titles so many times that they are nearly disintegrating. After reading "Pipistrelle," "The Green Crab's Shell," "The Source," and so many other new and old favorites all beautifully bound in this hard cover volume, I do believe I'm doing triple lutzes! I'm off the ground!This book is a must-have for anyone who reads, collects, and studies contemporary American poetry.

Mark Doty's poems are clear and personal without being ambiguously intellectualized. Personal and intimate without being sentimental. Intelligent without being academic. This is not university workshop stuff. It comes from the outside world of a variety of cities, towns and provinces. The 300+ pages of selected poems offer a great general overview of the poet's work up to now. The back cover shows enthusiastic endorsements from Phillip Levine, Mary Oliver, Robert Pinski, and Alan Shapiro. Amazon makes the book easily available from various sources and economical.

Didn’t get enough time with the book, but good reads!

Some of these poems I loved, simply loved. Doty writes terrific narrative poems, but, unfortunately, the more recent poems tend to concentrate on images and not on narrative and become somewhat precious. Still, he can make the top of your head rise with pleasure and understanding.

Prompt delivery, great condition and good price. I spent many nights reading and digesting Doty's words. Great poet and have bought other of his books of poetry.

Mark Doty’s work is phenomenal, but the book came dirty and it was bought brand new.

This was a gift. Cants say much about it because I gave it away. She seemed to like it fine