Book Review: ‘The Peace of Wild Things’ by Wendell Berry

I bought this poetry collection the week Wendell Berry died. I’d previously read a collection of his essays, about which I’d had mixed feelings. A number of people I follow had spoken highly of Berry’s writing, so I thought I must be missing something. Following his death, more than one of them praised Berry’s poetry, so I thought I’d give it a try.

There are some wonderful poems in this collection. As with the essays, I thought Berry’s poems were at their best when he confined himself to writing about small, local details or personal relationships, rather than opining on national or global issues. Fortunately, the majority of poems in this collection fall squarely into the former category.

Among the poems I particularly enjoyed were ones about the wildlife in a local rough patch, a sycamore tree, appreciating the dark, a dreamt conversation with a dead friend, the melting of snow, and a number of love poems to his wife.

Recommended.