Seeds of the Pomegranate - Softcover

Ross, Sherry Lazarus

4.62

16 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0615111335 ISBN 13: 9780615111339

Publisher: Well Fire Publications, 2000

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POET magazine says of Ms. Ross' poetry that she is able to "extend the everyday moment into deep mythology, using the commonplace as an avenue into the emotions." In SEEDS OF THE POMEGRANATE, Sherry uses the ancient Greek myth of Persephone as a metaphor for her own life. In the myth of Persephone, which is retold in the book's forward, Persephone is abducted by Hades, the god of the underworld. Her mother, the earth goddess Demeter, is both grief stricken and enraged at her daughter's disappearance. Obsessed with finding her daughter she neglects her duties and the land dries up and becomes cold, the leaves fall from the trees, and death hunts mankind. Eventually, she confronts Hades in his world of the dead and they make a bargain. Hades has come to love Persephone and recognizes her suffering when he sees her joy in being reunited with her mother. Persephone has only eaten six seeds from the pomegranate fruit since her abduction. Demeter and Hades agree that Persephone may spend six months above ground with her mother and six months in the world of the dead with Hades. Persephone accepts the compromise and becomes both the Queen of the Underworld, sharing the throne with her husband, and a symbol of rebirth, fertility and joy, when she returns to the upper world and her mother. In SEEDS OF THE POMEGRANATE, each poems is treated as a seed of this fruit on which the bargain was made. The poems moves from summer to fall and contain the nostalgic sense of loss we all sometimes feel in our lives: losses both concrete and hard to define. The winter poems move to the center of the book, where a few of the poems are as dark as Hades' world. Then, moving towards spring, we find healing and tenderness. Through the everyday process of loss and compromise, we can also find much to gain in growth and experience. Our relationships are fuller and we can also know joy.

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From the Author:

I wrote my first poem when I was eleven. My feelings had been hurt by a friend and this was the catalyst for the poem. The experience left me with a sense of pleasure and satisfaction that was both startling and memorable. I knew I wanted to repeat the process again. Today, at fifty, writing poetry enables me to evaluate how I view life at a given moment. As I grow and change, so do my poems. Poetry for me is a way of processing experience. Everything passes through the metaphorical filter of making poems. I don't really know why. Other people have other ways of making sense out of their lives. When I studied with the poet David Ignatow he taught us something important. He often reminded us that all people have noble and insightful thoughts. The thing that makes a poet a poet is the unique way in which he or she says the same things. David was a true mentor as well as a great poet. He helped us each find our "unique" way. The joy of writing poetry is that you get to share your feelings with others in the finished product. I've had the pleasure of that experience with family, friends, and other poets, but this is my first published book of poems. I hope that these poems will touch or delight those who read them.

About the Author:

Ms. Ross studied with the poet David Ignatow for three semesters at the 92ed St. Y in Manhattan in the early 80's. She also studied with Marguerite Young when she attended Seton Hall University in the 70's. This book was a runner-up for publication by POET magazine. Ms. Ross has written articles for New Jersey Women, and also published a cookbook which sold 10,000 copies. Her first novel, The Light of Lucinda, will be published later this year, probably in time for Labor Day. It is a full length fantasy/adventure for children. Her second book of poetry, Earth Talk, also a runner-up for publication, will be out before the holidays this fall - year 2000.

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