Ursula K Le Guin’s Collected Poems, Edited by Harold Bloom (Library of America, 2023)

Review by Warner Holme: Ursula K Le Guin’s Collected Poems represents a look at a wide swath of the career of a fine storyteller in an artform she often practiced but wasn’t nearly as well known for. Given that the Library of America has already provided a number of excellent releases of her work, this collection of poetry is definitely going to continue that trend.

Poems in this book come from as early as the author’s 1975 collection Wild Angels, and move forward to pieces composed and published very shortly before her death. In the context of a single volume on a poet, that is in many ways as comprehensive as a reader could hope for.

One early piece, and probably one of the smallest in terms of word count in the collection, is “Drums”. Totaling at 16 words, with two words a line it is a simple playful piece connecting different types of dance. Providing some of the simplest language and broadest imagery it nonetheless works solidly. Even with occasionally macabre imagery, this represents a piece that can easily feel more hopeful than many others she produced.

“Extinction” is a short and dark piece, depressing in its implications and apocalyptic in its scope. With each line having five or fewer syllables, the text would often move quickly yet the context and words make one take their time and slowly observe and absorb each piece of imagery.

This is, however, far from structurally common for the poetry of Le Guin. Another piece using much longer lines would be “Merlin.” This poem is a two stanza piece that is, amusingly, decidedly not in the Arthurian category. Instead it is a careful and majestic depiction of the familiar bird. short, observational and yet beautiful it provides a quick look at the author’s thoughts of the time with only its last line pushing directly to remind a reader of the fantastical with a note about “hearing the dragon speak” on page 597. While this will be comfortable territory for fans of her fantasy work, it’s hard not to look at it as a fan of poetry and think that the association with her literature is altogether unnecessary to appreciate the piece as is.

Students of her work will find this volume an invaluable collection of not only her poetry, but thoughts upon the art form as well. This includes a variety of forward, introductions, and afterwards as well as a detailed interview/conversation with one David Naimon. This is truly quite an in-depth piece, featuring her opinions and examinations of them in rather more detail than a simple interview to promote a book might have incorporated.

Le Guin Collected Poems is another wonderful example of the work of a master being treated with respect and academic rigor by the Library of America. With examples of her work ranging over a matter of decades the reader gets to experience the growth and change not only of the author but the world that influenced her. Short of already owning her complete poetry, it is unmissable for the interested party with a focus on the work of Ursula K. Le Guin.