Loving a Woman in Two Worlds

After the excitement and the exhilaration of early passion comes a more intense, mature love that permeates everything. In this deeply affecting book of love poems, Robert Bly explores its meaning. The revelation of this love, with its emphasis on faithfulness and sustaining power, occurs gradually in the sequence of poems in this collection, which is the most concentrated Bly has ever written. 'Loving a Woman in Two Worlds' has nearly as much to do with grief as with more conventional interpretations of love, especially in exploring grief as the opening of the door to deep emotion. Another strong element here is sweetness, and a related gentleness--this book fairly hums with a gentle intensity, a sustained note.