Above Ground
By Clint Smith
“Above Ground” by Clint Smith is a remarkable poetry collection that traverses the vast emotional terrain of fatherhood and explores how becoming a parent recalibrates one’s sense of the world. Here are the key points about the book:
Author: Clint Smith, known for his #1 bestseller and National Book Critics Circle Award Winner How the Word Is Passed, brings his poetic voice to this collection.
Themes:
Fatherhood: The poems interrogate the ways our lives are shaped by both personal lineages and historical institutions.
Wonder and Discovery: Some poems revel in the wonder of discovering the world anew through the eyes of children.
Social and Political Tumult: Other poems meditate on raising a family in a world filled with constant social and political challenges.
Emotional Journey: Above Ground wrestles with holding wonder and despair in the same hands, carrying intimate moments of joy alongside a collective sense of mourning.
Changing World: The lyrical, narrative poems take readers on a journey through the early years of Smith’s children’s lives and the changing world they are growing up in.
Previous Work: This collection follows Smith’s first award-winning book of poetry, Counting Descent.
The book has been praised by various sources, including TIME, NPR, The New York Times, and others. It’s a powerful exploration of parenthood, identity, and the complexities of our world.
Reviews
Clint Smith’s vibrant and compelling new collection traverses the vast emotional terrain of fatherhood and explores how becoming a parent has recalibrated his sense of the world. There are poems that interrogate the ways our lives are shaped by both personal lineages and historical institutions. There are poems that revel in the wonder of discovering the world anew through the eyes of your children, as they discover it for the first time. There are poems that meditate on what it means to raise a family in a world filled with constant social and political tumult. Above Ground wrestles with how we hold wonder and despair in the same hands, how we carry intimate moments of joy and a collective sense of mourning in the same body. Smith’s lyrical, narrative poems bring the reader on a journey not only through the early years of his children’s lives, but through the changing world in which they are growing up—through the changing world of which we are all a part.
Above Ground is a breathtaking collection that follows Smith's first award-winning book of poetry, Counting Descent.
“Above Ground” by Clint Smith is a remarkable poetry collection that delves into the vast emotional terrain of fatherhood and explores how becoming a parent recalibrates one’s sense of the world. Let me share some insights about this book:
Themes and Exploration:
The poems in “Above Ground” traverse personal lineages and historical institutions, revealing how our lives are shaped by both.
Smith captures the wonder of seeing the world anew through a child’s eyes and meditates on raising a family amidst social and political tumult.
The collection grapples with holding wonder and despair simultaneously, celebrating intimate moments of joy while acknowledging collective mourning.
Clarity and Structure:
Smith’s lyrical, narrative poems exhibit clarity reminiscent of journalistic writing.
The poems emerge from two veins of American poetry: domestic poems (e.g., bath time, French Toast) and spoken word poems (e.g., “For Willie Francis,” “The Drone,” “The Gun”).
His attention to language and structure reveals and complicates each subject, whether personal or societal.
Subject Matter:
Smith’s subject matter spans family, parenthood, race, and current social, political, and climate issues.
Readers encounter poems about George Floyd, police violence, the Whitney Plantation, black maternal care, guns, drones, legacy, Hurricane Katrina, and our changing climate.
Personal and Universal:
The collection balances the personal (dressing up a child in a hot dog costume, dancing in a grocery store) with broader societal concerns.
Smith’s poems remind us that wonders and horrors coexist: “The redwoods are on fire in California. A flood submerges a neighborhood. A child takes their first steps and tumbles into a father’s arms.”
Previous Work:
“Above Ground” follows Smith’s award-winning poetry collection “Counting Descent”.
Smith is also known for his nonfiction book “How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America”, which received critical acclaim.
In summary, “Above Ground” invites readers to explore the intricate connections between personal experiences, history, and the world we inhabit. Smith’s poetic clarity and depth make this collection a compelling read.
Analysis
“Above Ground” is a remarkable poetry collection by Clint Smith, the #1 New York Times bestselling and National Book Critics Circle award-winning author of How the Word Is Passed. In this collection, Smith traverses the vast emotional terrain of fatherhood and explores how becoming a parent has recalibrated his sense of the world. Let’s delve into the complexities of this work:
Themes and Exploration:
Fatherhood: The poems in Above Ground meditate on the expansiveness of fatherhood. Smith marvels at the wonder of discovering the world anew through the eyes of his children, as they experience it for the first time. These tender and joyous moments are juxtaposed with the innate fear and worry that come from raising Black children in a world that isn’t always loving and generous toward them.
Personal Lineages and Historical Institutions: Some poems interrogate how our lives are shaped by both personal lineages and historical institutions. Smith reflects on what it means to have so many people before you and how it informs your own identity.
Social and Political Tumult: The collection wrestles with the challenge of communicating the reality of history to children while protecting them from trauma. How do you raise children amidst social and political turmoil and an ongoing climate catastrophe? Smith grapples with these questions in his poetry.
Writing Style:
Smith’s lyrical, narrative poems take readers on a journey through the early years of his children’s lives. The poems also explore the changing world in which they are growing up, capturing both intimate moments of joy and a collective sense of mourning.
Honoring Parenthood:
Above Ground honors parenthood in all its complexity — discipline, discovery, and even the dreaded Zoom school days. It doesn’t shy away from acknowledging the challenges while celebrating the transformative experience of being a parent.
Legacy and Connection:
The collection is deeply rooted in family, lineage, and the connections between generations. Smith’s poems remind us that our personal stories are intertwined with broader historical narratives.
In summary, Above Ground beautifully captures the multifaceted experience of parenthood, blending love, joy, dread, and fear in its exploration of life’s most profound moments.
Instant New York Times Bestseller
Winner, 2024 Black Caucus of the American Library Association Literary Award
Finalist, 2024 NAACP Image Awards
Finalist, 2024 Southern Book Prize
A remarkable new poetry collection from Clint Smith, the #1 New York Times bestselling and National Book Critics Circle award-winning author of How the Word Is Passed.
