The gods of Gioia's ( Daily Horoscope ) second collection of poetry are like snow. Their glory is ephemeral. At first appearance, they dazzle--aloof, pure, silent. But like their human counterparts, they succumb to time and weather. Through catastrophe or a gradual melting away, change buries all things human and divine, and memory resurrects them only briefly. On these themes Gioia writes a few superb poems. "Counting the Children" concerns an accountant who, charged with settling an estate, discovers in the deceased's house a roomful of dismembered dolls. Later, watching his daughter sleep, he muses grimly: "Each spirit, be it infant, bird or flower, / Comes to the world perfected and complete, / And only time proves its unraveling." It seems ironic that Gioia mars his collection with several self-promotional poems. "My Confessional Sestina" targets "youngsters in poetry workshops" who write sestinas as "the official entry blank into the little magazines." Yet he merely asserts his own priority by mimicking the form and the practitioners he purports to disavow. pk
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The loss of a child permeates this second volume of poems from "a leader of the neo-formalist school of poetry," as Gioia is dubbed by his publisher. It is not the formalism that is of chief interest here--Gioia's prosody, while competent, can be a bit stiff and tidy--but the way some of these poems break out of bland formula into beauty. One stunning poem is "Planting a Sequoia," in which the narrator's act of planting a tree with his brothers ceremonializes a son's birth and death: "We plant you in the corner of the grove, bathed in western light,/ a slender shoot against the sunset." Two long Frostean narratives are well done yet conventional; of least interest is "My Confessional Sestina," which begins: "Let me confess. I'm sick of these sestinas/ written by youngsters in poetry workshops/ for the declaration of their fellow students." Just 40, Gioia can sound jaded before his time; in some of these poems, however, a fresher voice seems to be emerging. Recommended.
- Ellen Kaufman, Dewey Ballantine Law Lib., New York
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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5.0 out of 5 stars a dark collection, but one you should definitely read, May 19 2002

By	adead_poet@hotmail.com "adead_poet@hotmail.com" (Beaumont, tx USA) - See all my reviews

Dana Gioia has made a name for himself as both a poet and a critic. And I've heard both sides of the argument, but if you have read _The Gods of Winter_ than you cannot deny his excellence as a poet (and if you haven't read this collection, then you definitely should go and buy it now). The book is divided into five sections. Section I contains seven of his better poems. "All Souls'", "The Gods of Winter", and "Planting a Sequoia" are here. The poems in this first section are about loss, even "Planting a Sequoia" which is also about life. Section II contains the longer poem "Counting the Children." The poems in Section III are poems more about place rather than the loss of sections I & II. Section IV is the long narrative, "The Homecoming." It's a dark poem, Frost-like in its nature, about a troubled boy and what happens when he goes home to his family. The final poems, in Section V, while still dark, leave us with a bit more hope than found in any of the other sections.

Gioia's use of language and choice of words is exceptionally beautiful in this collection. And the heartbreak of losing a child if felt throughout. This collection leaves the reader a little sad, but with much to think about.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Heartfelt poetry, Jan 27 2001

By A Customer

Although there are a couple of poems I did not enjoy much, the majority were so touching. You can feel the pain of the loss of Gioia's small son. Planting a Sequoia is my favorite. His writing is simple to understand and straight forward. I am in college to be an English teacher and I plan to use some of Gioa's poetry because there are connections that I feel high school students can understand. I love the book.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Winter is a Dark Season, But Lovely, Dark and Deep, Dec 15 2000

By	B.D. (Maryland) - See all my reviews

For those misguided reviewers who expect all poetry to be Summer and Spring, or Autumn leaves in wonderful color, God has given the planet one other crucial season, Winter, of which the poet Dana Gioia so eloquently speaks. Having experienced personal tragedy, he tries to portray his attempts at making sense of the dark seasons of life that God allows to be sent our way. While not perhaps quite at the level of prowess or majesty as Hardy, Yeats, Housman, de la Mare, Frost, Robinson, Masefield, Auden, Wilbur or Santayana, nonetheless Gioia remains one of the world's finest poets. The fact that he has the courage to face unpleasant subjects head on as he does shows his boldness as a poet. Veterans Cemetary is a classic treatment of passing on. If you enjoy rhyming poetry that makes sense with a mostly plain, conversational style not too erudite or sophisticated, you've come to the right place. I look forward to his next collection to be released April 2001. A must-have addition to the home library.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Grace and Individualism
The previous "reader" from New York does make valid points regarding Mr. Gioia's work, but he or she fails to realize the entire impetus for Gioia's work. Read more

Published on Oct 29 2000

1.0 out of 5 stars A Disappointing Collection
Dana Gioia's theme in "The Gods of Winter" is death, without the hope of afterlife, where death is sometimes regarded after the fact, as in "All Souls,"... Read more

Published on Aug 27 2000