Maggie Nelson has “fallen in love with a color” -- the color blue, to be exact. However, in her book of poetry, "Bluets," she creates a work that conveys much more than a meditation on the color itself, but rather wrestles with the implications of the color blue, humanity, inappropriate love, betrayal, depression, grief, and healing. This book of poetry fearlessly explores the deepest and most raw facets of existence; it commands attention, for it is written in such a compelling way that the reader feels almost disloyal to the speaker if one is to cease reading at any time. Nelson crafts her work in such a way that the reader takes a long and perilous journey with the speaker and seems to emerge, alongside the speaker, from a state of grief towards a path of healing.
Nelson has an incredible ability to convey poetry that is honest and easily relatable. Nelson’s compelling phrasing creates within the reader a sincere feeling of empathy. Her utilization of unique descriptions -- regarding arguably common feelings or events -- adds to this compelling phrasing. The work is broken up by a numbering system, but flows much like a “stream-of-consciousness” novel, uninterrupted by section breaks, titles, or chapters. In 119, Nelson writes:
“My friend was a genius before her accident, and she remains a genius now. The difference is that these days it is nearly impossible to discount her pronouncements. Something about her condition has bestowed upon her the quality of an oracle, perhaps because now she generally stays in one place, and one must go to her. Eventually you will have to give up this love, she told me one night while I made us dinner. It has a morbid heart.”
This section serves as a perfect example of the aforementioned strength -- Nelson has taken a common, relatable event, like speaking with a friend about one’s troubles, and transformed it into beautiful commentary uniquely described through an extended metaphor. To draw a parallel between her friend and an oracle is such a perfect comparison, one that feels very natural to the reader. But the description of this encounter, in which her friend tells her to abandon her current relationship, is so strikingly written that it elevates the entire event and the reader appreciates it more deeply. Moreover, while relatability is an incredible strength of Nelson's book; so is its ability to express, unapologetically, raw truths. In 177, she writes:
"Perhaps it is becoming clearer why I felt no romance when you told me that you carried my last letter with you, everywhere you went, for months on end, unopened. This may have served some purpose for you, but whatever it was, surely it bore little resemblance to mine. I never aimed to give you a talisman, an empty vessel to flood with whatever longing, dread, or sorrow happened to be the day’s mood. I wrote it because I had something to say to you."
"Bluets" stands as a solid example of the beauty of contemporary poetry, poetry that the millennial generation needs and desires. This captivating work is undeniably moving for it expresses how Nelson feels about the color blue and all of its implications, while also diving deeper into commentary about grief, depression, and love. In 75, she writes, “Mostly I have felt myself become a servant of sadness. I am still looking for beauty in that.” Sections like this lead the reader to believe that the book is so much more than a collection of poems about the color blue; if the goal of the work is to provide an honest look into the mind of someone that suffers, but nonetheless desires a way to overcome this suffering, then the work succeeds indisputably.
The book holds true to its name in that every numbered poem adds an additional blue thread to the very blue tapestry of "Bluets." Overall, "Bluets" successfully creates and promotes the qualities and implications of the color blue. However, blue is much more than the concept that ties the collection together; it is Nelson’s muse, her aches, her love, her loss and, ultimately, her comfort.
Do yourself a favor: curl up on a rainy evening with a warm cup of coffee and read this book.
