Hannah Brooks-Motl’s Earth poetry, with unique imagery and word choice, depicts a sense of this grand “force”, for lack of a better word, that exists and overwhelms and amazes us as observers of this world. While reading, I was constantly amazed by several lines of poetry which gave me a sort of reader’s whiplash; her ability to tie together objects, ideas, and images unexpectedly grabbed my attention and made my mind spin. Each poem was its own collage, and though each was different in how Brooks-Motl combined the subjects, I began to see connections between the poetry overall. I noticed she spoke to a “you” in certain poems–pages 7, 8, and 10, for example–which interested me because it made me wonder if the “you” is direct to the reader or to an unidentified recipient. I thought that ambiguity worked in her favor. Her unique phrasing and word choice were also a factor that stood out to me. I noticed a repetition, of sorts, in the following lines:

“There was a spirit named Impudence/ to fall in love with” (5)

“There was a demon called Consequence/ the Extinguisher, I remember her golden scarves” (7)

“There was an idol called Custom, this urged/ certain truths onward” (10)

These lines and the way they are similarly phrased, though referring to different “forces”, really struck me. The statement of “there was a ___”, then naming said thing, then adding some action or further description of it was very fascinating. 

Hannah’s unique imagery in addition to word choice also captivated me. Descriptions such as “Spreading reddish” (8) and “In the well-litness of the lonely” (8), and “Into cranberry color/ of car light and dawning” (9) really interested me. Reading lines like these, I just thought, “WOW”. Such rich and interesting words emphasized this earthy, worldly tone if that makes any sense. I feel like the way she describes things…it's honestly indescribable. It is so poetic and well put, it feels like it comes from someone who has a very intimate eye for emotion and scenery and she translates it so well into words and imagery. 

The first poem that stood out to me was ‘Through’ on page 15. I made notes as I read so I will respond to each on its own. 

“For the car is pierced by evil”

What evil?? How does it pierce the car? How does this occurrence cause the narrator to lose the moment?

“Looking / is like hoarding / and thus hoarding. Try to move/ beyond it, elongate the star sign/ into random object: crying baby.”

This was one of those lines that made me stop and think, WOW how did she come up with this? Comparing ‘looking’ to ‘hoarding’ is so compelling and then the further development of this idea by literally moving past in and onto another object is just, so cool. 

“I am attached to this bracelet.

I am attached to my carriage.

I am attached to such nectar.”

These three lines are like, wow. WOW. I like the consistency of the repetition contrasted with the slight change of adjective–this, my, such–and subject–bracelet, carriage, nectar–with each line. I am so curious about how the narrator is attached to each and what compelled her to connect them in this way with the slight repetition. 

The second poem that stood out to me was on page 53. Again, I will pull out some lines that struck me and give my notes on them as I wrote them. 

“at the junction of whatever / and the beautiful. / junction of potato, cow.”

I like how these lines simultaneously describe an abstract location while also grounding the ‘Eildon tree” by giving it a location. The location versus abstraction dynamic is very compelling. Providing a location is grounding in that it gives the reader some kind of contact, the abstraction, however, makes it less grounded in reality. 

“an outside force / circumstance / then the rule [large space] a kind of pattern”

Part of me does not really understand this line, but this is sort of what I was referring to when I mention the “force” Hannah brings up. Throughout the book, I felt Hannah kept returning to this kind of philosophical experience of being human in the world and exploring some unknowable force that exists that we can all sense but not truly understand. I think it makes sense when the book is called Earth like it is a collection of experiences, observances, ideas, etc., that encapsulate the indescribable existence of humanity on this earth. 

I also want to give an honorable mention to Hannah’s use of space and line breaks throughout the book. She was very creative with spacing across the page, especially in the second half of the book. In many of them, it added to the spacious, human, contemplative nature of the words. It really emphasized the “force”.