Poetic Pieces: Tearing Petals of Beauty

Would a rose by any other name smell just as sweet? Would a poem by any other author evoke the same feelings? That’s the beauty of poetry, each is uniquely tied to the writer, and it offers a window into the soul, the poet’s as much as the reader’s. Bailey C. Weber, through the vivid images of flowers and nature, manages to evoke an array of emotions in her collection Tearing Petals of Beauty. The thoughts and feelings, mulled over after each page, were varied from one to the next. In this sense, the collection, while appearing disjointed at times, has succeeded in capturing the wonder of love and life beautifully.

It is clear that, when taken in totality, this book is a work of art. Not just to the extent that each poem or painting is an art piece, but that the amalgamation of each creates a sum that is greater than its parts. By association, this makes Weber a great artist. However, when taken individually, there are some poems and paintings that are stronger than others, which is to be expected in this ambitious undertaking.

One instance of a less appealing poem is found in Laughter’s Wrinkle. While it appears it is an image of loneliness and love-lost memories, there is a great deal of awkwardness within. “Not wanting to think Earth as part of space / I sit quietly with an empty heart / Money for the space race, I touch your face / We can’t eat money; power has no heart.” Admittedly, the awkwardness that we feel in this excerpt may be due to the inability to grasp the meaning Weber is trying to convey. We can only guess, but taken within context, it appears to us that she is making a juxtaposition between being powerless, and having power within a relationship. Earlier, the narrator concludes that she does not believe she has the power to change lives, and refers to herself as “just a girl”. Two lines down, it is emphasized that the narrator “needs a man”, implying that she is powerless on her own. In the previously quoted section, she says that she has an empty heart, while also stating that power has no heart. The fact that there is a void in her heart, where power is illustrated equally as nothing but a void, further illustrates her powerlessness.

The poem is redeemed in the final five lines, creating a beautiful picture of either a love long-passed, or an imaginary future love. Weber evokes a picture of crow’s-feet for us as the narrator smiles with her eyes and fears a wrinkle, bringing into question whether she is afraid of growing old and still being alone. These five lines serve to redeem the lines that came before, painting a vivid and distinct image that is engaging to read. The poem as a whole is still rather good, albeit one of the weaker entries due to its awkwardness. That being said, if this can be considered a weaker entry, the rest of the book is in good shape.

Each poem appears to be written in the form of a sonnet, often with an ABABCDCD…XX rhyme scheme. There are a variety of instances where the scheme, meter, and formula are broken. It seems that Weber was acknowledging the rules of sonnets, and straying from their limitations in favor of artistic expression. This exemplifies a boldness that is both admirable and inspiring. Weber also uses repetition sparingly and with great affect. Alliteration is used in a few entries and this was also brilliantly implemented.

If we were only to select a few poems to read and forgetting the rest, Iris, Weeping Like a Willow, The Oak and Aspen, and Resented Reincarnation are among our absolute favorites and are our must-reads in the anthology. While we would have been satisfied to read each on their own, they are best enjoyed while reading the entire collection and following the narrator’s story from Love Poems to Loneliness, and all the way to the end in Acceptance. The paintings in the final section did a great deal to add to the flowery imagery permeating the vast majority of poems. When these poems and paintings are taken together as two sides of the same coin, it is clear that Tearing Petals of Beauty is an evocative work of art and passion.

We would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys poetry (sonnets in particular) and are open to some artistic freedom with the poet’s embellishment on a traditional formula. Although some of the weaker pieces had an impact on the overall enjoyment of the book, as a whole, Weber succeeds at creating a piece of art that will leave a lasting impression.