The purpose of my blog was not just to keep track of my own reading but also to push me towards expanding my reading. A lot of my reading has been very Western-focused, from poetry to fairy tales to novels. When it comes to some genres I have been able to reach beyond my own culture, in large part thanks to the push for diversity in publishing and representation. This desire to broaden my horizons was a big reason for why I wanted to read When the Pipirite Sings. Thanks to Northwestern University Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My sincere apologies for the delay.

Poetry wasn't always my cup of tea. It can be hard to get in to, especially more traditional forms or poetry from other cultures. Poetry, by its nature, works with metaphors and allusions and ideas, and many of these are culturally bound. Most will understand that the idea of a rising sun may mean a new beginning, but often it is not that straightforward. Often the references aren't even explicit or purposefully placed by the poet, rather they bleed in unawares. As such, reading poetry from "outside" your own culture can be a challenge. I definitely needed some time to get into Métellus' poems featured in When the Pipirite Sings. Not because they were difficult or abstract, let alone bad, but rather because I needed to open myself up to not understanding certain references. Saussy thankfully footnotes quite a few references, but it nonetheless took some getting used to. Once I let Métellus' beautiful writing wash over me, however, once I let go of following every single thing, I began to get much more of a sense of his rhythm and his meaning. And while Haiti is an unknown country to me, aside from the (sadly often tragic) news, I now feel like I've received a little glimpse of it, of its land, its people, its myths, and its spirit.

The collection starts with the titular long poem 'When the Pipirite Sings', which is hard to explain or summarise in a few lines. This poem spans 60+ pages (as far as I could see on my Kindle) and it immediately amazes by its vivid descriptions of land, gods, and suffering. It is a paean to Haiti, an outcry against slavery, an ode to the gods, a love-song to the land. Many lines stood out to me, each was impressive in and of itself. The one below, however, stood out:

My speech grafted on the branches of the future unleashes the lightning of calamities and pride with its seams of gold
The rasping of weeds that cannot perceive signs or my repetitive prayer or the waves of my throat or the bruises of my voice
Awakens my calling
The mutiny of passion eases the storm into my mouth
And light-headed air feeds the gums that attack my joy

This first poem is rather long and contains sub-sections, or sub-poems, 'Prayer to the Sun' and 'The Sun's Reply'. I really liked both of these as well, from their use of imagery to their tone, which sways between a plea and a war cry. Next is 'No Reprieve', which is as tragic as it sounds. 'Land' reads like the poem of someone who misses his homeland, and this emotion rings through really strongly. 'Death in Haiti' is both love song to Haiti and a mourning song to its people, pulled between hurricanes and gods and slavers. 'Words' was one of my favourites, starting with 'My heart gives itself up to words' while fully aware that words are a poor substitute for the real, living world. 'Ogoun' describes one of the chief male gods of the vaudou pantheon, or rather puts words in his mouth, and those words are like war song. 'The Wretched of Life' is another one of my favourites, although it's not an apt word here. Inspired by Fanon's Les damnes de la terre, in which he analysed internalized racism, this poem shows perhaps clearest what issues Métellus was grappling with. 'For a Haitian Schoolboy' is a poem of encouragement but also questioning for young black boys, one that asks them to investigate where their knowledge comes from, what humanity's place in this world is, and to think carefully. I really enjoyed this one as well.

Jean Métellus was a Haitian poet, neurologist, linguist, and novelist. In his excellent introduction, Saussy paints a portrait of the man, or rather of the many personalities that came together in the man Jean. Métellus' interest in poetry didn't start until he had already left Haiti, leaving due to its tense political climate, when he was already studying medicine in Paris. For Métellus, his poetry was completely separate from every other aspect of his life. Even his work in linguistics did not impact his poetry. Saussy suggests something like vaudou possession, divine inspiration, which then burst out in countless poems dedicated to his homeland, if written in French rather than his native Kreyol. And the writing truly is beautiful. There is something so evocative about Métellus's writing, as if he is summoning the Haiti of his childhood out of thin air for the reader. What he also summons is the suffering of his people, the injustices of racism and slavery, the hardships of the climate. As such, the poems of When the Pipirite Sings aren't "easy reading" in the technical sense, but they are very much worth settling down for and getting in to. I'm very glad Haun Saussy and Northwestern University Press released such a beautiful collection to (re-)introduce audiences to this poet and his Haiti.

When the Pipirite Sings features stunning poems, especially the titular long poem which recreates and gives voice to Haiti. Any lovers of poetry and readers interested in post-colonial works should pick this collection up!

I thought this was a very detailed book and poem collection . It gave great insight into the the background and culture . I did find some to be a tad long , so almost losing focal point , but I did enjoy the read as well!

Culturally rich poems with references and Haitian words, but I was slightly overwhelmed by the writing and the topics.

I love the introduction to this collection of poetry and how it highlighted the pieces in the book and the author's story. This is a beautiful collection of poetry and I highly recommend it!

A fascinating poetic vision of Haiti which made me curious about both the poet and the island. I felt the translation was particularly thoughtful. Thankyou for the opportunity to read this collection.

Great introduction. The writing is beautifully done. Beautiful book of poetry. I highly recommend it. Thank you for allowing me to read and review this book.

This is an utterly gorgeous collection that encapsulates a mythic voice, saturated with color and grandeur, directly germane to a Black African aesthetic. The language, the imagery leap off the page and cast spells.

And what's more refreshing still is to completely fall within such powerful lyricism embedded with so many spiritual and nature elements, divorced from the horrors of the white gaze, from our proximity to white people. We inhabit a world in this collection where there is the raw Caribbean, Africa, and ourselves.

Métellus is a painter of words who deserves the utmost of praise for his poetic skill.

I thoroughly enjoyed Jean Metellus book of poetry. The way he illustrated Haiti's history, pain, vigor, botany, and vodou gods was powerful and thought-provoking! My favorite poem was about what the tree had to say- and it had a lot to say to its people. These selected poems are vividly described and full of imagery. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

A wonderful graphic novel that manages to combine a compelling narrative and illustrations to create a wonderful experience for the reader.

This is the most underrated poetry book I have read recently! Forget all those instagram trendy poems, this poetry booklet is amazing and let you enter the Haitian world with respect and joy! Poems are filled with history, pain, developing, eager for freedom! From the slavery to modernity, the poet delved all those topics with an outstanding poetic touch and it draws readers' mind to wonder what Haitian really like in Haitian people's minds, certainly not "shit holes"! Nowadays, it is so much forgotten because it is not developed like west Europe, yet not fully equipped with buying powers like China, but the poetry showed us how rich and profound this land and its people are! For all poetry lovers, read it!

This was a beautiful translation - I loved Metellus' use of language. The main work in this collection, “Au pipirite chantant” (“When the Pipirite Sings"), was like a magnificent fever dream: page after page of vivid allusion and imagery of Haiti, its people and botany and culture and climate and history and vaudou gods. It took me days to make my way through it because of its combination of sprawl and density, and the fact that I kept stopping to look up definitions and historical references. The shorter poems were interesting as well, and I enjoyed the introduction and learning about Metellus and mid-20th century Haitian politics and history.

Vibrant collection, rich in imagery and language, When the Pipirite Sings is a beautiful, as well raw look at life in Haitian life and does not shy away from colonialism. The verses are lyrical and the longer poems deeply rewarding.

Kudos to the translator at doing such a sterling job bringing the poet's words to life.

Highly recommended.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This is such a beautiful collection. Although the author only wrote in French and these were translated I must say that the description of the people and the beautiful imagery truly made the collection come alive.

Métellus is not shy and the collection takes a deep dive into colonial oppression as well as the cultural and spiritual identity of the Haitian people. Although I found some of the pieces hard to get through, the entire work as a whole was very well-written.

The authors writing is beautifully done, but will admit that I was a bit overwhelmed by some of his descriptions of men, women and his home Haiti. But that might just be me since I'm not much of a poetry reader.

I do wish the ARC copy I received was better "edited" but given what ARC's can be sometimes...

However, if you are a fan of colorful descriptions and methodically told stories told in poetry verse; then I believe When The Pipirite Sings is a book worth invested in.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to review.

Once the French colony of Saint-Domingue, Haiti was home to revered poet and neurologist Jean Métellus; this book opens with When the Piprite Sings, widely known as his masterwork with this being the first time it's been translated from French into English, forty years after it was originally published. Each poem is infused with Haitian culture and Mr Métellus' nostalgia and longing for his homeland which felt sincere and authentic. Saint-Domingue became known as the "Pearl of the Antilles" – one of the wealthiest of France's colonies, producing vast quantities of sugar and coffee and depended on a brutal slave system for the necessary labor. Inspired by the message of the French Revolution, Haitian slaves rose up in revolt in 1791 and after decades of struggle, the independent republic of Haiti was officially proclaimed in 1804.

This is a moving, raw and heartfelt book of poetry and the scenes described were beautiful and vivid. Mixing past issues of colonialism and slavery with the state of modern-day Haiti was done seamlessly. Despite this adversity and hardship Métellus also covers themes of hope, strength and survival. This is not an easy read by all means and as the poems are so long I can understand those who perhaps lost focus whilst reading, although I didn't have a problem with that myself. Freedom, identity and poverty also feature heavily throughout. Translated by formidable comparative literature scholar Haun Saussy - I thought he did a great job in keeping with the meaning of the prose.

Many thanks to Northwestern University Press.

When the Pipirite Sings By Haitian poet, novelist, and neurologist Jean Métellus gives us a beautiful glimpse of Haitian culture.

But, before I move forward with this review let’s just take a minute to admire this stunning cover...just stunning!

Métellus’s collection of poems describe in such vividness the love and longing for his country. This collection is not one to rush through it’s one that should be severed one word at a time. This collection is truly a masterpiece.

The poems in this collection are raw. Jean Metellus is writing about Haiti and his own experiences in a way that brings the reader along. These poems invoke feeling and wonder at the world created by Metellus. I was moved by the details and flow of the stanzas. Although not usually a fan of poetry, I found these easy to read and very enjoyable. His timing and spacing of phrases was ideal for any reader. Job well done.

I thought this was a very detailed book and poem collection . It gave great insight into the the background and culture . I did find some to be a tad long , so almost losing focal point , but I did enjoy the read as well .

While I admire the strong imagery and emotionally powerful symbolism of Metellus' poems, their length and proselike appearance were a bit off putting for this reader. The piling up of detail would be more effective for me in poetry of more conventional formatting. I recognize this to be a flaw in me rather than the poems themselves. Nevertheless, I subtracted a star, feeling the poems were lessened by their form.

When the Pipirite Sings presents the collected poems of Haitian poet and doctor Jean Métellus, who wrote primarily in French. The collection most notably includes the first English translation of his signature work by the same title.

Métellus tackles many powerful subjects, from colonial oppression to Haitian spiritual and cultural identity. He uses powerful and at times vivid language to deal with these themes. But make no mistake, the poems in When the Pipirite Sings (digital galley, Northwestern University Press) have a high specific gravity and can be slow to get through.

It’s good to see literary translations from Caribbean countries being published in English. As close neighbors — and the destination of many a vacationer — it’s important that these books be made available so that U.S. readers can better understand the cultural history of the region.