Sway

Sway was such a treat for the senses. For a nature lover like me, there is nothing more exhilarating than watching the signs of the seasons and Johnson brings that to life in this poetry collection. Starting with summer and progressing through the seasons, all her poems contain clever observations and lyrical phrases which I wanted to commit to memory. This is a gentle and accessible read which I would recommend to anyone new to reading poetry as well as nature lovers.

Sway by Tricia Johnson is a poetry collection full of poems inspired by the nature of Pennsylvania. The poems had a zen-like feel with how they are written. The collection follows the turning of the seasons from Summer to Spring with some great sensory verses that really help set the scene for the poem.

These poems celebrate the natural world, the changes of season, the ways the wind can blow, the sound of snow falling, the colours, the many subtle and dazzling shifts that are visible when one pays attention. Like Johnson, I live in the country and I too am fascinated by all that surrounds me, and that is what drew me to her work. I applaud Johnson for her keen observations and celebrations of all that nature has to offer. I did feel at times the poems got repetitive, and that many good lines got lost within mediocre poems. Occasionally, the poet's interior state would be made known, and I wanted more of that. Obviously not all nature poets can be Mary Oliver, but part of what made her brilliant was her ability to bring together the external and internal landscapes. Without that interiority, nature poetry can feel a bit simplistic. Still, I appreciated Johnson's strong imagery. Thank you to Netgalley and Atmosphere Press for an advanced copy.

Poems that welcome and embrace Mother Nature’s seasonal wind blown mysteries.

This book of poetry invites you to pause, kneel down in a meadow and experience the flora and fauna of Pennsylvania. To live among the rolling hills and valleys, as nature's changing rhythms keep the time.

Very atmospheric and a cozy read. It made me feel like I was there in the places mentioned in the poems. Especially loved the poem 'Interconnected'.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

I loved this book starting with the beautiful cover. The poems are very sweet and interesting and the book gives autumn vibes which I particularly appreciate. Definitely to read in the fall over a cup of chai latte.

Johnson talks with the voice of nature, translating into ink and soft paper the heart’s strings that the seasons play gently every year, offering her ability to turn the physical world into poetry to us, to give us the possibility to read our own very personal, spiritual emotions in the physical world.
I was mesmerised throughout the entirety of the collection because each poem was able to gift me with a lost memory regarding nature, wether it was observing its magical elements with the ecstatic curiosity of childhood or the deep connection one experiences during a walk in the woods.
I am fascinated and filled with wonder at Johnson's ability to convey worlds vast with a mere couple words, her ability to encapsule a landscape, its characteristics and feelings with a couple of verses, making them resplendent with her own personal and vibrant thoughts.
Once you start with the first poems, you’re lulled by peacefulness and serenity until you discover you’ve consumed the collection in one sitting.
What I feel is the strongest value of this collection however, is the ability of Johnson’s words and concepts to embed themselves into the reader’s soul and accompany them like a warm, maternal shawl days after completing the read; I found myself coming back wether in though or physically to the world of rural, wild Pennsylvania narrated, I craved the tranquillity and uttermost connection that the author so brilliantly conveyed with precise, crystalline yet profound words.
I read emotions I’ve always felt and hopes I’ve always guarder in my heart for the first time in the form of poetry, things I’ve always been unable to convey and a moving love for nature in every aspect, both conventional and difficult and a tender willingness to embrace everything that mother nature leaves at our porch; therefore I think Johnson was able to excel at one of poetry’s prime commitments: giving voice to others’ silence.

I will definitely check out more of Tricia Johnson’s works and can say that this is one of the best reads of 2022.

This is a book that needs to be bought and kept in your walking/rambling rucksack. It is a gentle poem to have running through your head whilst enjoying our beautiful countryside and then a thought to be pondered while strolling through woodland. I would expect the owner of such a copy to find it stained green with slightly scuffed cover and favourite flowers pressed within its pages. Wow! This has turned a prosaic old lady poetic! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

3.5/5

Have you ever wanted to feel like Elizabeth running through the moor? Or Anne breathing in the forest air and feeling one with the Earth? Then look no further than Sway. Absolutely loaded with imagery from any nature scene you could imagine, Tricia Johnson delivers a magical view of the world that can only be expressed through poetry.

Johnson leaves no stone unturned. Literally and figuratively. She explores every side of nature you can think of while still being gentle in her prose. I could imagine myself at each and every scene that she lay before me.

I did, unfortunately, become a little tired of the relentless imagery. This collection just wasn’t for me. Actually I don’t think it was written to be read like how I did. I would recommend not reading this book in its entirety in one sitting like I did. Instead, pick it up when you feel wistful or long for a season you’re not currently in. Keep it close for the rainy days and the misty mornings when you need a reminder of how beautiful Earth can be. This would make an excellent coffee table book. One you can flip through and read your favourite poem over and over.