Adventures in Poetry

Book excerpt: M. Kienholz is one of the Northwest’s most versatile poets. Amy Woodward Fisher, former chairman of Washington State’s Poetry Day, described Kienholz’ style as incorporating “rhythm and imagery;” however, her poetry has an even broader definition. Her historical poetry ranges like a world traveler through human pathos, achievement, and brutality. Here, she addresses experiences of Native Americans, Chinese, and Japanese in the West, presents incisive descriptions of Northwest personalities and biographical sketches of more than thirty New World explorers. Her children’s poetry can be enjoyed equally by parents and children. She gives her animals personalities and dramatizes their worlds. Kienholz’ love poetry covers all the convolutions of the mating game. Much humor is evident in her serious poems, as well as in her “doggerel and other stuff.” Kienholz’ skillful use of poetic devices provides teachers with tools to explain poetry to students. Her poetry has won honors in many competitions as listed in the Appendix. The seven adventures in this volume of poetry: Image and Imagination A to Z Menagerie Walk Through Washington State Pearls of the Orient Hound Dog’s Book of Doggerel and Other Stuff We Love Explorers of the Western World