I am incredibly grateful to Philip D. Rye for sending me a copy of his poetry anthology All Shapes and Sizes with no expectation of a review, but because he hoped it might provide a distraction at a difficult time. To thank him for his kindness, the least I can do is provide an honest review.
Published on 5th November 2024, All Shapes and Sizes is available for purchase here.
All Shapes and Sizes
Unpretentious, contemporary verse, sometimes profound, often explosively funny, it will take you on a roller coaster of emotions, laughing, crying, and transforming the way you see and feel about life and everyday events. With over 80 individual poems this entertaining and thought-provoking collection is ridiculously good value and deserves your attention.
My Review of All Shapes and Sizes
An anthology of poetry presented in alphabetical order.
What an eclectic collection! I really enjoyed All Shapes and Sizes because it speaks to such a wide audience as there is a poem that will resonate with any reader.
I’m usually more of a fan of free verse and here the majority of the poems rhyme but the more regular rhyme scheme works because it is often hit with a sting in the tail or with wry humour at the human condition. Philip D. Rye writes about the ordinary like a hang over, the familiar, like our obsession with love, and the inevitable, like death, with a sharp wit that feels highly amusing at times and equally moving and emotional at other times. For example. I swear I’ve been on the same plane as the author has in Frequent Flyer!
The anthology feels so accessible because many of the entries are relatively short so that it’s easy to dip in and read a poem when you have a few spare moments. That said, I did read the verses in the alphabetical order in which they are presented. I especially loved the form and structure of Parallel Uni-Verse and the veracity of Politicians and Prostitutes.
There’s a surprisingly wide range of themes interwoven here, with subtle reference to both natural and social science, mental and physical health, communication and the world around us. There’s history, popular literature and politics, and there’s also a frequent humour that makes some entries feel as if the reader is listening to a quick-witted friend.
What I found so intriguing in All Shapes and Sizes was trying to get behind the mere words on the page and to discover more about the poet. There are many references to love or insecurity (as in Just One Kiss) with human frailty a key topic so that I felt I was discovering a little bit about Philip D. Rye through reading his poems. I found When I Lay Down especially touching, coming as it does after the humour of Wedding Night and it made me wonder just what the poet has learnt about love and loss in his life. indeed, the very final poem Xposure leads me to believe the more I read these poems, the more I’ll discover…
Fresh, quirky, accessible and entertaining, these poems represent who we are as humans. Whilst they would reward a deeper study of syntax, rhyme and structure, I don’t think literary investigation is the purpose and joy of this anthology. Rather, the pleasure comes in recognising yourself in some of the situations described and feeling a human connection. Ostensibly not to be taken too seriously, All Shapes and Sizes is actually a collection that feels warm, honest and, in a curious way, caring. I really enjoyed it.
About Philip D. Rye
Philip D. Rye is a UK expat living in Norway, who was schooled mainly in London and who followed a scientific career. He loves reading and exploring the nuance of language and putting some of it to rhyme.
