I have to admit that I am not a big fan of poetry – in fact, I’m pretty sure this is my first time ever even reviewing poetry. But the title of this intrigued me (yes, I will also admit that I was unaware the title was Cummings’), and I’ve been known to click on anything with Sirius in the summary. Plus, I knew you were a great author, so I was hoping I might stumble upon something I enjoyed. And I did.

I think what I love most about this poem is the voice. It screams Sirius with every word. The whole tone seems to be very sardonic, which is perfect for Sirius in Azkaban. It’s not just sarcastic, which is what not-in-prison Sirius would be like; it’s got more of an edge, and it’s wonderful. I think my favorite part is the very first bit, about children of men being carbon-copies. I would quote it, but that would take up a lot of space. The reason I liked it so much was because the idea is Sirius down to the core. For his whole life, he’s been trying to break the Black mold, and that’s stated so poignantly there.

Next I’m going to try to examine form, and hopefully it won’t sound too much like I don’t know anything. The lack of capitalization is definitely worth noting. It’s almost like being in Azkaban has drained Sirius of all but the simplest skills; obviously that doesn’t necessarily apply to the original poem, but still. Likewise, the fact that there’s no punctuation makes it seems like a stream of consciousness sort of thing. It’s an interesting dynamic, then, that the ideas are so heavy but the form is so simple.

I’m really glad you included a link to the original poem, because I was eager to read it and compare. And dare I say it, I like yours better. I feel like Cummings’ is a bit more positive, like it’s more lighthearted. Where Sirius seems sarcastic and ironic, the voice of Cummings’ seems for a while like he actually does love humanity; Sirius is more mocking. When ‘Humanity/ i hate you’ comes at the end of Cummings’, it’s a little unexpected, like you’re surprised the narrator doesn’t really love humanity. But when that line comes at the end of yours, it’s like a reassurance that you, the reader, were right the whole time – that no, Sirius does not love humanity, and yes, he was being sardonic. Lol, I hope that makes sense.

I’m definitely really happy I clicked on this, because it was wonderful. There aren’t many poems that I truly like, but this is an exception. You captured Sirius’s emotions perfectly, and you did Mr. Cummings some justice. Wonderful job!

Author's Response: Awww, thank you so much! I'm so, so thrilled that you liked this poem! You're absolutely spot on with the way I made it more sardonic, and the capitalization/stream of consciousness... it DOES scream Sirius, doesn't it? I'm glad you picked up on all those little things. That IS what makes poetry so special. And you know what's funny? ((I don't like poetry much, either. :P)) So, maybe I write good poetry for other people who normally don't like the genre, eh? Hehe, well, thanks again for reviewing! I'm glad you liked it. <3

Amazing. I didn't expect to like this a whole lot, (cynical me) but I most definately enjoyed it after reading it. You've managed to write it while being exceptionally concise and the thoughts flow easily together in a stream of concience kind of way. You've made a fan out of me. This is obviously not your first brush with poetry and I'd love to see more from you on this site. =)

Author's Response: Aww, thank you so much! I am absolutely thrilled that you liked it! I *have* written poetry before, but never anything HP-related, so this was quite a new experience, but I am so very glad that you enjoyed reading! :D