3 out of 4 stars
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Tugs to my Heart is a serenade from the heart to the heart. It is a collection of nearly 150 short essays in the form of free-form poems, written to depict Paul Alleyne’s complex emotions about sensitive aspects of life, such as intimate relationships, treatment of the poor, creativity, and inertia. The central figure is a mature artist whose life is consumed by love, fear, and empathy. At the same time, he is still struggling to build a meaningful life for God to deem his existence worthy and grant him the entry to Heaven.
The poems are arranged in a random order, but they can be sorted into three main topics: courtship and romantic love, the artist’s search for creativity and fulfillment, and the crooked and manipulative sides of politics.
First of all, the book explores the journey one must endure in order to earn love. We see the wicked play of seduction, moments of intense passion, the fear of not being strong enough, and the loneliness after being left behind. While I enjoy most of the poems concerning this topic, “Remembering” is the exception. It is supposed to detail the carnal facet of love, but to me, it sounds like a weird rendition of soft-core porn rather than a piece of sensual and delicate literature.
Tugs to my Heart also narrates the difficult relationship between an artist and creativity when he is plagued by continual self-doubt and anxiety. This part will offer you many wise words of advice and reassurance as it urges you to follow your own path and live life to the fullest.
The author does not focus solely on personal dilemmas. He is concerned about the troubling political climate. This is, unfortunately, my least favorite part. Although the book has some genuine expressions of anguish and resentment, the overall tone appears to be preachy while criticizing others for being preachy. It communicates the common message that politicians only pay lip service while people are perishing, but the trite and clichéd delivery resembles propaganda or a catchphrase rather than a daring outcry.
The book is professionally edited. The rhyming might leave much to be desired, and there is little clever wordplay. This simple writing technique speaks loudly to the fact that Paul Alleyne presents the collection as a straightforward attempt to bare his soul. Besides, Tugs to my Heart gives me the impression that he is a fragile pessimist trying to be a tenacious optimist, and there is nothing wrong with that. “This is me on a plate,” he claims proudly, “vulnerable me, passionate me, contradictory me.”
On the downside, apart from some imperfections I mentioned earlier, the collection lacks certain originality and depth. It sometimes resorts to describing fleeting and shallow feelings without offering unique interpretations. As a result, the book falls short of being truly impressive and memorable. I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.
You do not have to be well-versed in poetry to enjoy Tugs to my Heart. It is highly recommended to mature readers who wish to learn how to use poetic language to express their emotions. The book will give people in doubt some encouragement to follow their dreams. You can share some poems with your literature club. However, the book contains some descriptions of sexual encounters which can come off as unnecessarily vulgar to sensitive readers. It may also disappoint those who are looking for an exceptional and shrewd work.
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Tugs to my Heart
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