Close your eyes, but look up to the light. In the almost formless shadows of your new sight, imagine these: A neglected flower, a betrayed father, a bounding boy, unsteady lovers, a young poet, a glimpse of God. Now open your eyes. And read on. These are some of the images in these poems. As the title implies, collected here are the informal, elliptical and colloquial "almost formless shadows" of a modern American dreamer. And these are not only explorations in theme but also language and syntax, showing the age in which they were written and the age of poet himself. So in the words of one of the collection's best: "Now, therefore, while the youthful side / Decides to shine and not to hide," please open your eyes wide here and learn some new SLANG.
