Review of “The Leaf” by Warwick Landon

Score: N/A

The Leaf is a short book of poetic significance by Warwick Landon.

The book follows the journey of the titular leaf, perhaps a stand-in for the poet, as it undergoes the seasons of life on a journey toward an epiphany.

One thing about this book is that it does respect the art of poetry. Poetry shouldn't just be telling, it should be showing through the use of symbols and details.

One example of a very critical detail is that the tree from which the leaf originates is an oak tree—a tree known for its sturdiness, strength, and longevity. Being separated from this tree implies that the leaf (or the person the leaf represents) has been torn away from its original source of strength and nourishment: a parent or another close loved one. The feeling and theme of death is evident throughout the book.

Similar to something like The Giving Tree, the tree's role in loving and caring for the leaf is evident. Their love and relationship seems to be reciprocal.

One of the themes that keeps reoccurring in this book is the idea of returning to Mother Nature or the source. For example, there's an implication of the tree's fate to “rot and merge” with the Earth. The Earth itself seems to be a character as much as the leaf and the tree are.

Similar to the book Story of Tree & Cloud, there's an idea in here of the deceased not only becoming one with the Earth but also with the air and the sky. It's beautiful imagery.

Now, this is a short work of less than 50 pages. We've read it or attempted to read it about five times. It can be a challenge, in all honesty, because of the writing and cryptic nature. In terms of the writing, it's really quite rough. Ellipses are littered all across the pages in place of periods and line breaks. That in itself can be a bit of an eyesore. The other thing is that there are inconsistencies and errors in grammar and spelling. There are times when the word “oak” is both capitalized and lower-case. The book itself seems to be a hybrid, neither being poetry nor prose. It lacks refinement that comes with editing and proofreading, which is unfortunate.

At the same time, the poet shows signs of being capable of writing. They just seem to need more practice. After all, this is their first book. They're still competent enough to effectively use detailed adjectives and to conjure up vivid imagery. They just need to put that all together with some editing and proofreading.

You can still give this book a shot on Amazon!