CLICK, RUMBLE, ROAR: Poems About Machines

by Lee Bennett--Ed. Hopkins ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 1987

The indefatigable anthologist has assembled and reprinted 18 evocations of means of transportation, construction equipment and such other familiars as the washing machine and calculator. Some of these are the usual doggerel imitating mechanical rhythms, with some obvious comparisons ("" [The power digger] snorts and roars/Like the dinosaurs. . .""--Bennett), but most also contain fresh images or such plays on words as Merriam's invented collective nouns for the contents of a parking lot (""a googol of gas tanks/a total of exhausts""). Contributions by Worth (lawnmower) and McCord (laundromat) are distinguished by the impeccable cadence and precision that remind us how good a poem can be when the author observes with clear, unprejudiced senses. Merriam's concluding ""Think Tank"" is a merry romp with the staccato sounds of computer output. Most of the other poets are also familiar. The sober but well-composed black-and-white photos make this useful collection look appropriate for older as well as younger readers.

Pub Date: July 1, 1987

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Crowell

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1987

Categories: POETRY