THE FOUR LAST THINGS

Some of these poems were published in her last book (American Twelfth Night, 1955) others were written since then, and all speak with forceful purity of religious experience -- Old and New Testament stories translated into poetry, empassioned expressions of love in the life of a nun from many parts of the world, and praise for the beauty of death, love, and nature. The extremely conventional metres, rhythms, and rhyme schemes here have a binding effect -- stamping most of the poems with an unfortunate sameness and often fostering the use of worn images and metaphors. (A few of the shorter lyrics are freer in form and fresher in expression.) Unlike the work of the young Catholic poet, Ned O'Gorman, whose religious expression is meaningful to all lovers of poetry and shows great awareness of the particular problems of his own century, Sister Madeleva's poems will probably appeal only to a Catholic audience.