Remember Me: Poems to Learn by Heart from Aotearoa New Zealand brings together over 200 poems from across the Motu for the first time. Edited by distinguished poet Anne Kennedy, this long-overdue anthology adds to the canon of Aotearoa New Zealand poetry, a primer of local verse ideal for memorisation and recitation. As Kennedy eloquently expresses, poetry is rooted in speech, carrying “our sounds and stories, our loves and losses” through rhythmic expression. These poems speak to the soul and beg to be spoken in turn.
Organised into thematic sections, the collection traverses the spectrum of human experience. We travel from meditative wisdom to romantic passion, from melancholy reflection to political protest. It opens with James K. Baxter conjuring lonely “red-gold cirrus” in High Country Weather, then shifts to Airini Beautrais’ uplifting Charm to Get Safely Home, affirming “I am dry” amidst the rain. Kennedy sought poems with strong aural qualities and innate performance appeal.
The scope impresses, representing Maori, Pasifika, Asian and Pakeha voices. Literary titans mingle with rising talents. Iconic poets like Baxter, Hone Tuwhare and Bill Manhire appear alongside Mohamed Hassan and Tayi Tibble, vibrant young talents Kennedy is right to showcase. Despite Kennedy’s tendency to spotlight lesser-known works over seminal masterpieces, the collection feels fresh and no less thorough.
Gems abound from Tusiata Avia’s fiery “Ode to da life” to Jenny Bornholdt’s tender Wedding Song. Sam Hunt’s witty musings charm while newer additions like essa may ranapiri seethe. The kaleidoscopic range demonstrates the evolving diversity of New Zealand verse. However, alphabetic rather than thematic ordering sometimes disrupts recitation flow. Nonetheless, there is richness here to be mined by the most devoted poetry devotee or casual reader alike.
As Kennedy stresses, this anthology is meant for active use, not passive perusal. Appendixes on memorisation and performance provide guidance for speaking these poems aloud. Kennedy hopes such verses will permeate occasions both public and private, from schoolrooms to weddings to quiet nights at home. Compared to staid classics, Remember Me has a fresh, egalitarian spirit and raw candour leavened with humour.
Whether read alone or performed before an audience, Remember Me will kindle new appreciation for the lyrical legacy New Zealand poets have gifted us. Our stories, our lives reverberate through these lines, waiting to be recalled “by heart.” Kennedy has curated a resonating treasury of solace, mirth, and poetic wisdom. As she writes, “Poems represent all that we are.” This vibrant primer lets us speak as one, in all our diversity.
Reviewer: Chris Reed
Auckland University Press