The Place Within: The Poetry of Pope John Paul II Paperback – October 25, 1994

I love St. John Paul II. I have a different book of his poems and it's not even close to the quality of "The Place Within". I love the style and I recommend this book to anyone, religious or not. Beautiful poetry should always be treasured.

Great

Not all of these poems are truly excellent, but several are and all of them are interesting on some level. I would strongly recommend this book for anyone interested in better understanding the mind of one of the greatest popes in the history of the Catholic Church. It would also be a great text in a religion and literature course.

Was so good that I passed it on to a friend when I had finished with it.

Delivery came just as expected thanks. I would highly recommend seller and product.

John Paul II's vocation was that of priest and preacher. Although he had strong inclinations to the contemplative discipline throughout his his life, he was not first and formost a poet, nor did he subscribe to the poetic conventions of his day.Great poetry is more often than not written by people consumed with their art. Dalliance or avocation seldom produces great poetry. Translations of poetry, as well, often have more to do with the abilities of the translator than the gifts of the writer.Approaching this book with this caution, I was impressed, however, with this deeply religious poetry. JPII, writes with great clarity, precision and craft as a wordsmith. His poems, from those of a young man through his election as Pontiff, expose a life of daunting hardships, intense introspection and great faith. Jerzy Peterkiewicz did an excellent job in grasping the nuance and tone of the writing, and giving transparency to the translation.Organized into well ordered thematic cycles, the poet's juxtapositions and imagery provide a lens into a complex soul, driven by love of God, and passionate patriotism, in the context of Poland's tragic history. John Paul has painstakingly sculpted these words to trace the raw ineffable interior forms of his faith.Modern secular poetry has purified itself of moralistic elements, and thereby its heroic character, purged by way of its symbolism. It revels in its own aesthetic, and becomes sufficient within it own images. It then becomes fundamentally static, formed of moods and dreams.Not so religious poetry, the purpose of which is to grasp life to make it surrender its truth. It is actuated by a dynamic realism seeded in that pressing sense of mission. This opus is 'spatial' in it's structure, mapped with a rigorous moral template, rather than scored to a temporal narrative as is most modern poetry.The foundation, here, is of concrete belief.. illuminated by the objective light of scripture, rather than an abstract mythology, lit with a subjective incandescence. It is imbued with mystery rather than enchantment. It seeks a rational source code, a union of expression and prayer.The language is eidetic, richly sensual in its landscapes, of Poland, the Holy Land, and Vatican City.. and of the emotional geography of family and country.The attitude is always one of humility, of the 'clod of earth', that forms John Paul's pen name. It is Catholic in its mystical, sacramental and ethical perspective.This collection is a counterpoint to the poetic fetishes of the day, as JPII's ministry was to the mores of his time. It provides a lucid and evocative portrait of the author's faith.

Love it!

I pick this book and down when I feel like a bit of peaceful reading. I'm not overly into poetry but have enjoyed what I've read. It's a sentimental journey for me - being Polish - and my father looked like John Paul. 2 great men.