Sharon Olds chose the title of her latest poetry collection, Arias, inspired by the musical term “aria,” which signifies a solo vocal piece within a larger composition. This title reflects a focus on the individual amid the interchange of parts. The poems in Arias mirror this dynamism: they are lively and precise, capturing various themes and emotions while maintaining a broad scope.
As the fourteenth poetry collection by Olds, Arias received recognition as a finalist for the 2019 T. S. Eliot Prize, an honor Olds previously achieved with Stag in 2012. Olds, a decorated poet, has won prestigious awards such as the Pulitzer Prize for Stag, the National Book Critics Circle Award for The Dead and the Living (1983), and the Academy of American Poets Wallace Stevens Award. The poems in Arias delve into central themes like aging, femininity, family, identity, and love.
The initial poem in the collection, “For You,” begins with a mundane morning routine but eventually shifts to a poignant tribute to Trayvon Martin, reflecting on art and loss. Subsequent poems like “Looking South at Lower Manhattan, Where the Towers Had Been” and “Meeting a Stranger” explore personal responsibility and moral dilemmas, emphasizing the complexities of human interactions.
The poems in Arias engage in conversations and address a diverse range of topics, displaying Olds’s depth and introspection. Unlike her previous work, Odes, Arias focuses on individual narratives and societal issues, providing thought-provoking reflections on life and relationships.
In “Aria to Our Miscarried One, Age 50 Now,” Olds converses with her unborn child, contemplating the mystery of their existence and departure. The collection continues with direct and heartfelt elegies, including tributes to Galway Kinnell, highlighting the speaker’s personal connections and emotions.
With over a hundred poems spanning two hundred pages, Arias covers a wide array of themes with sensitivity and curiosity. The collection captures the essence of life and death, encapsulating the human experience from birth to end, navigating the intricate balance between existence and mortality.
