Odes

She opens her new collection with a powerful and tender ‘Ode to the Hymen’, an age-old poetic form that she uses to address many aspects of herself. By turns searing and charming in its honesty, Olds treats us to an intimate self-examination that is universal and familiar. In such poems as ‘Ode to My Sister’, ‘Ode of Broken Loyalty’, ‘Ode to My Whiteness’, ‘Blow Job Ode’ and ‘Ode to the Last 38 Trees in New York City Visible from This Window’, Olds touches upon parts of her story which we have seen before. Like all her work, the final result is universal yet personal.