Joni Mitchell: The Complete Poems and Lyrics

Valerie Senyk is Director of Theatre Arts, Thorneloe College, Laurentian
University.

This book contains every poem and lyric Joni Mitchell has ever penned.
Stretching from the 1960s to the 1990s, the verse centres on stories of
search, heartbreak, passion, angst, disappointments, and dark
hallways—the lot of one born into hippiedom with a song in her throat
and an itch to make something of herself. Those expecting to find some
choice lyricism will be disappointed. Mitchell’s language is
stubbornly that of the songstress—poetic in the singing, but
pedestrian in the reading. The words sit flatly on the page, reflecting
neither the skill of the wordsmith nor the resonance of the true poet.

The rhyme schemes, awkward to read, simply get in the way. A verse from
the song “Dancin’ Clown” predicts, “Whenever love comes around /
Someone’s a dancin’ clown / Cherchez la femme / Whenever hearts
start to pound / Someone’s a dancin’ clown.” Lyrics are held
captive by the imperative to find lines that rhyme. The odd tightly
crafted verse stands out (“I’ve got this berth and this pull down
blind / I’ve got this fold up sink / And these rocks and these cactus
going by / And a bottle of German wine to drink”), but such examples
are few and far between.

This book will be picked up by Mitchell fans and treasured, but expect
to see it in remainder bins in the not-too-distant future.