The Alice Poems Review by Cassidy Witt

“The Alice Poems” by Nettie Farris is a collection of short poems all pertaining to a main

character, “Alice”, who is implied to be Alice from the Alice in Wonderland universe. The

poems mention familiar characters like the White Rabbit, the Queen of Hearts, and the Jack of

Spades, but this interpretation removes itself from the versions of these characters as we know

them. Farris’ reimagining of these beloved characters takes them from surreal and fantastical and

places them within a world much like our own. Rather than a world of giant teacups and

caterpillars with hookahs, Alice seems to be exploring our reality. The poems refer to her from a

third person perspective exclusively, yet weaved within the bluntness lies nuanced perspectives

on common life experiences. In this way, Farris seems to use the characters as a mask for the

content, allowing the reader to fall into the role of a fairytale character while the fairytale

character falls into the life of the reader.

One of the most charming aspects of this collection is the brevity of each piece. It can be

read through very quickly, and thus can be read multiple times over if you’re someone who likes

to read between the lines. Furthermore, the brevity makes each piece feel less like a poem and

more like a quote. It’s something that can be pondered over, even memorized and recited. Farris’

ability to put so much weight into so few words is a gift that’s hard to come by.

One of my favorite pieces in the collection is actually the first piece, “What Alice

Thought, While Falling”. It reads: “the good thing about hitting the bottom, she thought, is at

least you have something to stand on. Something solid” (1). The piece is only twenty words long

and yet so much can be taken from it. From the first page of the collection, you’re roped into the

world of a mysterious “Alice” and her thought-provoking “fall”.

 Another poem I really like is “Alice Attends the Romantic Ballet” which only reads,

“I’ve always wanted to be an imaginary creature” (21). The ambiguity of this piece is striking

and alluring. Somehow, within this string of words, I am able to see myself. I would never think

to describe myself as wanting to “be an imaginary creature”, and yet, upon reading it, I

understood Alice. The entire collection released this sort of feeling inside me; Farris finds a way

to read your heart and soul in these single-line pieces of prose.

If you’re looking for something short and sweet, “The Alice Poems” are for you. You’ll

find yourself basking in the nostalgia of the characters, but feeling touched in an all new way by

the adult perspectives. In just a moment, all versions of yourself will be found and reignited

within Farris’ words.