Literary studies: poetry and poets Books

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Book SynopsisExplore the essence of life, love, nature, and time in exquisite verse with this elegantly designed edition of Emily Dickinson’s finest poems. Born in 1830 in Amherst, Massachusetts, to a prominent New England family and educated at Amherst Academy and Mt. Holyoke Female Seminary, Emily Elizabeth Dickinson lived most of her life in seclusion, devoted to writing. She scarcely left home, nor did she have many visitors. Only ten of her poems were published in her lifetime, submitted without her permission by friends. It was only after her death in 1886 that the scope of her work as a poet came to light—over 1,700 poems were discovered in a dresser drawer by her sister, Lavinia. Emily Dickinson’s poems reflect her loneliness, as well as her love of nature, the influence of the Metaphysical poets of seventeenth century England, and her strong Puritan religious beliefs. Yet, it is her use of language, form, and the deceptive simplicity of her verse that categorize her as an important force in nineteenth century American letters and, along with Walt Whitman, a founder of a distinctly American voice in modern poetry. PRELUDE THIS is my letter to the world, That never wrote to me,— That simple news that Nature told, With tender majesty. Her message is committed To hands I cannot see; For love of her, sweet countrymen, Judge tenderly of me! The Timeless Classics series from Rock Point brings together the works of classic authors from around the world. Complete and unabridged, these elegantly designed gift editions feature luxe, patterned endpapers, ribbon markers, and foil and deboss details on vibrantly colored cases. Celebrate these beloved works of literature as true standouts in your personal library collection. Table of ContentsContents introduction xxvii poems. 1890. prelude book i. life. success “our share of the night to bear. . .” rouge et noir rouge gagne “glee! the great storm is over. . .” “if i can stop one heart from breaking. . .” almost! “a wounded dear leaps highest. . .” “the heart asks pleasure first. . .” in a library “much madness is divinest sense. . .” “i asked no other thing. . .” exclusion the secret the lonely house “to fight aloud is very brave. . .” dawn the book of martyrs the mystery of pain “i taste a liquor never brewed. . .” a book “i had no time to hate, because. . .” unreturning “whether my bark went down at sea. . .” “belshazzar had a letter. . .” “the brain within its groove. . .” book ii. love. mine bequest “alter? when the hills do. . .” suspense surrender “if you were coming in the fall. . .” with a flower proof “have you got a brook in your little heart?” transplanted the outlet in vain renunciation love’s baptism resurrection apocalypse the wife apotheosis book iii. nature. “new feet within my garden go. . .” may-flower why? “perhaps you’d like to buy a flower. . .” “the pedigree of honey. . .” a service of song “the bee is not afraid of me. . .” summer’s armies the grass “a little road not made of man. . .” summer shower psalm of the day the sea of sunset purple clover the bee “presentiment is that long shadow on the lawn. . .” “as children bid the guest good-night. . .” “angels in the early morning. . .” “so bashful when i spied her. . .” two worlds the mountain a day “the butterfly’s assumption-gown. . .” the wind death and life “’twas later when the summer went. . .” indian summer autumn beclouded the hemlock “there’s a certain slant of light. . .” book iv. time and eternity. “one dignity delays for all. . .” too late astra castra “safe in their alabaster chambers. . .” “on this long storm the rainbow rose. . .” from the chrysalis setting sail “look back on time with kindly eyes. . .” “a train went through a burial gate. . .” “i died for beauty, but was scarce. . .” troubled about many things real the funeral “i went to thank her. . .” “i’ve seen a dying eye. . .” refuge “i never saw a moor. . .” playmates “to know just how he suffered would be dear. . .” “the last night that she lived. . .” the first lesson “the bustle in a house. . .” “i reason, earth is short. . .” “afraid? of whom am i afraid?” dying “two swimmers wrestled on the spar. . .” the chariot “she went as quiet as the dew. . .” resurgam “except to heaven she is nought. . .” “death is a dialogue between. . .” “it was too late for man. . .” along the potomac “the daisy follows soft the sun. . .” emancipation lost “if i shouldn’t be alive. . .” “sleep is supposed to be. . .” “i shall know why when time is over. . .” “i never lost as much but twice. . .” poems. 1891. “my nosegays are for captives. . .” book i. life. “i’m nobody! who are you?” “i bring an unaccustomed wine. . .” “the nearest dream recedes, unrealized. . .” “we play at paste. . .” “i found the phrase to every thought. . .” hope the white heat triumph the test escape compensation the martyrs a prayer “the thought beneath so slight a film. . .” “the soul unto itself. . .” “surgeons must be very careful. . .” the railway train the show “delight becomes pictorial. . .” “a thought went up my mind today. . .” “is heaven a physician?” the return “a poor torn heart, a tattered heart. . .” too much shipwreck “victory comes late. . .” enough “experiment to me. . .” my country’s wardrobe “faith is fine invention. . .” “except the heaven had come so near. . .” “portraits are to daily faces. . .” the duel “a shady friend for torrid days. . .” the goal sight “talk with prudence to a beggar. . .” the preacher “good night! which put the candle out?” “when i hoped i feared. . .” deed time’s lesson remorse the shelter “undue significance a starving man attaches. . .” “heart not so heavy as mine. . .” “i many times thought peace had come. . .” “unto my books so good to turn. . .” “this merit hath the worst. . .” hunger “i gained it so. . .” “to learn the transport by the pain. . .” returning prayer “i know that he exists. . .” melodies unheard called back book ii. love. choice “i have no life but this. . .” “your riches taught me poverty. . .” the contract the letter “the way i read a letter’s this. . .” “wild nights! wild nights!” at home 89 possession “a charm invests a face. . .” the lovers “in lands i never saw, they say. . .” “the moon is distant from the sea. . .” “he put the belt around my life. . .” the lost jewel “what if i say i shall not wait?” book iii. nature. mother nature out of the morning “at half-past three a single bird. . .” day’s parlor the sun’s wooing the robin the butterfly’s day the bluebird april the sleeping flowers my rose the oriole’s secret the oriole in shadow the humming-bird secrets “who robbed the woods. . .” two voyagers by the sea old-fashioned a tempest the sea in the garden the snake the mushroom the storm the spider “i know a place where summer strives. . .” “the one that could repeat the summer day. . .” the wind’s visit “nature, rarer uses yellow. . .” gossip simplicity storm the rat “frequently the woods are pink. . .” a thunder-storm with flowers sunset “she sweeps with many-colored brooms. . .” “like mighty footlights burned the red. . .” problems the juggler of day my cricket “as imperceptibly as grief. . .” “it can’t be summer,—that got through. . .” summer’s obsequies fringed gentian november the snow the bluejay book iv. time and eternity. “let down the bars, o death!” “going to heaven!” “at least to pray is left, is left. . .” epitaph “morns like these we parted. . .” “a death-blow is a life-blow to some. . .” “i read my sentence steadily. . .” “i have not told my garden yet. . .” the battle-field “the only ghost i ever saw. . .” “some, too fragile for winter winds. . .” “as by the dead we love to sit. . .” memorials “i went to heaven. . .” “their height in heaven comforts not. . .” “there is a shame of nobleness. . .” triumph “pompless no life can pass away. . .” “i noticed people disappeared. . .” following “if anybody’s friend be dead. . .” the journey a country burial going “essential oils are wrung. . .” “i lived on dread; to those who know. . .” “if i should die. . .” at length ghosts vanished precedence gone requiem “what inn is this. . .” “it was not death, for i stood up. . .” till the end void “a throe upon the features. . .” saved! “i think just how my shape will rise. . .” the forgotten grave “lay this laurel on the one. . .” poems. 1896. “’tis all i have to bring today. . .” book i. life. real riches superiority to fate hope forbidden fruit (i) forbidden fruit (ii) a word “to venerate the simple days. . .” life’s trades “drowning is not so pitiful. . .” “how still the bells in steeples stand. . .” “if the foolish call them ‘flowers’. . .” a syllable parting aspiration the inevitable a book “who has not found the heaven below. . .” a portrait i had a guinea golden saturday afternoon “few get enough,—enough is one. . .” “upon the gallows hung a wretch. . .” the lost thought reticence with flowers “the farthest thunder that i heard. . .” “on the bleakness of my lot. . .” contrast friends fire a man ventures griefs “i have a king who does not speak. . .” disenchantment lost faith lost joy “i worked for chaff, and earning wheat. . .” “life, and death, and giants. . .” alpine glow remembrance “to hang our head ostensibly. . .” the brain “the bone that has no marrow. . .” the past “to help our bleaker parts. . .” “what soft, cherubic creatures. . .” desire philosophy power “a modest lot, a fame petite. . .” “in bliss, then, such abyss. . .” experience thanksgiving day childish griefs book ii. love. consecration love’s humility love satisfied with a flower song loyalty “to lose thee, sweeter than to gain. . .” “poor little heart!” forgotten “i’ve got an arrow here. . .” the master “heart, we will forget him!” “father, i bring thee not myself. . .” “we outgrow love like other things. . .” “not with a club the heart is broken. . .” who? “he touched me, so i live to know. . .” dreams numen lumen longing wedded book iii. nature. nature’s changes the tulip “a light exists in spring. . .” the waking year to march march dawn “a murmur in the trees to note. . .” “morning is the place for dew. . .” “to my quick ear the leaves conferred. . .” a rose “high from the earth i heard a bird. . .” cobwebs a well “to make a prairie it takes a clover. . .” the wind “a dew sufficed itself. . .” the woodpecker a snake “could i but ride indefinite. . .” the moon the bat the balloon evening cocoon sunset aurora the coming of night aftermath book iv. time and eternity. “this world is not conclusion. . .” “we learn in the retreating. . .” “they say that ‘time assuages’. . .” “we cover thee, sweet face. . .” “that is solemn we have ended. . .” “the stimulus, beyond the grave. . .” “given in marriage unto thee. . .” “that such have died enables us. . .” “they won’t frown always,—some sweet day. . .” immortality “the distance that the dead have gone. . .” “how dare the robins sing. . .” death unwarned “each that we lose takes part of us. . .” “not any higher stands the grave. . .” asleep the spirit the monument “bless god, he went as soldiers. . .” “immortal is an ample word. . .” “where every bird is bold to go. . .” “the grave my little cottage is. . .” “this was in the white of the year. . .” “sweet hours have perished here. . .” “me! come! my dazzled face. . .” invisible “i wish i knew that woman’s name. . .” trying to forget “i felt a funeral in my brain. . .” “i meant to find her when i came. . .” waiting “a sickness of this world it most occasions. . .” “superfluous were the sun. . .” “so proud she was to die. . .” farewell “the dying need but little, dear. . .” dead “the soul should always stand ajar. . .” “three weeks passed since i had seen her. . . “i breathed enough to learn the trick. . .” “i wonder if the sepulchre. . .” joy in death “if i may have it when it’s dead. . .” “before the ice is in the pools. . .” dying “adrift! a little boat adrift!” “there’s been a death in the opposite house. . .” “we never know we go,—when we are going. . .” the soul’s storm “water is taught by thirst. . .” thirst “a clock stopped—not the mantel’s. . .” charlotte brontë’s grave “a toad can die of light. . .” “far from love the heavenly father. . .” sleeping retrospect eternity

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Book Synopsis Winner of the 2016 Goodreads Choice Award, the princess saves herself in this one is a collection of poetry about resilience. It is about writing your own ending.   From Amanda Lovelace, a poetry collection in four parts: the princess, the damsel, the queen, and you. The first three sections piece together the life of the author while the final section serves as a note to the reader. This moving book explores love, loss, grief, healing, empowerment, and inspiration.the princess saves herself in this one is the first book in the 'women are some kind of magic' series.Trade Review"It blends fairy tale lore with real-life musings for a beautiful result." (Lindsay E. Mack, Romper)"As a whole, the collection acts as a tribute to all women who have ever needed a boost of empowerment and inspiration." (Madison Breaux, V Magazine)"...Amanda Lovelace dives into the topics of modern feminism and empowerment...Read if you've ever thought about love, loss, who you are, and what you want. (So...all of us.)" (Abigail Yonker, The Everygirl)"This is the book to read if you are on the path to writing your own ending and finding yourself, even when the road to accomplishment is rocky." (Dominique Etzel, Alloy)"Similar in style—written in straightforward and uncomplicated verse, and content—grappling with themes of female power, love and loss, failure and redemption, pain and healing, poet Amanda Lovelace's The Princess Saves Herself in this One is similar to Kaur's Milk and Honey in another way as well: both books were self-published before going completely viral among readers." (E. CE Miller, Bustle)"The perfect poetry opener for any fairytale lover and feminist..." (Kerri Jarema, Bustle)"15 Books You'll Want To Read Over And Over Again" (Zoraida Córdova, Bustle)"18 Literary Quotes Every Feminist Needs to Read Right Now" #5 "the only thing / required / to be / a woman / is to / identify as one. / - period, end of story." (E. CE Miller, Bustle)"14 New Books You Definitely Need to Have on Your Radar in February [2017]" (Ryan Roschke, PopSugar)

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Book SynopsisThe translation of Beowulf by J.R.R. Tolkien was an early work, very distinctive in its mode, completed in 1926: he returned to it later to make hasty corrections, but seems never to have considered its publication. This edition is twofold, for there exists an illuminating commentary on the text of the poem by the translator himself, in the written form of a series of lectures given at Oxford in the 1930s; and from these lectures a substantial selection has been made, to form also a commentary on the translation in this book. From his creative attention to detail in these lectures there arises a sense of the immediacy and clarity of his vision. It is as if he entered into the imagined past: standing beside Beowulf and his men shaking out their mail-shirts as they beached their ship on the coast of Denmark, listening to the rising anger of Beowulf at the taunting of Unferth, or looking up in amazement at Grendel's terrible hand set under the roof of Heorot.Trade Review“This is long-awaited, and hugely exciting for Tolkien readers” The Guardian “If he had never written The Lord of the Rings he would have been famous in academic circles for writing one published lecture on Beowulf called The Monsters and the Critics. It turned things upside down. Beowulf was probably the medieval text that influenced him the most and the commentary and lectures are ‘nuggets of gold’”The Independent “A tantalising prospect. Tolkien’s translation of Sir Gawain is a master class in linguistic chicanery – Middle English meets Middle Earth… it will be interesting to see if it gives Heaney's Beowulf a run for its money”Simon Armitage, The Guardian

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Book SynopsisLeonard Cohen made his name as a poet before he came to worldwide attention as a singer and songwriter. This collection of his poetry was written in Montreal, Mumbai and during his retirement in Mt Baldy.

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Book SynopsisThe modern, unacademic idiom of A.D. Melville's translation opens the way to a fresh understanding of Ovid's unique and elusive vision of reality.Trade Review`This translation will quickly establish itself as _the_ transation for English speaking readers and students of this great Augustan epic.' Dr A.H.F. Griffin, University of Exeter'a work of the highest quality which provides pleasure and information in generous measure.' JACT Review

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Book SynopsisAn anthology of poems which attempts to give readers the possession of six centuries of great British and American poetry.Trade Review“A colossus among critics. . . . His enthusiasm for literature is a joyous intoxicant.” — New York Times Magazine “Our most valuable critic . . . Harold Bloom reminds us what matters.” — Boston Globe “One feels about Bloom’s focus, every serious reader of poetry really must begin with the works he so ardently loves and champions…this comprehensive anthology is an ideal starting place.” — Booklist “A poetry anthology of and for the ages.” — Los Angeles Times “Whether you love poetry or you want to know more about the art form over the centuries, this is the book you will want.” — Albuquerque Journal “Uncommonly valuable to all who appreciate poetry. . . . This superb anthology will ensure Bloom’s role in the process for a long time and will, I hope, inspire others to walk in his formidable footsteps.” — San Francisco Chronicle

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Book Synopsis''There has been a lot of fighting hereabouts. The trenches have made themselves rather than been made, and run inconsequently in and out of the big thirty-foot high stacks of bricks; it is most confusing. The parapet of a trench which we don''t occupy is built up with ammunition boxes and corpses . . .''In one of the most honest and candid self-portraits ever committed to paper, Robert Graves tells the extraordinary story of his experiences as a young officer in the First World War. He describes life in the trenches in vivid, raw detail, how the dehumanizing horrors he witnessed left him shell-shocked. They were to haunt him for the rest of his life.Trade ReviewOne of the classic accounts of the Western Front * The Times *Wonderful -- Jeremy Paxman * Daily Mail *From the moment of its first appearance an established classic * Observer *One of the most candid self-portraits of a poet, warts and all, ever painted * The Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisA world of dewAnd within every dewdropA world of struggle The iconic three-line haiku form is increasingly popular today as people embrace its simplicity and grace—and its connections to the Japanese ethos of mindfulness and minimalism. Say more with fewer words.This practical guide by poet and teacher Bruce Ross shows you how to capture a fleeting moment, like painting a picture with words, and how to give voice to your innermost thoughts, feelings, and observations. You don't have to be a practiced poet or writer to write your own haiku, and this book shows you how.In this book, aspiring poets will find: Accessible, easy-to-replicate examples and writing prompts A foreword that looks at the state of haiku today as the form continues to expand worldwide An introduction to related Japanese haiku forms such as tanka, haiga, renga, haibun, and senryu A listing of international journals and online resources Do you want to tell a story? Give haibun a try. Maybe you want to express a fleeting feeling? A tanka is the perfect vehicle. Are you more visual than verbal? Then a haiga, or illustrated haiku, is the ideal match. Finally, a renga is perfect as a group project or to create with friends, passing a poem around, adding line after line, and seeing what your group effort amounts to.Ross walks readers through the history and form of haiku, before laying out what sets each Japanese poetic form apart. Then it's time to turn to your notebook and start drafting some verse of your own!

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Book Synopsis"The seven 'essays' by J.R.R. Tolkien assembled in this paperback were with one exception delivered as general lectures on particular occasions; and while they mostly arose out of Tolkien's work in medieval literature, they are accessible to all. Two of them are concerned with Beowulf, including the well-known lecture whose title is taken for this book, and one with Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, given to the University of Glasgow in 1953. Also included in this volume is the lecture English and Welsh; the Valedictory Address to the University of Oxford in 1959; and a paper on invented languages delivered in 1931, with exemplification from poems in the Elvish tongues. Most famous of all is On Fairy-stories, a discussion of the nature of fairy-tales and fantasy, which gives insight into Tolkien's approach to the whole genre. The pieces in this collection cover a period of nearly thirty years, beginning six years before the publication of The Hobbit, with a unique 'academic' lecture on

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Book SynopsisThe Broadview Anthology of Victorian Poetry and Poetic Theory is the most comprehensive collection of poetry from the period ever published. Included are generous selections from the work of all major poets, and a representation of the work of virtually every poet of significance, from Thomas Ashe at the beginning of the era to Charlotte Mew at its end. The work of Victorian women poets features very prominently, with extensive selections not only from canonical poets such as Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Christina Rossetti, but also from poets such as Augusta Webster for which high claims have recently been made by critics. The anthology reflects (and will contribute to) the ongoing reassessment of the canon that is central to English Studies today; in all, sixty-six poets are represented.The editors have included complete works wherever feasible — including the complete texts of Tennyson’s In Memoriam and of a number of other long poems. A headnote by the editors introduces the work of each poet, and each selection has been newly annotated.The inclusion of twenty-five selections of the poetic theory from the period is an important feature rounding out the anthology.This anthology is also available in a concise edition.Trade Review“What we have needed has been the Victorian poetic texts, by many writers—and here they are, splendidly assembled! Thank you.” — William N. Rogers, San Diego State University“I’m excited about the appearance of this comprehensive anthology—especially about its inclusion of so many full-text long poems.” — Peter W. Sinnema, University of Alberta“A long overdue collection that balances representative and canonical works with traditionally under-represented ones.” — Barbara Gates, University of DelawareTable of ContentsPOETRYAnonymousA New Song on the Birth of the Prince of WalesAshe, Thomas (1770-1835)Corpse-BearingTo Two BereavedLandor, Walter Savage (1775-1864)For An Epitaph At FiesoleIanthe LeavesDying Speech of an Old PhilosopherDeath’s LanguageHer NameA Foreign RulerClare, John (1793-1864)“I Am”An Invite to EternityThe Old YearThe YellowhammerSonnet: “I Am”Stanzas “The passing of a dream”“There is a charm in Solitude that cheers”Stanzas “Black absence hides upon the past”The Winters SpringAn Anecdote of LoveTo Miss B.“The thunder mutters louder…”Hemans, Felicia (1793-1835)The Suloite MotherThe Lady of The CastleTo WordsworthCasabianca Properzia RossiThe Memorial PillarThe Grave of a PoetessThe Image In LavaThe Indian With His Dead ChildThe Rock of Cader IdrisHenry, James“Two hundred men and eighteen killed … ”Hood, Thomas (1799-1845)The Song of the ShirtBarnes, William (1801-1886)Uncle an’ AuntPolly Be-En Upzides Wi’ TomThe Vaïces that Be GoneChildhoodThe TurnstileJay A-Pass’dLandon, Letitia .E. (1802-1838) from The Improvisatrice AdvertisementSappho’s Song Erinna“Preface” to The Venetian Bracelet, The Lost Pleiad, A History of the Lyre, and Other PoemsThe Nameless GraveThe FactoryCarthageFelicia HemansRydal Water and Grasmere LakeInfanticide in Madagascar R.E. Egerton Warburton (1804-1891)Past and PresentElizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) The Romaunt of the PageLady Geraldine’s CourtshipThe Dead PanThe Cry of the ChildrenA Man’s RequirementsSonnets From the Portuguese IIIXXIIXXIXXLIII The Runaway Slave at Pilgrim’s PointAurora Leigh 1st Book2nd Book5th Book A Curse for a Nation (Prologue)A Musical Instrument Frederick Tennyson (1807-1898)Old AgeCaroline Norton (1808-1877)from Voice From the FactoriesThe Creole GirlThe Poet’s ChoiceSonnet IVSonnet VIII (To My Books)Sonnet XI The WeaverEdward FitzgeraldRubáiyát of Omar KhayyámTennyson, Alfred (1809-1892)MarianaSupposed Confessions of a Second-Rate Sensitive MindThe PoetThe Poet’s MindThe MysticThe KrakenThe Lady of ShalottTo ——. With the following Poem [Palace of Art]The Palace of ArtThe HesperidesThe Lotos-Eaters (107)The Two VoicesSt Simeon StylitesUlyssesTiresiasThe Epic [Morte d’Arthur]Morte d’Arthur“Break, break, break”Locksley HallThe Vision of SinIn Memoriam A.H.H. (33)The Charge of the Light BrigadeMaudTithonusThe Higher Pantheism“Flower in the crannied wall”Crossing the BarIdylls of the KingThe Coming of ArthurLancelot and ElaineBrowning, Robert (1812-1889) My Last DuchessSoliloquy of the Spanish CloisterJohannes Agricola in MeditationPorphyria’s LoverPictor Ignotusthe Lost LeaderThe Bishop Orders His Tomb at Saint Praxed’s ChurchThe LaboratoryLove Among the RuinsFra Lippo LippiA Toccata of Galuppi’sBy the Fire-SideAn Epistle Containing the Strange Medical Experience of Karshish, the Arab Physician”Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came”The Statue and the BustHow It Strikes a ContemporaryThe Last Ride TogetherBishop Blougram’s ApologyAndrea del SartoOld Pictures in FlorenceIn a BalconySaulCleonTwo in the CampagnaA Grammarian’s FuneralDîs Aliter Visum or Le Byron de Nos JoursAbt VoglerRabbi Ben EzraCaliban Upon Setebos; or, Natural Theology in the IslandThe Ring and the BookThe Ring and the Book: Book I Count Guido Franceschini: Book VPompilia: Book VIGuido: Book XI Prologue (to Asolando)Development Lear, Edward (1812-1888)The Owl and the PussycatThe Dong with a Luminous NoseHow Pleasant to Know Mr. LearBrontë, Charlotte (1816-1855)The MissionaryMaster and PupilOn the Death of Emily Jane BrontëOn the Death of Anne BrontëReason“The house was still—the room was still”The Lonely Lady"Is this my tomb, this humble stone”"Obscure and little seem my way”Brontë, Emily Jane (1818-1848)“Riches I hold in light esteem”To ImaginationPlead For MeRemembranceThe Prisoner“No coward soul is mine”Stanzas—“Often rebuked, yet always back returning”A Farewell to Alexandria“Long neglect has worn away”“The night is darkening round me”“What winter floods, what showers of spring”“She dried her tears, and they did smile”Cook, Eliza (1818-1889)LinesThe WatersThe Ploughshare of Old EnglandThe Old Arm-ChairSong of the Red IndianSong of The Ugly MaidenMy Old Straw HatLines Written for the Sheffield Mechanics Exhibition, 1846A Song For The WorkersMy Ladye LoveClough, Arthur Hugh (1819-1861)Duty—that’s to say complyingQui Laborat, OratThe Latest Decalogue“Say not the struggle nought availeth”Amours de VoyageEliot, George (1819-1880) “O, May I Join the Choir Invisible”The Spanish Gypsy Book IBook III ArmgartBrother and Sister Sonnets IIIIIIIVVVIVIIVIIIIXX Brontë, Anne (1820-1849)A Fragment—“Maiden, thou wert thoughtless once”Lines Written at Thorp Green“My soul is awakened, my spirit is soaring”A Word to the CalvinistsThe Captive DoveViews of LifeSelf-CommunionThe BluebellDreamsA Voice from the DungeonIngelow, Jean (1820-1897)Supper At The MillRemonstranceA Lily And A LuteGladys And Her IslandOn The Borders of Cannock ChaseGreenwell, Dora (1821-1882)The SingerThe Railway StationThe Picture and the ScrollThe Broken ChainOld LettersTo Elizabeth Barrett Browning in 1851To Elizabeth Barrett Browning in 1861One FlowerA ScherzoA Song to Call to RemembranceSperanza (Lady Wilde) (1821?-1896)The Voice of the PoorA RemonstranceA Lament For the PotatoFatalityCorinne’s Last Love-SongTristan and IsoldeThe Poet’s DestinyAn Appeal to IrelandArnold, Matthew (1822-1888)To a Gipsy Child by the Sea-ShoreThe Strayed RevellerResignationThe Forsaken MermanTo Marguerite—ContinuedStanzas in Memory of the Author of “Obermann”Empedocles on EtnaMemorial VersesDover BeachThe Buried LifeStanzas from the Grande ChartreuseThe Scholar-GipsyPhilomelaThyrsisPatmore, Coventry (1823-1896)The ToysMagna est VeritasThe Angel in the HouseAllingham, William (1824-1889)The Fairies“Four Ducks on a Pond”WritingExpressDobell, Sydney (1824-1874)The Botanist’s VisionTo the Authoress of “Aurora Leigh”PerhapsTwo Sonnets on the Death of Prince AlbertMacDonald, George (1824-1905)Professor NoctutusNo End of No-StoryProcter, Adelaide Anne (1825-1864)The Cradle Song of the PoorIncompletenessMy Picture GalleryAn AppealThe Jubilee of 1850HomelessA Woman’s QuestionA Woman’s AnswerA Woman’s Last WordEnvyA Legend of ProvencePhilip and MildredCollins, MortimerLotos EatingBigg, J. Stantyon (1828-1865)An Irish PictureMassey, Gerald (1828-1907)Hope On, Hope EverThe Cry of the UnemployedA Song in the City“As proper mode of quenching legal lust…”WomankindMeredith, George (1838-1909)Modern LoveLucifer in StarlightRossetti, Dante Gabriel (1828-1882) The Blessed DamozelMy Sister’s SleepJennyThe PortraitThe WoodspurgeThe Ballad of Dead LadiesA Last ConfessionThe Sea-LimitsFoundAt the Sunrise in 1848The House of Life: A Sonnet Sequence “A Sonnet is a moment’s monument,—”Nuptial SleepThe PortraitSilent NoonWillowwoodThe Soul’s SphereThe LandmarkAutumn IdlenessThe Hill SummitOld and New ArtSoul’s BeautyBody’s BeautyA SuperscriptionThe One Hope Munby, Arthur (1828-1910)The Serving MaidPost MortemA Husband’s EpisodesT’ Runawaa Lass“Followers Not Allowed”Woman’s RightsSiddal, Elizabeth (1829-1862)The Lust of the EyesWorn OutAt LastLove and HateBrown, T.E. (1830-1870)A Sermon at ClevedonRossetti, Christina (1830-1894)Goblin MarketA BirthdayAfter DeathAn Apple GatheringEcho“No, Thank you, John”SongUphillA Better Resurrection“The Iniquity of the Fathers Upon the Children”Monna Innominata 1 - 14“For Thine Own Sake, O My God”In an Artist’s StudioCarroll, Lewis (1832-1898)JabberwockyThe Walrus and the CarpenterThe Hunting of the SnarkMorris, William (1834-1896)The Defence of GuinevereThe Haystack in the FloodsRiding TogetherNear AvalonAn ApologyA Garden by the SeaThe End of MayThomson, James (1834-1882)The City of Dreadful NightE.B.B. 1861A Real Vision of SinWarren, John Leicester (Lord de Tabley) (1835-1895)The Strange ParableA Song of Faith ForswornEchoes of HellasL’EnvoiConclusionBraddon, Mary Elizabeth (1837-1915)Queen GuinevereAt LastWaitingUnder GroundWakingSwinburne, Algernon Charles (1837-1909)Atalanta in CalydonLaus VenerisThe Triumph of TimeItylusAnactoriaHymn to ProserpineThe LeperDoloresThe Garden of ProserpineHerthaA Forsaken GardenAt A Month’s EndAve Atque ValeA Jacobite’s FarewellThe Lake of GaubeWebster, Augusta (1837-1894) CirceA CastawayMother and Daughter Sonnets Sonnet VI - VIISonnet IXSonnet XIISonnet XIII - XVII The Wind’s Tidings In August 1870To-DayHer MemoriesA Coarse MorningNot To BeOnceThe Old Dream Hardy, Thomas (1840-1928)HapNeutral TonesA Broken AppointmentThe Darkling ThrushThe Self-UnseeingIn TenebrisThe Minute Before MeetingNight in the Old HomeThe Something that Saved HimAfterwardsA Young Man’s ExhortationSnow in the SuburbsIn a WoodDowden, Edward (1843-1913)BurdensLeonardo’s “Monna Lisa”EuropaSeeking GodIn a June NightBridges, Robert (1844-1930)London SnowOn a Dead ChildHopkins, Gerard Manley (1844-1899)The Wreck of the DeutschlandGod’s GrandeurThe WindhoverPied BeautyHarrahing in HarvestThe Caged SkylarkPeaceFelix Randal“As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame”The Leaden Echo and the Golden EchoSpelt from Sibyl’s LeavesCarrion Comfort“No worst, there is none”“To seem the stranger lies my lot, my life”“I wake and feel the fell of dark, not day”“Patience, hard thing! the hard thing but to pray”“My own heart let me more have pity on”Tom’s GarlandHarry PloughmanIt was a hard thing to undo this knotLee-Hamilton, Eugene (1845-1907) The Keys of the ConventIntroduction (Picciola)The New MedusaThe RaftTo the MuseRiver BabbleTwilightWhat the Sonnet IsSunken GoldThe Ever Young IIIIII The Mandolin Field, MichaelPrefaceDrawing of Roses and VioletsLa GiocondaThe Birth of VenusA PortraitA “Sant’ Imagine”The MagdalenA Pen-Drawing of Leda“Death, men say, is like a sea”“Ah, Eros doth not always smite”“Sometimes I do despatch my heart”An Apple-Flower“Solitary Death, make me thine own”“A curling thread”A Spring Morning By the SeaLove’rsquo;s Sour Leisure“It was deep April, and the morn”NoonAn Aeolian HarpCyclamensMeynell, Alice (1847-1922) A Letter from a Girl to Her Own Old AgeIn February A Poet’s Fancies The Love of NarcissusTo Any PoetUnlikned The ShepherdessParentageCradle-Song at TwilightIn Manchester SquareMaternityA Study Before LightAbout NoonAt Twilight A Father of WomenThe Threshing MachineReflections (I) In Ireland(II) In “Othello”(III) In Two Poets Dolben, Digby Mackworth (1848-1867)A SongA Poem Without A NameAfter Reading AeschylusGood FridaySister DeathPro CastitateHenley, William Ernest (1849-1903)WaitingMallock, William H. (1849-1923)Christmas Thoughts, by a Modern ThinkerStevenson, Robert Louis (1850-1894)Bed in SummerTravelThe Land of CounterpaneThe Land of Story-booksRequiemThe Celestial Surgeon“I have trod the upward and the downward slope”“So live, so love, so use that fragile hour”“I saw red evening through the rain”Wilde, Oscar (1854-1900) RequiescatHélas!Impressionsle jardinla mer Symphony in Yellow Davidson, John (1857-1909)Thirty Bob a WeekA Ballad of a NunA Ballad in Blank VerseA Northern SuburbA Woman and Her SonYuletideRobinson, A. Mary F. (1857-1944)The Scape-GoatThe IdeaDarwinismAn Orchard at AvignonLove, Death, and ArtArt and LifeSongNeurastheniaTo My MuseStephen, J.K. (1859-1907)In the BacksThompson, Francis (1859-1907)The Hound of HeavenColeridge, Mary (1861-1907)IX — The Other Side Of A MirrorXIV — ReginaXXVII — Winged WordsLX — MarriageLXIII — In Dispraise of the MoonLXXVI — The White WomenXCVII — The Fire LampCXIV — To the writer of a poem on a bridgeCXCI — Tar Ublia Chi Bien EimaCCVI — A Clever WomanLevy, Amy (1861-1889)XantippeFelo De SeTo a Dead PoetA Minor PoetMagdalenA London Plane-TreeLondon PoetsOn The ThresholdIn The Black ForestTo Vernon LeeTo E.Kipling, Rudyard (1865-1889)Gentlemen-RankersIn the Neolithic AgeRecessionalThe White Man’s BurdenIfGray, JohnThe BarberPoemDowson, Ernest (1867-1900)Nuns of the Perpetual AdorationNon Sum Qualis Eram Bonae Sub Regno CynaraeVillanelle of SunsetTo One in BedlamBenedictio DominiAd Manus PuellaeTerre PromiseSpleenVitae summa brevis spem nos vetat incohare longamJohnson, Lionel (1867-1902)The Dark AngelSummer StormDeadThe EndNihilismThe DarknessIn a WorkhouseBagley WoodThe Destroyer of a SoulThe Precept of SilenceA ProselyteMew, Charlotte (1869-1909) The Farmer’s BrideThe FêteIn Nunhead CemeteryKenMadeleine In ChurchThe Road To KérityI Have Been Through The GatesThe CenotaphV. R. I. i. January 22nd, 1901ii. January 2nd, 1901 POETIC THEORYFox, William Johnson (1786-1864)Tennyson — Poems, Chiefly Lyrical — 1830 Pub. 1831Hallam, Arthur Henry (1811-1833)On some of the Characteristics of Modern Poetry and on the Lyrical Poems of Alfred Tennyson Pub. 1831Landon, Letitia E. (1802-1838)On the Ancient and Modern Influence of Poetry Pub. 1832Mill, John Stuart (1806-1873)“What is poetry?”“Two kinds of poetry” Pub. January and October 1833Taylor, Sir Henry (1800-1886)Preface to Philip Van Artevelde Pub. 1834Rossetti, Dante Gabriel (1828-1882)Hand and Soul Pub. 1850Browning, Robert (1812-1889)An Essay on Percy Bysshe Shelley Pub. 1851Clough, Arthur HughRecent English Poetry: A Review of Several Volumes of Poems by Alexander Smith, Mathew Arnold, and othersArnold, Matthew (1822-1888)Preface to the 1853 Edition of Poems Pub. 1853Massey, Gerald (1828-1907)Preface to the Third Edition of Babe Christabel Pub. 1854Ruskin, John (1819-1900)Of the Pathetic Fallacy Pub. 1856Arnold, Matthew (1822-1888)The Function of Criticism at the Present Time Pub. 1864Bagehot, Walter (1826-1877)Wordsworth, Tennyson, and Browning; or, Pure, Ornate, and Grotesque Art in English Poetry Pub. 1864Morley, JohnMr. Swinburne’s New Poems: Poems and BallardsDallas, Eneas Sweetland (1828-1879)The Secrecy of Art Pub. 1888Buchanan, Robert (1841-1901)The Fleshly School of Poetry: Mr. D.G. Rossetti Pub. 1871Rossetti, Dante Gabriel (1828-1882)The Stealthy School Of Criticism Pub. 1871Swinburne, Algernon Charles (1837-1909)Under The Microscope Pub. 1872Pater, Walter (1839-1890)Preface to The Renaissance: Studies in Art and Poetry Pub. 1873Hopkins, Gerard Manley (1844-1889)Author’s Preface Pub. 1883Levy, AmyJames Thompson: A Minor PoetWhistler, James McNeill (1834-1903)Ten O’Clock Pub. 1890Morris, WilliamOf the Origins of Ornamental ArtWilde, Oscar (1854-1900)The Critic as Artist Pub. 1890Symons, Arthur (1865-1945)The Decadent Movement in Literature Pub. 1893The Symbolist Movement In Literature Pub. 1899Meynell, AliceTennysonRobert BrowningThe Rhythm of LifeRobins, ElizabethWoman’s SecretHardy, Thomas (1840-1928)Apology Pub. 1922INDEXESIndex of First LinesIndex of Authors and Titles

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Book SynopsisBorn in Tuscany in 1304, Italian poet Francesco Petrarca is widely considered one of the fathers of the modern Italian language. His writings inspired the Humanist movement and, subsequently, the Renaissance, but few figures are as complex or as misunderstood. He was a devotee of the ancient pagan Roman world and a devout Christian, a lover of friendship and sociability, yet at times an intensely private and almost misanthropic man. He believed life on earth was little more than a transitory pilgrimage, and took himself as his most important subject-matter. Christopher S. Celenza provides the first general account of Petrarch's life and work in English in over thirty years, and considers how his reputation and identity have changed over the centuries. He brings to light Petrarch's unrequited love for his poetic muse, Laura, the experiences of his university years, the anti-institutional attitude he developed as he sought a path to modernity by looking toward antiquity, and his endless focus on himself. Drawing on both Petrarch's Italian and Latin writings, this is a revealing portrait of a paradoxical figure: a man of mystique, historical importance and endless fascination.Trade Review'Complexities of interpretation are food and drink to Petrarchan scholars, and Christopher Celenza tucks into them with quiet determination in his short life-and-works overview . . . Celenza's book introduces us to the breadth of Petrarch's intellectual world.' - Charles Nicholl, London Review of Books; 'Celenza's account, easily the best and most accessible life of Petrarch to appear in English in a century . . . ranges easily over the whole of the poet's life and times, following him in the "wanderings" Celenza describes as characterising Petrarch's somewhat peripatetic career in the service of the wealthy Visconti family and others. The book's main strength is its literary sensitivity; Celenza finds echoes of Petrarch's life in a far wider array of his writings than marquee sonnets - his various treatises, essays, and Latin verse all receive refreshingly intelligent integration into the broader narrative . . . the book's most memorable Petrarch is also its best achievement: the man himself, querulous, self-doubting, eager for fame but distrustful of it. That Petrarch very much does speak to our own age, and in these pages by Celenza, he finally gets a life of his own.' - The National; '[Petrarch] himself turned again and again in his writings to the flaws of humanity. Celenza exposes the Italian writer's flaws throughout his book, while simultaneously eliciting pity and respect. If he's a "misunderstood" man, then this book makes us want to understand him, contradictions and all.' - Times Higher Education; 'The entire book shines with Celenza's close attention to historical and philological detail, his superb textual and contextual analyses, and his deep understanding of how much Petrarch's legacy contributed to European cultural life. This brief review can barely suggest the subtlety with which the author interweaves such familiar texts as the poet's account of climbing Mount Ventoux with his evolving idea of Italy, and such ongoing endeavours as the poet's incursions into Italian verse with his efforts to secure a political future for Italy. Though designed for and accessible to a wide readership, the book will delight Petrarchan specialists with up-to-date nuggets of scholarly information, smart insights into cultural contexts, and powerful reinterpretations of landmark texts.' - Renaissance and Reformation; '[a] well-informed yet highly readable and elegant presentation . . . an impressive publication with which Celenza has set a standard for future research that will not be easy to surpass, when it comes to outlining Petrarch's intellectual profile both from the perspective of his life and work.' - Bernhard Huss, Germanisch-Romanische Monatsschrift; 'The Epilogue connects several facets of Petrarch's posthumous reputation, reviewing his identities as a Latinist, classicist and Tuscan love-poet, and arguing that his complex personality "speaks to our age more than ever". For scholars hoping to join that Petrarchan dialogue, Celenza's biography will serve as a vital interlocutor.' - Forum for Modern Language Studies; 'No one who wants an up-to-date introduction to Petrarch will do better than Christopher Celenza's life and letters treatment, Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer, beautifully printed by Reaktion Books. The prose is direct, demotic, and engaging, sometimes professorial, but pleasantly professorial.' - Brian Copenhaver, Journal of Modern History; 'The book on my table is beautiful, on the inside as well as the outside. And it is not only attractive to look at, it is also well written - a pleasure to read . . . This is a book that is meant to read from start to finish, rather than as a reference work; reading it is a little like walking through a labyrinth, or solving puzzles (which the present writer at least loves doing). It is stimulating and it gives you new ideas.' - Bryn Mawr Classical Review; 'not least among this book's virtues is the wealth of color illustrations, which include not only portraits of the poet and photographs of important Petrarchan sites, but also copies of manuscripts owned, annotated, or written by Petrarch, as well as later editions of his works. For the uninitiated, these images and their commentary grant special access into Petrarch's own reading and writing habits. Combined with the author's breadth of reference and limpid prose style, they make this book a pleasurable and accessible guide to Petrarch for the twenty-first-century neophyte.' - Speculum; 'The striking appeal of Christopher Celenza's study is how the scattered worlds of Petrarch are brought together in vigorous unity - the passionate classicist haunted by a yearning for modernity, the Tuscan love poet whose melodious sonnets for Laura would be imitated for centuries, the restless Augustinian pilgrim, and the self-conscious yet enigmatic spider in a network of powerful friends and acquaintances. In his elegant and poetic style, Celenza combines reader-friendliness with scholarly sophistication and depth. This is a timely intellectual biography written by one of today's leading Renaissance scholars.' - Professor Unn Falkeid, University of Oslo, author of The Avignon Papacy Contested: An Intellectual History from Dante to Catherine of Siena

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Book SynopsisIs it ever possible to know 'the truth' about Sylvia Plath and her marriage to Ted Hughes, which ended with her suicide? In The Silent Woman, renowned writer Janet Malcolm examines the biographies of Sylvia Plath, with particular focus on Anne Stevenson's Bitter Fame, to discover how Plath became an enigma in literary history. The Silent Woman is a brilliant, elegantly reasoned inquiry into the nature of biography, dispelling our innocence as readers, as well as shedding a light onto why Plath's legend continues to exert such a hold on our imaginations.Trade ReviewOne of the deepest, loveliest, and most problematic things Janet Malcolm has written. It is so subtle, so patiently analytical, and so true that it is difficult to envisage anyone writing again about Plath and Hughes * Guardian *An astonishing writer with a grasp of nuance that can be electric * The Times *Intellectually explosive, morally challenging and enormous fun * Financial Times *Compulsively readable, the best thing Malcolm has ever done * LRB *Superbly written, flowing like a piece of music from theme to theme, recapitulating here, changing key there, always disguising the complexity of its underlying construction * Independent *The best-written and most stirring polemic of the year. Completely brilliant * The Times *The Silent Woman contains some of the best thinking I know on both the practical and the philosophical problems of biography -- Bernard Crick * New Statesman *Of the oceans of words written about Sylvia Plath, these are among the best... a master storyteller and a psychoanalyst rolled into one. Brilliant * Independent *The Silent Woman pioneered a new genre of biography in its exploration of Hughes and Sylvia Plath...The study ends with an exquisite twist that gives this book the urgency of fiction...insightful * Telegraph *The maestro of gripping nonfiction investigation * Sunday Times *Brilliant -- Megan Nolan * New Statesman *A bleakly entertaining j'accuse of biography as a genre * TLS *

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Book SynopsisThe best poet in America' Jean GenetHe brought everybody down to earth, even the angels' Leonard CohenThe definitive collection from a writer whose transgressive legacy and raw, funny, acutely observant writing has left an enduring markHere is Bukowski eating walnuts and scratching his back, rolling a cigarette while listening to Brahms, showering with Linda in the mid-afternoon.Here is Bukowski knowing that the secret is beyond him, that people who never go crazy live truly horrible lives, that there's a bluebird in his heart that wants to get out.Here is Bukowski at his most hilarious and heart-breaking, his most raw and profound; here is Bukowski at his best.Trade Review‘The best poet in America’ Jean Genet ‘He brought everybody down to earth, even the angels’ Leonard Cohen

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Book SynopsisFeaturing plays and poetry from all over the world, including Latin American and African fiction, this book offers a deeper look into the famed fiction of Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde and more, as in-depth literary criticism and interesting authorial biographies give each work of literature a new meaning.Table of Contents 1: Introduction 2: Heroes and legends 3000BCE – 1300CE 1: Only the gods dwell forever in sunlight, The Epic of Gilgamesh 2: To nourish oneself on ancient virtue induces perseverance, Book of Changes, attributed to King Wen of Zhou 3: What is this crime I am planning, O Krishna? Mahabharata, attributed to Vyasa 4: Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles, Iliad, attributed to Homer 5: How dreadful knowledge of the truth can be when there’s no help in the truth! Oedipus the King, Sophocles 6: The gates of hell are open night and day; smooth the descent, and easy is the way, Aeneid, Virgil 7: Fate will unwind as it must, Beowulf 8: So Scheherazade began… One Thousand and One Nights 9: Since life is but a dream, why toil to no avail? Quan Tangshi 10: Real things in the darkness seem no realer than dreams, The Tale of Genji, Murasaki Shikibu 11: A man should suffer greatly for his Lord, The Song of Roland 12: Tandaradei, sweetly sang the nightingale, “Under the Linden Tree”, Walther von der Vogelwelde 13: He who dares not follow love’s command errs greatly, Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart, Chretien de Troyes 14: Let another’s wound be my warning, Njal’s Saga 15: Further reading 2: Renaissance to enlightenment 1300 - 1800 1: I found myself within a shadowed forest, The Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri 2: We three will swear brotherhood and unity of aims and sentiments, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Luo Guanzhong 3: Turn over the leef and chese another tale, The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer 4: Laughter’s the property of man. Live joyfully, Gargantua and Pantagruel, Francois Rabelais 5: As it did to this flower, the doom of age will blight your beauty, Les Amours de Cassandre, Pierre de Ronsard 6: He that loves pleasure must for pleasure fall, Doctor Faustus, Christopher Marlowe 7: Every man is the child of his own deeds, Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes 8: One man in his time plays many parts, First Folio, William Shakespeare 9: To esteem everything is to esteem nothing, The Misanthrope, Moliere 10: But at my back I always hear Time’s winged chariot hurrying near, Miscellaneous Poems, Andrew Marvell 11: Sadly, I part from you; like a clam torn from its shell, I go, and autumn too, The Narrow Road to the Interior, Matsuo Basho 12: None will hinder and none be hindered on the journey to the mountain of death, The Love Suicides at Sonezaki, Chikamatsu Monzaemon 13: I was born in the Year 1632, in the City of York, of a good family, Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe 14: If this is the best of all possible worlds, what are the others? Candide, Voltaire 15: I have courage enough to walk through hell barefoot, The Robbers, Friedrich Schiller 16: There is nothing more difficult in love than expressing in writing what one does not feel, Les Liaisons dangereuses, Pierre Choderlos de Laclos 17: Further reading 3: Romanticism and the rise of the novel 1800 - 1855 1: Poetry is the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge, Lyrical Ballads, William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge 2: Nothing is more wonderful, nothing more fantastic than real life, Nachtstucke, E T A Hoffmann 3: Man errs, till he has ceased to strive, Faust, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 4: Once upon a time… Children’s and Household Tales, Brothers Grimm 5: For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn? Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen 6: Who shall conceive the horrors of my secret toil, Frankenstein, Mary Shelley 7: All for one, one for all, The Three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas 8: But happiness I never aimed for, it is a stranger to my soul, Eugene Onegin, Alexander Pushkin 9: Let your soul stand cool and composed before a million universes, Leaves of Grass, Walt Whitman 10: You have seen how a man was made a slave; you shall see how a slave was made a man, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass 11: I am no bird; and no net ensnares me, Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte 12: I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul! Wurthering Heights, Emily Bronte 13: There is no folly of the beast of the Earth which is not infinitely outdone by the madness of men, Moby-Dick, Herman Melville 14: All partings foreshadow the great final one, Bleak House, Charles Dickens 15: Further Reading 4: Depicting real life 1855 – 1900 1: Boredom, quiet as the spider, was spinning its web in the shadowy places of her heart, Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert 2: I too am a child of this land; I too grew up amid this scenery, The Guarani, Jose de Alencar 3: The poet is a kinsman in the clouds, Les Fleurs du mal, Charles Baudelaire 4: Not being heard is no reason for silence, Les Miserables, Victor Hugo 5: Curiouser and curiouser! Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll 6: Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart, Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky 7: To describe directly the life of humanity or even of a single nation, appears impossible, War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy 8: It is a narrow mind which cannot look at a subject from various points of view, Middlemarch, George Eliot 9: We may brave human laws, but we cannot resist natural ones, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Jules Verne 10: In Sweden all we do is to celebrate jubilees, The Red Room, August Strindberg 11: She is written in a foreign tongue, The Portrait of a Lady, Henry James 12: Human beings can be awful cruel to one another, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain 13: He simply wanted to go down the mine again, to suffer and to struggle, Germinal, Emile Zola 14: The evening sun was now ugly to her, like a great inflamed wound in the sky, Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy 15: The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde 16: There are things old and new which must not be contemplated by men’s eyes, Dracula, Bram Stoker 17: One of the dark places of the earth, Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad 18: Further reading 5: Breaking with tradition 1900 - 1945 1: The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle 2: I am a cat. As yet I have no name. I’ve no idea where I was born, I am a Cat, Natsume Soseki 3: Gregor Samsa found himself, in his bed, transformed into a monstrous vermin, Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka 4: Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori, Poems, Wilfred Owen 5: April is the cruellest month, breeding lilacs out of the dead land, The Waste Land, T S Eliot 6: The heaventree of stars hung with humid nightblue fruit, Ulysses, James Joyce 7: When I was young I, too, had many dreams, Call to Arms, Lu Xun 8: Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself, The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran 9: Criticism marks the origin of progress and enlightenment, The Magic Mountain, Thomas Mann 10: Like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars, The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald 11: The old world must crumble. Awake, wind of dawn! Berlin Alexanderplatz, Alfred Doblin 12: Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston 13: Dead men are heavier than broken hearts, The Big Sleep, Raymond Chandler 14: It is such a secret place, the land of tears, The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery 15: Further reading 6: Post-war writing 1945 – 1970 1: Big Brother is watching you, Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell 2: I’m seventeen now, and sometimes I act like I’m about thirteen, The Catcher in the Rye, J D Salinger 3: Death is a gang-boss aus Deutschland, Poppy and Memory, Paul Celan 4: I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me, Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison 5: Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul, Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov 6: Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes, it’s awful! Waiting for Godot, Samuel Beckett 7: It is impossible to touch eternity with one hand and life with the other, The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, Yukio Mishima 8: He was the beat – the root, the soul of beatific, On the Road, Jack Kerouac 9: What is good among one people is an abomination with others, Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe 10: Even wallpaper has a better memory than human beings, The Tin Drum, Gunter Grass 11: I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folks, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee 12: Nothing is lost if one has the courage to proclaim that all is lost and we must begin anew, Hopscotch, Julio Cortazar 13: He had decided to live forever or die in the attempt, Catch-22, Joseph Heller 14: I rhyme to see myself, to set the darkness echoing, Death of a Naturalist, Seamus Heaney 15: There’s got to be something wrong with us. To do what we did, In Cold Blood, Truman Capote 16: Ending at every moment but never ending its ending, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez 17: Further reading 7: Contemporary literature 1970 – present 1: Our history is an aggregate of last moments, Gravity’s Rainbow, Thomas Pynchon 2: You are about to begin reading Italo Calvino’s new novel, If on a Winter’s Night a Traveller, Italio Calvino 3: To understand just one life you have to swallow the world, Midnight’s Children, Salman Rushdie 4: Freeing yourself was one thing; claiming ownership of that freed self was another, Beloved, Toni Morrison 5: Heaven and Earth were in turmoil, Red Sorghum, Mo Yan 6: You could not tell a story like this. A story like this you could only feel, Oscar and Lucinda, Peter Carey 7: Cherish our island for its green simplicities, Omeros, Derek Walcott 8: I felt lethal, on the verge of frenzy, American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis 9: Quietly they moved down the calm and sacred river, A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth 10: It’s a very Greek idea, and a profound one. Beauty is terror, The Secret History, Donna Tartt 11: What we see before us is just one tiny part of the world, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Haruki Murakami 12: Perhaps only in a world of the blind will things be what they truly are, Blindness, Jose Saramago 13: English is an unfit medium for the truth of South Africa, Disgrace, J M Coetzee 14: Every moment happens twice: inside and outside, and they are two different histories, White Teeth, Zadie Smith 15: The best way of keeping a secret is to pretend there isn’t one, The Blind Assassin, Margaret Atwood 16: There was something his family wanted to forget, The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen 17: It all stems from the same nightmare, the one we created together, The Guest, Hwang Sok-yong 18: I regret that it takes a life to learn how to live, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Jonathan Safran Foer 19: Further reading 8: Glossary 9: Index 10: Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisHesiod, who lived in Boetia in the late eighth century BC, is one of the oldest known, and possibly the oldest of Greek poets. His Theogony contains a systematic genealogy of the gods from the beginning of the world and an account of the struggles of the Titans. In contrast, Works and Days is a compendium of moral and practical advice on husbandry, and throws unique and fascinating light on archaic Greek society. As well as offering the earliest known sources for the myths of Pandora, Prometheus and the Golden Age, Hesiod''s poetry provides a valuable account of the ethics and superstitions of the society in which he lived. Unlike Homer, Hesiod writes about himself and his family, and he stands out as the first personality in European literature. This new translation, by a leading expert on the Hesiodic poems combines accuracy with readability. It is accompanied by an introduction and explanatory notes. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.Trade Review'This is a very welcome publication, an authoritative translation of a major greek author at a reasonable price. Essential reading for classicists' J. G. Hourie, Dept. of Classics, University of Edinburgh' Readers who have no previous knowledge of Hesoid will find this an extremely accessible book, written in such a way that the non-specialist will be able to read, follow and enjoy these works. This is in part due to Professor West's excellent translations and partly due to his real and profound interest in his subject, which is further reflectd by a most informative and useful introduction.' The Greek Rreview'So much better than the corresponding Penguin translation of Hesiod. The introduction is splendid.' P. Walcot, University College, Cardiff.'The edition is admirably produced, mercifully free from misprints ... an edition with a stimulating Introduction, a very readable translation' JACT Review'West ... has now produced fine translations of these poems into fresh, lively and eminently readable English. It must quickly establish itself as the translation for English-speaking readers.' Jennifer R. March, University College, London. Classical Review

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Book Synopsis''The finest translation in and for our time'' (Kevin Crossley-Holland) Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, with its intricate plot of enchantment and betrayal is probably the most skilfully told story in the whole of the English Arthurian cycle. Originating from the north-west midlands of England, it is based on two separate and very ancient Celtic motifs of the Beheading and the Exchange of Winnings, brought together by the anonymous 14th century poet. His telling comprehends a great variety of moods and modes - from the stark realism of the hunt-scenes to the delicious and dangerous bedroom encounters between Lady Bercilak and Gawain, from moments of pure lyric beauty when he evokes the English countryside in all its seasons, to authorial asides that are full of irony and puckish humour. This new verse translation uses a modern alliterative pattern which subtly echoes the music of the original at the same time as it strives for fidelity. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford WorlTrade ReviewThe Oxford World's Classics edition offers students an excellent introduction to this classic text and also important notes and chronologies.

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Book SynopsisConfronted by natural and supernatural threats - shipwrecks, battles, monsters and the implacable enmity of the sea-god Poseidon - Odysseus must use his wit and native cunning if he is to reach his homeland safely and overcome the obstacles that, even there, await him.Trade Review“[Robert Fitzgerald’s translation is] a masterpiece . . . An Odyssey worthy of the original.” –The Nation “[Fitzgerald’s Odyssey and Iliad] open up once more the unique greatness of Homer’s art at the level above the formula; yet at the same time they do not neglect the brilliant texture of Homeric verse at the level of the line and the phrase.” –The Yale Review “[In] Robert Fitzgerald’s translation . . . there is no anxious straining after mighty effects, but rather a constant readiness for what the occasion demands, a kind of Odyssean adequacy to the task in hand, and this line-by-line vigilance builds up into a completely credible imagined world.” –from the Introduction by Seamus Heaney

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Book SynopsisApollonius Rhodius's Argonautica, composed in the third century BC, is the Greek epic account of Jason’s quest for the golden fleece. It greatly influenced Roman authors such as Catullus, Virgil, and Ovid, and was imitated by Valerius Flaccus.

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Book SynopsisHeroic epic of the eighth to the fifth century BCE includes poems about Hercules and Theseus, as well as the Theban Cycle and the Trojan Cycle. Genealogical epic of that archaic era includes poems that create prehistories for Corinth and Samos. These works are an important source of mythological record.Trade ReviewA magnificent achievement...As one would expect of a scholar of West's distinction these are accurate, keenly alive to each nuance of the Greek...Scholars owe a considerable debt of gratitude to West for [this] new Loeb. -- Richard Whitaker * Scholia Reviews *

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Book SynopsisReflects the wealth of forms, the rhetorical and tonal range, and the variousness of content in Auden's poetry. This volume also includes examples of Auden's mastery of light verse: the self-descriptive sequence of haiku called 'Profiles', the barbed wartime quatrains of 'Leap Before You Look', or 'Funeral Blues' itself.

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Book SynopsisPresents the work of one of America's greatest poets, increasingly recognised as one of the greatest English-language poets of the twentieth century, loved by poets and readers alike.Trade ReviewOne of the greatest poets of the twentieth century -- William Boyd * Guardian *When we read her, we enter the classical serenity of a new country -- Robert LowellIf ever there was a poet whose every scrap of writing should be in print, that poet must be Elizabeth Bishop -- Christopher Reid

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Book SynopsisA new cover reissue of AND STILL I RISE, first published in 1986, from Maya Angelou, one of the most celebrated writers and poets of the world.Trade ReviewA brilliant writer, a fierce friend and a truly phenomenal woman -- President Barack ObamaThe poems and stories she wrote . . . were gifts of wisdom and wit, courage and grace -- President Bill ClintonShe moved through the world with unshakeable calm, confidence and a fierce grace . . . She will always be the rainbow in my clouds -- Oprah WinfreyShe was important in so many ways. She launched African American women writing in the United States. She was generous to a fault. She had nineteen talents - used ten. And was a real original. There is no duplicate -- Toni MorrisonAngelou was the first poet since Robert Frost to recite work at a presidential inauguration. And Still I Rise is a tribute to determination, from the title poem to the anthemic "Phenomenal Woman", which sounds like something that Beyoncé could set to music -- Stig Abell * The Times *

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Book SynopsisMy Beloved Wager gathers essays by noted poet and translator Erín Moure, and records a quarter century of writing practice emerging from a city of exhilarating poetic and translatory possibility: Montreal. In her essays and linguistic-sculptural interventions on what poetry makes possible, Moure reveals why she has placed her bets on poetry as a way of life. In these works, the richness of poetry is laid bare as Moure challenges us to think more deeply about who we are as speakers, readers, writers, and citizens of the world.

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Book SynopsisSurveys the schemes, patterns and forms of English verse, and illustrates each variation with an original and witty self-descriptive example. In this fourth edition, the authors offer a personal take on why the book has played such an important role in the education of young poets and student scholars.Trade ReviewThe first edition of Rhyme’s Reason was awarded the Modern Language Association’s Mina P. Shaughnessy Medal for an outstanding research publication in the field of teaching English language and literature"How lucky the young poet who discovers this wisest and most lighthearted of manuals."—James Merrill"[Hollander] put everything he knew about the structures of poetry—those fabled magic tricks—into a sort of guidebook for those starting out on the trail up Mount Parnassus, as well as for those who may already know the path but would take unusual delight in Hollander’s marvelously ingenious blazes along the way. . . . There are astonishments on every page."—from the Foreword by J. D. McClatchy"This book's wit and inventive spirit, its self-describing embodiments of form, now offer the beginning poet a happy chance to discover the technician in himself."—from the Afterword by Richard Wilbur"This virtuoso work from a master, a book which is accurate and useful without ever ceasing to be funny."—Paul Fussell"What the E. B. White-William Strunk The Elements of Style is to the writing of prose, Rhyme’s Reason could very easily become to the writing of verse . . . . Marvelously comprehensive, clarifying and useful [and] a delight to read."—John Reardon, Los Angeles Times Review of Books

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“[An] accessible guide… [Foster’s] discussion of symbolism is particularly effective and may help readers learn to actually enjoy the experience of interpreting a poem… Students struggling to understand poetry, or even English instructors struggling to teach it, could benefit immensely from Foster’s guidance.” — Publishers Weekly “Foster’s enthusiasm is infectious…he has clearly enjoyed teaching and sharing his love of literature with his students during his long career. How to Read Poetry Like a Professor is not unlike that freshman English class that everyone vies to enroll in—entertaining and informative without being intimidating. The curriculum is on point, and in the end, you’ll have the tools to truly ‘get’ poetry, with all its manifest themes and variations.” — BookPage

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Book Synopsis''Arms and the man I sing of Troy...'' So begins one of the greatest works of literature in any language. Written by the Roman poet Virgil more than two thousand years ago, the story of Aeneas'' seven-year journey from the ruins of Troy to Italy, where he becomes the founding ancestor of Rome, is a narrative on an epic scale: Aeneas and his companions contend not only with human enemies but with the whim of the gods. His destiny preordained by Jupiter, Aeneas is nevertheless assailed by dangers invoked by the goddess Juno, and by the torments of love, loyalty, and despair. Virgil''s supreme achievement is not only to reveal Rome''s imperial future for his patron Augustus, but to invest it with both passion and suffering for all those caught up in the fates of others. Frederick Ahl''s new translation echoes the Virgilian hexameter in a thrillingly accurate and engaging style. An Introduction by Elaine Fantham, and Ahl''s comprehensive notes and invaluable indexed glossary complement the translation. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition 'Frederick Ahl captures the pathos..to splendid effect. His version reproduces the fierce, hurtling momentum of the original...he is acutely sensitive to the intricate texture of Virgil's Latin. No pun or anagram or play on words escapes his attention; the subtlety as well as the stateliness of the original shines through in every line. In maintaining this difficult balance, Mr Ahl has produced the finest translation of the 'Aeneid' in recent memory. * New York Sun, 9 January 2008 *

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Book SynopsisIn an updated edition of his hugely successful student introduction to English literature from 1100 to 1500, J. A. Burrow takes account of scholarly developments in the the field, most notably devoting a final chapter to the impact of historicism on medieval studies. Full of information and stimulating ideas, and a pleasure to read, Burrow''s book deals with circumstances of composition and reception, the main genres, ''modes of meaning'' (allegory etc.), and medieval literature''s afterlife in modern times. It shows that the literature of authors such as Chaucer, Gower, and Langland is more readily accessible than usually imagined, and well worth reading too. By placing medieval writers in their historical context - the four centuries between the Norman Conquest and the Renaissance - Professor Burrow explains not only how they wrote, but why.Trade ReviewThis book is the most effective introduction to Middle English literature that I know. It is everywhere alert to the ways that modern literary sensibilities need to be adjusted in order to appreciate the medieval norm, and Burrow combines astonishing learning with a pedagogical shrewdness that always picks out just the telling passage or focusing cultural fact. This second edition adds a great deal of new and equally important material to a work that had already become a classic in its own right. * Christopher Cannon, Girton College, Cambridge *Table of Contents1. The period and the literature ; 2. Writers, audiences, and readers ; 3. Major genres ; 4. Modes of meaning ; 5. The afterlife of Middle English literature ; Notes ; Bibliography

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Book SynopsisFor the first time, Faber publish a selection from the poetry of Philip Larkin. Drawing on Larkin''s four collections and on his uncollected poems. Chosen by Martin Amis.''Many poets make us smile; how many poets make us laugh - or, in that curious phrase, laugh out loud (as if there''s another way of doing it)? Who else uses an essentially conversational idiom to achieve such a variety of emotional effects? Who else takes us, and takes us so often, from sunlit levity to mellifluous gloom?... Larkin, often, is more than memorable: he is instantly unforgettable.'' - Martin Amis

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Book SynopsisA book length collaboration between two underground legends, Charles Bukowski and Robert Crumb. Bukowski's last journals candidly and humorously reveal the events in the writer's life as death draws inexorably nearer, thereby illuminating our own lives and natures, and to give new meaning to what was once only familiar. Crumb has illustrated the text with 12 full-page drawings and a portrait of Bukowski.

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Book Synopsis''With fair-tressed Demeter, the sacred goddess, my song begins,With herself and her slim-ankled daughter, whom Aidoneus onceAbducted...''Most people are familiar, at least by repute, with the two great epics of Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey, but few are aware that other poems survive that were attributed to Homer in ancient times. The Homeric Hymns are now known to be the work of various poets working in the same tradition, probably during the seventh and sixth centuries BC. They honour the Greek gods, and recount some of the most attractive of the Greek myths. Four of them (Hymns 2-5) stand out by reason of their length and quality. The Hymn to Demeter tells what happened when Hades, lord of the dead, abducted Persephone, Demeter''s daughter. The Hymn to Apollo describes Apollo''s birth and the foundation of his Delphic oracle. In the Hymn to Hermes Apollo''s cattle are stolen by a felonious infant - Hermes, god of thieves. In the Hymn to Aphrodite the goddess of love herself becomes infatuated with a mortal man, the Trojan prince Ankhises. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.Trade ReviewThis welcome new translation of the Homeric Hymns offers a skilled and nuanced verse rendering that is accompanied by intelligent and helpful notes. The introductory material is brief; the end-notes more thorough yet always concise; throughout there is frequent and up-to-date reference to important bibliography on the hymns. Readers should find the translation poetic and often striking, and they will also come away with a firm sense of modern scholarship on these short epic works. * Journal of Hellenic Studies *

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Book Synopsis''What is poetry, how many kinds of it are there, and what are their specific effects?''Aristotle''s Poetics is the most influential book on poetry ever written. A founding text of European aesthetics and literary criticism, from it stems much of our modern understanding of the creation and impact of imaginative writing, including poetry, drama, and fiction. For Aristotle, the art of representation conveys universal truths which we can appreciate more easily than the lessons of history or philosophy. In his short treatise Aristotle discusses the origins of poetry and its early development, the nature of tragedy and plot, and offers practical advice to playwrights. This new translation by Anthony Kenny is accompanied by associated material from Plato and a range of responses from more modern literary practitioners: Sir Philip Sidney, P. B. Shelley, and Dorothy L. Sayers. The book includes a wide-ranging introduction and notes, making this the most accessible and attractive modern editioTable of ContentsIntroduction ; Note on the Texts and Translation ; Select Bibliography ; Chronology of Aristotle ; Outline of the Poetics ; from Plato's Republic, Books II, III, and X ; Aristotle's Poetics ; from Sir Philip Sidney's Apology for Poetry ; from P. B. Shelley's Defence of Poetry ; from Dorothy L. Sayers's Aristotle on Detective Fiction ; Explanatory Notes ; Note on Metre ; Glossary of Key Terms ; Index

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Book Synopsis*BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week* Benjamin Zephaniah, who has travelled the world for his art and his humanitarianism, now tells the one story that encompasses it all: the story of his life. In the early 1980s when punks and Rastas were on the streets protesting about unemployment, homelessness and the National Front, Benjamin’s poetry could be heard at demonstrations, outside police stations and on the dance floor. His mission was to take poetry everywhere, and to popularise it by reaching people who didn’t read books. His poetry was political, musical, radical and relevant.  By the early 1990s, Benjamin had performed on every continent in the world (a feat which he achieved in only one year) and he hasn’t stopped performing and touring since. Nelson Mandela, after hearing Benjamin’s tribute to him while he was in prison, requested an introduction to the poet that grew into a lifelong relationship, inspiring BTrade Review'The Life and Rhymes has a performative quality reminiscent of Zephaniah’s poetry – honest, unshowy and ultimately unthreatening. It matches the man.' * The Guardian *'Vivid, frank and to the point, yet bristling with compassion, this is a rousing romp through a life less ordinary and a timely reminder of art’s redemptive force.' * Mojo magazine *‘Compelling and inspiring’ * Scottish Poetry Library *'His singular career has spanned poetry, music and activism, with detours into acting and academia. And he’s really lived a life less ordinary – from teenage jailbird to celebrity role model, embraced by the British Establishment, even if he hasn’t always reciprocated. His scepticism about the necessity of his memoir, The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah, is unfounded.' * The Scotsman *'His singular career has spanned poetry, music and activism, with detours into acting and academia. And he’s really lived a life less ordinary – from teenage jailbird to celebrity role model, embraced by the British Establishment, even if he hasn’t always reciprocated. His scepticism about the necessity of his memoir, The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah, is unfounded.' * The Scotsman *‘This is a beautifully penned and highly entertaining account of an intriguing life, opening us up not just to Zephaniah's story but to a wide range of topics arising out of it...tackled with down-to-earth honesty and insight, not to mention an element of gentle humour and self-effacement.’ * Morning Star *'The people’s laureate' * Birmingham Mail *‘A celebration of a truly extraordinary life story which remarks upon the power of poetry and the importance of pushing boundaries with the arts.’ * Shropshire Star *'Retaining a humility and humour that belie his extraordinary rise from street gang to cultural touchstone…Zephaniah is one of the rare voices that manages to remain determinedly outside the Establishment (he famously turned down an OBE) yet is embraced by it...a riveting read worthy of a Netflix drama.' * iNews *'Filled with extraordinary moments, taking in his first poetry performance in a church aged 10, his time in borstal and prison, and his stint in a gang when he feared for his life and slept with a gun under his pillow. He was framed by the police for murder, turned his life around to the extent that he developed a friendship with Nelson Mandela – and his words helped usher in freedom in South Africa. But the book is also a searing social history of Britain and a salutary reminder that when it comes to the fight for racial equality, there is no end bell.' * Big Issue North *'Zephaniah pulls no punches when it comes to talking about the racism that has shaped his life or the mischief he got up to in response to it.' * The Spectator *

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Book SynopsisThis collection presents all the poems Auden wished to preserve, in the texts that received his final approval. It included the full contents of his previous collected editions along with all the later volumes of his shorter poems. Together, these works display the astonishing range of Auden's voice and the breadth of his concerns, his deep knowledge of the traditions he inherited, and his ability to recast those traditions in modern times.

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Book SynopsisThese lectures were delivered by Seamus Heaney while he was Professor of Poetry at Oxford University. In the first of them, Heaney discusses and celebrates poetry''s special ability to redress spiritual balance and to function as a counterweight to hostile and oppressive forces in the world. He proceeds to explore how this ''redress'' manifests itself in a diverse range of poems and poets, including Christopher Marlowe''s ''Hero and Leander'', ''The Midnight Court'' by the eighteenth-century Irish poet Brian Merriman, John Clare''s vernacular writing and Oscar Wilde''s ''The Ballad of Reading Gaol''. Several twentieth-century poets are also discussed - W. B. Yeats, Dylan Thomas, Elizabeth Bishop and others - and the whole book constitutes a vivid proof of the claim that ''poetry is strong enough to help''.

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Book SynopsisProvides an analysis of Western culture during the Second World War that won the Pulitzer Prize and inspired a symphony by Leonard Bernstein as well as a ballet by Jerome Robbins.Trade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2011 "[Auden's] most significant piece of work... [W]e have in W. H. Auden a master musician of rhythm and note, unable to be dull, in fact an enchanter, under the magic of indigenous gusto ... The Age of Anxiety assures us that fear and lust have, in faith and purity, a cure so potent we need never know panic or be defeated by Self."--Marianne Moore, New York Times "The Age of Anxiety (1947), perhaps the finest of them all, tests Auden's ideas within the experience of modernity."--Lachlan MacKinnon, Times Literary Supplement "[M]agnificent ... [and] enormously rich in allusion, sound, and intellectual power... For pessimism and naturalism and virtuosity, The Age of Anxiety makes one think of Shakespeare's Tempest."--Jacques Barzun, Harper's Magazine "[An]emotionally stunning work... [O]ne of the splendid poems of our language."--M. L. Rosenthal, New York Herald Tribune "Princeton University Press's new critical, annotated edition of The Age of Anxiety seeks to repair and renew contemporary readers' relationship with the poem. That it should triumphantly succeed in this task, however, has less to do with unraveling the poem's intricacies than with clearly showing how its many knots are tied. In an expansive preface and through rigorous textual notes, editor and Auden scholar Alan Jacobs outlines the circumstances of the poem's composition, traces the relations between psychology and religious belief as they play out in the text, and firmly situates the work in its historical moment... It can only be hoped that this handsome new edition brings The Age of Anxiety to a new 'pitiful handful'. Those lucky few will discover in its pages one of the last century's great, and greatly neglected, poems."--Geordie Williamson, Australian "This new edition contains an elegant, unostentatious commentary by Alan Jacobs, an American professor whose previous books include a cultural history of Original Sin."--Richard Davenport-Hines, The Spectator "Elegantly printed, [The Age of Anxiety] is graced by [Alan] Jacobs's essay-length introduction, which traces the poem's evolution from the time Auden moved from Europe to the US in 1939 to its publication both in Britain (1947) and the US (1948)."--Choice "This new edition of Auden's The Age of Anxiety under review here provides a timely occasion for the reconceptualization of the structures of the collective imagination in the era of global violence and viral media spectacle. Benefiting from Alan Jacob's revealing and comprehensive prefactory note, the volume invites concerted theoretical effort toward the configuration of a post-apocalyptic poetics."--Nigel Mcloughlin, ABC StudiesTable of ContentsPreface vii Introduction xi The Age of Anxiety 1 Appendix: Two Letters on Metrical Matters 109 Textual Notes 113

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Book SynopsisBecome a poet and write poetry with ease with help from this clear and simple guide in the popular 101 series. Poetry never goes out of style. An ancient writing form found in civilizations across the world, poetry continues to inform the way we write now, whether we realize it or not—especially in social media—with its focus on brevity and creating the greatest possible impact with the fewest words. Poetry 101 is your companion to the wonderful world of meter and rhyme, and walks you through the basics of poetry. From Shakespeare and Chaucer, to Maya Angelou and Rupi Kaur, you’ll explore the different styles and methods of writing, famous poets, and poetry movements and concepts—and even find inspiration for creating poems of your own. Whether you are looking to better understand the poems you read, or you want to tap into your creative side to write your own, Poetry 101 gives you everything you need!Trade Review"Provides anyone interested in poetry with a way to grow their knowledge. No matter how much you already know about poetry you will come away with something new by the end of Poetry 101. Dalzell is able to provide a great deal of information in a way that allows you to casually take it in while not feeling as though you are reading a textbook. I would strongly recommend this book not only to those who are interested in learning more about poetry, but also for anyone who will need to study poetry in school. Poetry 101 is perfectly written for any age reader and could tremendously help high school and college students learn and refresh their memories." * The Nerdy Girl Express *

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Book SynopsisA rich, provocative, and lyrical study of one of Germany’s most important, world-famous, and imaginative writerTrade Review“A portrait of the poet as a crusader for truth and beauty in a world where both were in short supply.”—Adam Kirsch, Wall Street Journal“Prochnik provides a jaunty narrative of Heine’s schooldays in Bonn and Göttingen, journalistic career in Berlin, and twenty-five-year exile in Paris, detailing his literary feuds, scraps with censors, and unwavering belief in political liberty.”—New Yorker“Prochnik gives ample space to Heine’s emotional life [and] Heine’s attitude to his Jewish heritage proves to be a rewarding topic. . . . It is impossible to read about Heine without thinking how wonderful it would have been to meet him.”—Jonathan Rée, Literary Review“It is a highly recommendable study . . . told beautifully by Prochnik, and the book is a fitting addition to Yale University Press’s Jewish Lives series.”—Andreas Hess, Society“George Prochnik draws the historical background of Heine’s life with care and powerfully evokes a Jewish life in 19th century Germany with all its complexities, frustrations, and contradictions. Prochnik’s scrupulous analysis of the artist’s prose and poems allows for a deep understanding of this brilliant and tormented man.”—Anka Muhlstein, author of The Pen and the Brush

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Book SynopsisLunch in Soho with a former lover - but Zanzotti''s is under new management, and as the wine takes effect fond memories give way to something closer to the bone . . .Christopher Reid''s poem, which since its first publication has been filmed by the BBC and presented on stage in numerous venues, follows the lunchtime reunion of two long-separated lovers. Every smallest detail is cherished, as step by step the narrative moves towards its tragicomic outcome.

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Book SynopsisShelley called poets, ‘the unacknowledged legislators of the world’. Here John Ramsden describes their now largely forgotten contribution to economics. From Defoe to Pound, poets looked at the economic orthodoxy of their day, saw much that was unacceptable, and tried to suggest alternatives. Some of their suggestions led onto perilous ground; but many of their criticisms have since been vindicated. Often witty and always opinionated, these 11 writers offer fresh perspectives on the economic theories that still rule our lives. The poets included are Defoe, Swift, Coleridge, Scott, Shelley, de Quincey, Ruskin, Morris, Shaw, Belloc and Pound. Together they span a vast range of opinion and knowledge of the world. Some were closely involved with policy, some were radical, even revolutionary, others were reactionary: all of them contributed very personal and often illuminating insights into the dismal science.

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Book SynopsisExplores a new development in contemporary poetry: the repurposing of other people's words in order to make new works, by framing, citing, and recycling already existing phrases, sentences, and even full texts. This book concludes with a discussion of Kenneth Goldsmith's conceptualist book "Traffic".

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Book SynopsisIntended for all readers of Shakespeare, this beautiful and ground-breaking book arranges Shakespeare's sonnets printed in 1609 in chronological order and intersperses the sonnets from the plays among them. A lively introduction provides essential background, while explanatory notes and modern English paraphrases illuminate the sonnets' meanings.Trade Review'What a fresh and lovely idea! I've been speaking the sonnets for most of my life. They are such wonderful training for an actor, and the notes and paraphrases in this book are just what we all need to guide us through them.' Judi Dench'This new arrangement of Shakespeare's sonnets is a revelation. Paul Edmondson, and Stanley Wells have truly illuminated the author's themes, preoccupations and obsessions. In so doing the poems have a fresh, and startlingly clear narrative progression. Thanks to their scholarship I found myself experiencing this work as never before. There is a directness, simplicity, and humanity, which shines from the page. It was an honour to read them in this form. I hope a large audience will enjoy seeing (and hearing), this new light shone on a great literary treasure.' Kenneth Branagh'Paul Edmondson and Stanley Wells have done something daring, controversial, and richly illuminating. To the 154 poems collected in the celebrated volume of Shakespeare's Sonnets they have conjoined the sonnets that appear in the plays – such as the famous lines shared by Romeo and Juliet. To these they have added a number of passages from the plays that are in effect close relations to the conventional sonnet form. The result is to break down the walls and set Shakespeare's famous sequence in a much expanded field of poetic making. But that is not all: jettisoning the order in which the sonnets first appeared in print, Edmondson and Wells arrange them in what they take to be their chronological order of composition. The result is something radical and unsettling. To make these deeply familiar poems seem unexpected and new is a significant achievement.' Stephen Greenblatt, Author of Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics and The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve'A marvellously refreshing new look at Shakespeare's devotion to the sonnet form, expanding our understanding of the published sonnets by adding those he included in the plays. The single sentence description of each sonnet is also immensely useful and helpful to even the most seasoned reader.' Gregory Doran, Royal Shakespeare Company, Artistic Director'This is a book of clarity and love which shadows the mind in time of Shakespeare the poet and in so doing brings us closer than ever before to his own awareness of the reach of his genius.' Carol Ann Duffy'All the Sonnets of Shakespeare presents a wealth of valuable material and compelling interpretations in a clear, comprehensible, and convincing style that will hold appeal not only for Shakespeare scholars and students, but for all devotees of 'the supreme poet-dramatist' and his work.' Deb Miller, DC Metro Theater Arts'A valuable project, and one which achieves what Shakespeare editions so often promise but so rarely deliver: which is to prompt a genuinely new way of looking at these familiar works.' Daniel Swift, The Spectator'What Edmondson and Wells have done is both groundbreaking and profoundly significant … whether dipping in for a brief encounter or wanting to fully immerse oneself in the entire Sonnet canon, with scholarly explication and guidance, All the Sonnets of Shakespeare is a one volume tour de force. 400 years after his death, Edmondson and Wells have breathed new life into our engagement with his poetic output and a revised understanding of the man, his motives and his responses to creative muses … I strongly recommend grabbing a copy of their book and rediscovering the Sonnets for yourself! The casual reader will be both enlightened and entertained and the scholar will be academically stimulated.' Paul Spalding-Mulcock, Yorkshire Times'… a model of editing, which scraps the conventional sentimentalities and lets us read the Sonnets as poems - explorations into worlds of possible feeling, speech and thought, rather than coded memoirs.' Rowan Williams, New Statesman, Books of the Year 2020'In putting Shakespeare's dramatic sonnets alongside the 1609 group, this edition exhibits the breadth with which he handles the form.' Molly Clark, Times Literary Supplement'This book is a gift to scholars and students … This study will prove valuable to all who specialize in Shakespearean topics.' M. H. Kealy, Choice'Exploring the sonnets hidden in some of Shakespeare's most revered plays gives a new flavour and dynamic to those characters. It draws our attention to the author's intention in each play, where he makes a character unexpectedly speak in poetry. It illuminates that moment and poses new questions. The detailed and extremely in-depth introduction strongly supports the original works and allows us to examine all of Shakespeare's sonnets in a new, exciting and precise way. I learned a lot from reading this. I hope you do too.' Lolita Chakrabarti'… this is a volume into which one can dip suggestively, creatively and repeatedly to find things new. It is, frankly, the most exciting reconception of the Sonnets since John Benson's Poems in 1640, and the same motive of making them 'serene, clear and elegantly plain' serves to intensify their drama, their diversity and their brilliance.' Jane Kingsley-Smith, Shakespeare SurveyTable of ContentsIntroduction Paul Edmondson and Stanley Wells; About this Volume; Sonnets; Textual Notes, All the Sonnets of Shakespeare: Literal Paraphrases, Numerical Index of Shakespeare's Sonnets (1609), Index of First Lines.

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