Poetry Books

Book SynopsisA selection of Keats's greatest poemsOver the course of his short life, John Keats (1795-1821) honed a raw talent into a brilliant poetic maturity. By the end of his brief career, he had written poems of such beauty, imagination and generosity of spirit, that he had - unwittingly - fulfilled his wish that he should ‘be among the English poets after my death’. This wide-ranging selection of Keats’s poetry contains youthful verse, such as his earliest known poem ‘Imitation of Spenser’; poems from his celebrated collection of 1820 - including ‘Lamia’, ‘Isabella’, ‘The Eve of St Agnes’, ‘Ode to a Nightingale’ and ‘Hyperion’ - and later celebrated works such as ‘La Belle Dame sans Merci’. Also included are many poems considered by Keats to be lesser work, but which illustrate his more earthy, playful side and superb ear for everyday language.For more than seventy year

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Book SynopsisProspero and his daughter Miranda are stranded on a lonely desert island. Then a magical storm washes a royal ship ashore - and Prospero finally has the chance to right old wrongs. Shakespeare's classic romantic comedy retold for children growing in reading confidence and ability as part of the Usborne Young Reading Programme.Trade Review"Irresistible for children learning to read" - Child Education Plus; "The Usborne Young Reading Program has a lovely selection of classic tales adapted for younger readers. Graded in seven levels, these have just enough stretch in them and yet are not too overwhelming." - The Irish Sunday Independent; "Crack reading and make confident and enthusiastic readers with this fantastic reading programme" - Julia Eccleshare

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Book SynopsisThis revised Student Edition includes an introduction by Bess Rowen, Visiting Assistant Professor at Villanova University, US, which looks in particular at the play''s treatment of rape, vulnerable people, mental institutions (especially in connection to Williams''s own family), sexuality and sexual desire.A Streetcar Named Desire shows a turbulent confrontation between traditional values in the American South - an old-world graciousness and beauty running decoratively to seed - set against the rough-edged, aggressive materialism of the new world. Through the vividly characterised figures of Southern belle Blanche Dubois, seeking refuge from physical ugliness in decayed gentility, and her brutal brother-in-law Stanley Kowalski, Tennessee Williams dramatises his sense of the South''s past as still active and often destructive in modern America.METHUEN DRAMA STUDENT EDITIONS are expertly annotated texts of a wide range of plays from the modern and classic repertoires. A well as thTable of ContentsChronology Introduction Cultural Context: The United States in the 1940s The Glass Menagerie and the Beginning of an Era Williams and the Writing Process Realism, Naturalism, and Expressionism Method Acting and Elia Kazan Depicting Rape and Vulnerability Sex and Sexuality Production History and Adaptations Further Reading A Streetcar Named Desire Notes

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Book SynopsisEdited, introduced and annotated by Cedric Watts, M.A., Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of English, University of Sussex. Shakespeare’s Macbeth is one of the greatest tragic dramas the world has known. Macbeth himself, a brave warrior, is fatally impelled by supernatural forces, by his proud wife, and by his own burgeoning ambition. As he embarks on his murderous course to gain and retain the crown of Scotland, we see the appalling emotional and psychological effects on both Lady Macbeth and himself. The cruel ironies of their destiny are conveyed in poetry of unsurpassed power. In the theatre, this tragedy remains perennially engrossing.

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Book Synopsis''Fitzgerald has solved virtually every problem that has plagued translators of Homer.'' Atlantic Monthly The Iliad is the story of a few days'' fighting in the tenth year of the legendary war between the Greeks and the Trojans, which broke out when Paris, son of King Priam of Troy, abducted the fabulously beautiful Helen, wife of King Menelaus of Sparta. After a quarrel between the Greek commander, Agamemnon, and the greatest of the Greek warriors, Achilles, the gods become more closely involved in the action. Their intervention leads to the tragic death of Hector, the Trojan leader, and to the final defeat of the Trojans. But the Iliad is much more than a series of battle scenes. It is a work of extraordinary pathos and profundity that concerns itself with issues as fundamental as the meaning of life and death. Even the heroic ethic itself - with its emphasis on pride, honour, prowess in battle, and submission to the inexorable will of the gods - is not left unquestioned. 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'Fitzgerald has solved virtually every problem that has plagued translators of Homer.' Atlantic Monthly

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Book SynopsisThis Wordsworth Edition includes an exclusive Introduction and Notes by Cedric Watts, M.A., Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of English, University of Sussex. As You Like It is one of Shakespeare’s finest romantic comedies, variously lyrical, melancholy, satiric, comic and absurd. Its boldly implausible plot generates a profusion of love-lorn men, a resourceful heroine in disguise, sexual ambiguity, sceptical philosophising, and finally a multiplicity of marriages. The ironic medley of pastoral artifice, romantic ardour and quizzical reflection has helped to make As You Like It perennially popular in the theatre. A recent production was deemed ‘fresh, funny, sexy and, when it matters, deeply touching’. As You Like It is part of the Wordsworth Classics’ Shakespeare Series, used in the workshops of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Every volume in the series has been newly edited by Cedric Watts, described by Edward Said as ‘a man for whom the enjoyment and enrichment of friends and students is the main consideration in what he does’.

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Book SynopsisThe essential poems of the inspirational thirteenth-century Persian philosopher, scholar and mysticThe founder of the order of the Whirling Dervishes, Rumi was also a poet of transcendental power. His verse speaks with the universal voice of the human soul and brims with exuberant energy and passion. Rich in natural imagery, from flowers to birds and rivers to stars, the poems have an elemental force that has remained undiminished through the centuries. Their themes - tolerance, goodness, the experience of God, charity and awareness through love - still resonate with millions of readers around the world. Translated by Coleman Barks with John Moyne

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Book Synopsis''Yes, you squashed cabbage leaf . . . you incarnate insult to the English language: I could pass you off as the Queen of Sheba''Pygmalion both delighted and scandalized its first audiences in 1914. A brilliantly witty reworking of the classical tale of the sculptor who falls in love with his perfect female statue, it is also a barbed attack on the British class system and a statement of Shaw''s feminist views. In Shaw''s hands, the phoneticist Henry Higgins is the Pygmalion figure who believes he can transform Eliza Doolittle, a cockney flower girl, into a duchess at ease in polite society. The one thing he overlooks is that his ''creation'' has a mind of her own.With an Introduction by NICHOLAS GRENETrade ReviewBy the Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature“[Shaw] did his best in redressing the fateful unbalance between truth and reality, in lifting mankind to a higher rung of social maturity. He often pointed a scornful finger at human frailty, but his jests were never at the expense of humanity.” —Thomas Mann “Shaw will not allow complacency; he hates second-hand opinions; he attacks fashion; he continually challenges and unsettles, questioning and provoking us even when he is making us laugh. And he is still at it. No cliché or truism of contemporary life is safe from him.” —Michael Holroyd “In his works Shaw left us his mind. . . . Today we have no Shavian wizard to awaken us with clarity and paradox, and the loss to our national intelligence is immense.” —The Sunday Times “He was a Tolstoy with jokes, a modern Dr. Johnson, a universal genius who on his own modest reckoning put even Shakespeare in the shade.” —The Independent “His plays were superb exercises in high-level argument on every issue under the sun, from feminism and God, to war and eternity, but they were also hits—and still are.” —The Daily Mail

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Book SynopsisWilliam Shakespeare is perhaps the world's greatest literary figure, famed for his insights into the human condition. Records show that he married Anne Hathaway at the age of 18 and had three children with her. At some point he went to London and joined the theatrical profession, as an actor, playwright, poet and, latterly, theatre manager and impresario. He died in April 1616, aged 52. The body of work left by Shakespeare included 37 plays, four poems and a collection of sonnets.

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Book SynopsisFeatures poems of isolation, beauty, death and eternity. This title includes fables, decadence, heartbreak, tall tales, satire, ghosts, battles and elephants.

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Book SynopsisThis luxurious hardback edition presents Dante''s celebrated work, The Divine Comedy, with opulent gold cover embossing, striking illustrated page edges and classic illustrations by Gustave Doré.Dante''s Divine Comedy is regarded as a masterpiece of medieval literature, telling the story of Dante''s descent into hell, his journey through purgatory and eventual ascent into heaven, with Virgil as his guide. Along with stirring adventures and boundless imagination are Dante''s reflections on spirituality and the nature of faith and reason in the world. From the pilgrim''s deepening insight into the workings of evil and moral choice (Hell) through to the dramatization of the nature and purpose of moral conversion (Purgatory) to the blissfully mystical ascent before God (Paradise), Dante''s cosmic vision remains unparalleled.This beautiful hardback edition, with gold foil accents and stunning printed edges, in

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Book SynopsisSome sixty beautiful poems to celebrate the wonder of birds, and connect us back to nature. For all birdwatchers and all lovers of nature.

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Book Synopsis‘A deep and valuable collection that you could rely upon in your time of need’ The Times Following the success of their anthology Poems That Make Grown Men Cry, father-and-son team Anthony and Ben Holden, working with Amnesty International, have asked the same revealing question of 100 remarkable women: what poem has moved you to tears? The poems chosen range from the eighth century to today, from Rumi and Shakespeare to Sylvia Plath, W. H. Auden to Carol Ann Duffy, Pablo Neruda and Derek Walcott to Imtiaz Dharker and Warsan Shire. Their themes range from love and loss, through mortality and mystery, war and peace, to the beauty and variety of nature. From Yoko Ono to Judi Dench, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie to Elena Ferrante, Carol Ann Duffy to Meera Syal, and Joan Baez to Olivia Colman, this unique collection delivers private insights into the minds of women whose writing, acting and tTrade Review“The Holdens remind us that you don't have to be an academic or a postgraduate in creative writing to be moved by verse…I defy anyone not to enjoy the Holdens' book: It's plain fun.” * Wall Street Journal *‘A deep and valuable collection that you could rely upon in your time of need’ * The Times *‘The art of poetry, as exemplified in this collection, transcends all gender issues, real or disputed’ * Guardian *'This anthology has given me fresh pleasure in familiar poems and introduced me to exciting new voices' -- Sebastian Faulks, from his Afterword

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Book SynopsisGoodreads Choice Award-winning poet and bestselling author amanda lovelace presents the you are your own fairy tale series bound collection— a beautiful and empowering trilogy that proves the only thing needed for a happily ever after is yourself.this elegantly bound edition of amanda lovelace’s you are your own fairy tale trilogy includes all of the poems from break your glass slippers, shine your icy crown, & unlock your storybook heart that you fell in love with, as well as a new & never-before-seen introduction written by the author. you are your ownfairy tale is a must have for every lover of beautiful things & magical words.

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Book SynopsisA captivating picture book retelling by Shakespeare's Globe for very young readers.William Shakespeare's comedy about mistaken identities and unrequited love in the far-off kingdom of Illyria is unforgettably re-imagined by Shakespeare's Globe as a picture book for very young readers. With exquisite and detailed illustrations from the acclaimed artist Jane Ray, who has previously been shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal, this captivating retelling is a magical way to introduce children to one of the best-loved works of the world's greatest playwright.

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Book SynopsisFrom the translator of the bestselling Poetic Edda (Hackett, 2015) comes a gripping new rendering of two of the greatest sagas of Old Norse literature. Together the two sagas recount the story of seven generations of a single legendary heroic family and comprise our best source of traditional lore about its members—including, among others, the dragon-slayer Sigurd, Brynhild the Valkyrie, and the Viking chieftain Ragnar Lothbrok.Trade Review"This is a wonderfully supple and idiomatic modern translation of the most important account of the legendary Sigurd the Dragon-Slayer and his family in Old Norse-Icelandic literature. Crawford's version is vivid, clear, and exciting, tracing the intrigues, killings, battles, and magic that shape the lives of Sigurd's kindred. Coupled with it is the brilliant sequel, the Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok. Rarely translated into English before, the saga tells of Sigurd's daughter and her husband, the unparalleled Viking king and hero, Ragnar, who is also a dragon-slayer. Lively and fresh, with gripping dialogue and intense scenes of action, the saga has long deserved to be better known. In Jackson Crawford it has found the perfect translator." —Carolyne Larrington, Professor of Medieval European Literature, University of Oxford"A clear, idiomatic English style that also retains the feel of the original is no easy feat, and Crawford succeeds admirably. . . . This translation should serve well those who teach the sagas, their students, and any interested readers, particularly at such a reasonable price." —Adam Oberlin, Princeton University, in The Medieval Review"This is only the second English translation of these two sagas to be published in one volume. . . . The overall aim of the book seems to be the entirely commendable one of inspiring beginners, in which it will no doubt be wholly successful. . . . Crawford's translation of both sagas reads fluently and engagingly. Reading this book has been, for me, an enjoyable and stimulating experience, as it undoubtedly will be for the audience for which it is aimed." —Rory McTurk, Leeds University, in Saga-Book"The book is a gift, especially to beginning readers of the northern mythological literature. It makes its two texts approachable through the use of easy to read contemporary language. It also provides useful tools for the reader to get an overview of the stories through its explanatory matter. The book has a straightforward introduction that provides a nutshell of the sagas, a cast of characters, historical information about the origin of the tales, a brief outline of the chapters, a pronunciation guide, and there is an excellent and useful Glossary of Names and Terms at the end of the book. Crawford also includes notes throughout the text, including recommendations to see relevant passages of his translation of The Poetic Edda: Stories of the Norse Gods and Heroes. . . . I have read the William Morris translation (1870) a few times throughout the scattered years and I wanted to see what a contemporary translation would look like. I wasn’t disappointed. I hope and expect that the Crawford translation will introduce many new readers to the pleasures of its two pieces of world literature." —Phillip Fitzsimmons, in Mythlore

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Book SynopsisA compelling landmark anthology by two of the world's leading scholars of Arabic literature, it will become the key reference text of our age. With translated extracts of works by famous and lesser known but equally significant authors, it will appeal to those with an interest in world literatures and in Arab culture and history.Trade Review'Desert Songs of the Night is a wonderful introduction to fifteen centuries of a literature still largely unknown in the West, without which much of our civilizations would not have developed as they have, from the rediscovery of Aristotle by Arab commentators to the lyric poetry of Europe, from the magical world of the Arabian Nights to the modern revolutionary poets of Palestine. Absolutely essential reading for our troubled times.' Alberto Manguel; 'At a time when the world obsesses over violence and bloodletting in the Arab world, this remarkable anthology, which spans 1,500 years of Arab literary genius, is a stark reminder that there exists an untold story we keep missing about the region.' Hanan al-Shaykh; 'An arresting collection ... Dipping into this enchanting anthology one is struck by the sheer variety of voices that have emerged from the Arab world ... Hopefully, Desert Songs of the Night should inspire more English-speakers to study this wonderful language and render afresh its magnificent literary heritage.' Daily Telegraph, 4 Stars; 'This is a beautiful-looking book and inside the romance and beauty continue ... a valuable volume' Sunday HeraldTable of ContentsIntroduction Part I: The Pre-Islamic Period (Jahiliyya) The Mu'allaqat Ode of Imru al-Qais Ode of Labid Ka'b Bin Zuhair, Su'ad is gone al-Aswad Bin Yafur, Ode from the Mufaddaliyat al-Khansa, Lament for My Brother al-Tirrimah, In the Heart of the Desert Jamil, Oh, That Youth's Flower Anew Might Lift its Head Katari of Mazin, To His Own Soul 'Umar Ibn Abi Rabi'ah, Blame Me No More, O Comrades! Part II: The Islamic Age The Holy Qur'an The Opening Surah XIX: Mary Surah LIX: Exile Surah LXXXIX: The Dawn Hadith, Selected Sayings Shaybani's Siyar, The Islamic Law of Nations Part III: The Ummayad Dynasty al-Akhtal, Youth Departed but Often I Enjoyed It al-Farazdaq, Let all weep for al-Hajjaj Jarir, al-Farazdaq Visited the Folk of Hijaz Abd al-Hamid al-Katib, The Art of Secretaryship Ibn al-Muqaffa, The Rabbit and the Elephant Ibn Ishaq, The Prophet's Mission Bashshar Ibn Burd, Will No Emissary Be Found Part IV: The Abbasid Dynasty Rabia al-Adawiya, O My Joy and My Desire and My Refuge Abu Nuwas Four Things Thou Scolder of Grape and Me The Great Offence Hurry, for the Beergardens are Blooming Abu'l Atahiya Vanity: To Harun al-Rashid Surely Shall Fate Disjoint the Proudest Nose Virtue Cast an Eye at Me Coming al-Jahiz, The Book of Proof: Concerning Asceticism Abu Tammam, In Praise of the Caliph Mu'tasim al-Buhturi, Bodies of Water Like Horses Ibn Qutayba, Extracts from Uyun al-Akhbar Ibn al-Rumi The Chess Champion The Compromise He Defends Himself al-Tabari, The Battle of Badr al-Hallaj, Three Qasidas al-Razi, The Repelling of Grief al-Farabi, The City and the Household al-Mutanabbi Parting Has Just Taught Our Eyelids Separation Shame Kept My Tears Away Couplet How Glows Mine Heart Naught Kills the Noble like Forgiveness My Songs Gave Eyes to the Blind, Ears to the Deaf An Induction Here is the Final Stretch Abu Firas al-Hamdani Thy Fiercest Foe is One Thou Dost Not Fight Grief Amasses, Patience Scatters al-Tawhidi, Arabs and Non-Arabs al-Kalabadhi,The Sufi Doctrine of Vision al-Hamadhani, The Assembly of Qazmin al-Ma'arri From the Diwan From the Lazumiyat 'Tis Said That Spirits Remove by Transmigration In the Casket of the Hours Thou Art Diseased in Understanding and Religion Ibn Sina (Avicenna) Concerning the Temporal Origin of the Soul Epistle of the Soul On Prophecy al-Hariri, The Assembly of Damascus al-Ghazzali The Beginning of Guidance The First Duty of Brotherhood Ibn Rushd (Averroes) The Law Makes Philosophic Studies Obligatory Ibn Tufayl Hayy Admires the Work of the Creator Playing with Fire Ibn Arabi The Wisdom of Virtue in the Word of Luqman Whoso Knoweth Himself - Selections from Tarjuman al-Ashwaq Ibnu'l Farid The Meeting Lo, From Behind the Veil Mysterious Ibn Khallikan, Ja'far and al-Rashid Part V: al-Andalus - Arab Spain 195 Ibn Hazm Of Fidelity Of Betrayal Anxiety Twice Times Then is Now Ibn Zaydun, Poem to Wallada al-Mutamid, The Moon, The Stars, and a King Abu'l Hasan Ali ibn Hisn, The Pigeon Abus Salt, The Incense Burner Ibn al-Faras, Moon of Beauty Ibn Said, The Guardians Ibn Maimon (Moses Maimonides), Guide for the Perplexed Solomon ibn Gabirol, The Ethics of Solomon Gabirol Part VI: The Age of Depression Ibn Battuta, Across North Africa Ibn Khaldun Three Extracts from Muqaddimah A Sign of Royal Authority The Romance of Antar Antar Summoned From Mecca To Rescue Shas 'Abla's Treasure Restored The Arabian Nights The Story of the Envier and the Envied Men in the Judgment of their Wives Adventure of the Caliph Haroon al-Rusheed Part VII: al-Nahda - Renaissance of Arabic Literature Abd al-Rahman al-Kawakibi, The Virtues of the Arabs Ahmad Shawqi From Act I of Majnun Layla The Feast of Time An Andalusian Exile Hafiz Ibrahim, Elegy to Mustafa Kamil Khalil Mutran, The Arab Awakening Ilya Abu Madi Envoi Life and Love Gibran Kahlil Gibran The Poet From a Speech by Khalil the Heretic Ameen Rihani Light 302 Supplication: A Prayer Mikhail Naimy A New Year Comrade! Taha Hussein An Egyptian Childhood From The Stream of Days Abbas al-Aqqad, Drinking Song May Ziadah, Rejoice Mahmud Taymur, The Fare Tewfiq al-Hakim, Song of Death Part VIII: Modern Arabic Literature Abu al-Qasim al-Shabi I Weep for Love To the Tyrant Naguib Mahfouz, An Unnerving Sound Khalil Hawi, The Bridge 'Abd al-Wahhab al-Bayati, Apology for a Short Speech Salah 'Abd al-Sabur, The Tatars Attacked Mahmoud Darwish Pride and Fury Promises from the Storm Adonis, Iram the Many-Columned Badr Shakir al-Sayyab, A City Without Rain Yusuf al-Khal, The Deserted Well Muhammad al-Fayturi, Sorrow of the Black City Nazik al-Mala'ika Who Am I? Five Hymns to Pain Mona Fayad, Whisper Salma al-Khadra al-Jayyusi Without Roots In the Casbah Fudwa Tuqan A Prayer to the New Year In the Flux Mai Sayigh, Departure Nizar Qabbani Bread, Hashish and Moonlight Poems May Rihani, The Wedding of My City Antoine Raad, A Poet's Treasure Henri Zoghaib, This Is The Now Notes About the Authors Acknowledgements About the Editors

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Book SynopsisA TIMES BOOK OF THE YEARWhat is the nature of things? Must I think my own way through the world? What is justice? How can I be me? How should we treat each other?Before the Greeks, the idea of the world was dominated by god-kings and their priests, in a life ruled by imagined metaphysical monsters. 2,500 years ago, in a succession of small eastern Mediterranean harbour-cities, that way of thinking began to change. Men (and some women) decided to cast off mental subservience and apply their own worrying and thinking minds to the conundrums of life.These great innovators shaped the beginnings of philosophy. Through the questioning voyager Odysseus, Homer explored how we might navigate our way through the world. Heraclitus in Ephesus was the first to consider the interrelatedness of things. Xenophanes of Colophon was the first champion of civility. In Lesbos, the Aegean island of Sappho and Alcaeus, the early lyric poets asked themselves How can I be true to myself?' In Samos, Pythagoras Trade Review A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR ‘What links all Nicolson’s writing, though, is a tireless and tigerish sense of wonder and curiosity; a bounding willingness to immerse himself and his reader deeply in his subject: life… I’m not sure I’ve ever read a book that marries such profundity with such a sense of fun. How to Be delivers wholeheartedly on the promise of its vaunting title. It is like a net strung between the deep past and the present, a blueprint for a life well lived’ OBSERVER ‘This eminently readable tour of Greek philosophy from approximately 650 to 450 B.C. brings the ‘sea-and-city world’ of Heraclitus and Homer to life . . . [He shows] the early Greeks developed intellectual habits, chief among them the use of questioning as the basis of knowing, which laid the groundwork for Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, and for how we reason today’ NEW YORKER ‘Wise, elegant . . . richer and more unusual than [the self-help genre], an exploration of the origins of Western subjectivity’ WASHINGTON POST 'Seductive… a poetic tour of philosophical thought’ SPECTATOR ‘Passionate, poetic, and hauntingly beautiful, Adam Nicolson’s account of the west’s earliest philosophers brings vividly alive the mercantile hustle and bustle of ideas traded and transformed in a web of maritime Greek cities.. In this life-affirming, vital book, those ideas sing with the excitement of a new discovery’ David Stuttard ‘It’s hard not to be dazzled by this book … No one else writes with the originality, energy and persuasiveness of Adam Nicolson. It’s like encountering the Greek sea. It takes your breath away’ Laura Beatty, bestselling author of Lost Property

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Book SynopsisErnest Miller Hemingway was born in Chicago in 1899, the son of a doctor and the second of six children. After a stint as an ambulance driver at the Italian front, Hemingway came home to America in 1919, only to return to the battlefield this time as a reporter on the Greco-Turkish war in 1922. Resigning from journalism to focus on his writing instead, he moved to Paris where he renewed his earlier friendship with fellow American expatriates such as Ezra Pound and Gertrude Stein. Through the years, Hemingway travelled widely and wrote avidly, becoming an internationally recognized literary master of his craft. He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954, following the publication of The Old Man and the Sea. He died in 1961.Trade ReviewThis is immediate, unmistakable Hemingway. -- Philip Young * The New York Times Book Review *

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Book SynopsisTaking its inspiration from Shakespeare's idea of the seven ages of a human life, this new anthology brings together the best-loved poems in English to inspire, comfort and delight readers for a lifetime. Beginning with babies, the book is divided into sections on childhood, growing up, making a living and making love, family life, getting older, and approaching death, ending with poems of mourning and commemoration.Ranging from Chaucer to Carol Ann Duffy, via Shakespeare, Keats, and Lemn Sissay, this book offers something for each of those moments in life whether falling in love, finding your first grey hair or saying your final goodbyes when only a poem will do.

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Book SynopsisChosen by Ginsberg himself from nearly fifty years of experimental, groundbreaking verse, this selection, in his words, summarizes what I deem most honest, most penetrant of my writing', and includes lesser known and later works which go beyond his iconic Beat Generation image. Presented chronologically, and ranging from early works such as Paterson' (1949) to selections from White Shroud (198085) and Cosmopolitan Greetings (198692), and including the classic poems Howl (195556) and Kaddish (195960) as well as songs, recent uncollected poems and notes by the author, this volume brings together the most intensely personal verse of a great American poet incandescent explorations that expand the consciousness with their breadth of vision and depth of humanity.

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Book SynopsisThe selected poems and prose writings of Edward Thomas, with a Foreword from Robert Macfarlane, author of The Old Ways''I have come to the borders of sleep, The unfathomable deepForest where all must loseTheir way, however straight,Or winding, soon or late;They cannot choose.''Fired by his abiding love of the English landscape, the poetry of Edward Thomas is some of the most astonishing of the twentieth century. A journalist, essayist and critic for many years, he was encouraged to write verse by his friend Robert Frost. He produced a late outburst of poetry of extraordinary beauty and mystery about the subjects closest to his heart: rural England and its inhabitants, landscape, atmosphere, transience, endurance and death. By 1917, when he was killed on the Western Front, he had earned his place as one of England''s most valued poets. This selection brings together his finest verse with his most vivid prose writTrade ReviewThe father of us all -- Ted Hughes

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Book SynopsisAn essential anthology that puts contemporary geniuses Eileen Myles and Margaret Atwood in conversation with literary classics Charles Baudelaire and Oscar Wilde about the liberating and unique combination of poetry and proseA Penguin Classic The prose poem has proven one of the most innovative and versatile poetic forms of recent years. In the century-and-a-half since Charles Baudelaire, Emma Lazarus, Oscar Wilde and Ivan Turgenev spread the notion of a new kind of poetry, this genre with an oxymoron for a name has attracted many of our most beloved writers. Yet, even now, this peculiarly rich and expansive form is still misunderstood and overlooked. Here, Jeremy Noel-Tod reconstructs the history of the prose poem for us by selecting the essential pieces of writing, covering a greater chronological sweep and international range than any previous anthology of its kind. Noel-Tod even calls it an alternative history of modern poetry. In The Penguin Book o

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Book Synopsis''Cry havoc! and let slip the dogs of war''Set against the backdrop of a nation breaking out into civil war, Julius Caesar raises questions of governance, power, tyranny, and enslavement. This New Oxford Shakespeare edition situates these questions within the historical framework of the play''s early history in theatre and print, as well as within its long performance history up to and including in the 21st century. The introduction examines the ways in which Roman history is deployed to justify and question political structures, both by Shakespeare and other writers, as well as the transition from historical sources to stage. The New Oxford Shakespeare offers authoritative editions of Shakespeare''s works with introductory materials designed to encourage new interpretations of the plays and poems. Using the text from the landmark The New Oxford Shakespeare Complete Works: Modern Critical Edition, these volumes offer readers the latest thinking on the authentic texts (collated from all surviving original versions of Shakespeare''s work) alongside innovative introductions from leading scholars. The texts are accompanied by a comprehensive set of critical apparatus to give readers the best resources to help understand and enjoy Shakespeare''s work.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.

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Book Synopsis''Here will be an old abusing of God''s patience and the King''s English.''The Merry Wives of Windsor is the only Shakespeare play named entirely after female characters and his only comedy set in England. These features underscore some of its most immediately appealing qualities -- its contemporary realism; its depiction of everyday life; its interest in status and gender; and the language and physicality of its comedy. This edition''s introduction focuses on these elements of Merry Wives, setting out their historical contexts but also thinking about what they offer audiences and readers today. It addresses the place of the play within Shakespeare''s career and canon and the enduringly popular figure of Falstaff, before thinking about its generic peculiarities as a mixture of city comedy and domestic comedy. The edition gives readers a rich breadth of historical context and real-life examples through which to understand and appreciate the text. It also addresses Merry Wives''s popular

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIvanov ; The Seagull ; Uncle Vanya ; Three Sisters ; The Cherry Orchard

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Book SynopsisThe Oresteian trilogy (Agamemnon, Libation Bearers, Eumenides) established the themes of Greek tragedy - the inexorable nature of Fate, the relationship between justice, revenge, and religion. The plays dramatize the murder of Agamemnon by his wife Clytemnestra, the revenge of her son Orestes, and his judgement by the court of Athens. This new translation seeks to preserve the plays' qualities as theatre and as literature.Table of ContentsAgamemnon ; Libation Bearers ; Eumenides

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Book SynopsisJ M Synge was one of the key dramatists in the flourishing world of Irish literature at the turn of the century. This volume offers all of Synge''s plays, which range from racy comedy to stark tragedy, all sharing a memorable lyricism. The introduction sets Synge''s work in the context of the Irish literary movement, with special attention to his role as one of the founders of the Abbey Theatre and his work alongside W. B. Yeats and Lady Gregory. Includes: Riders to the Sea; The Shadow of the Glen; The Tinker''s Wedding; The Well of the Saints; The Play of the Western World; Deirdre of the Sorrows 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.Table of ContentsRiders to the Sea ; The Shadow of the Glen ; The Tinker's Wedding ; The Well of the Saints ; The Playboy of the Western World ; Deirdre of the Sorrows

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Book SynopsisBeowulf, The Battle of Maldon, The Dream of the Rood, The Wanderer, and The Seafarer are among the greatest surviving Anglo-Saxon poems. They, and many other treasures, are included in The Anglo-Saxon World: chronicles, laws and letters, charters and charms, and above all superb poems. Here is a word picture of a people who came to these islands as pagans and yet within two hundred years had become Christians, to such effect that England was the centre of missionary endeavour and, for a time, the heart of European civilization. Kevin Crossley-Holland places poems and prose in context with his skilful interpretation of the Anglo-Saxon world; his translations have been widely acclaimed, and of Beowulf the poet Charles Causley has written, ''the poem has at last found its translator''. 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.Table of ContentsIncludes: The Wanderer; The Seafarer; Beowulf; The Battle of Malden; and other poems, prose passages, tracts, and sermons

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Book SynopsisJohn Keats''s abiding poetic legacy is one of extraordinary and triumphant richness. Before the moment of `self-will'' when he declared his intention to be a poet, Keats (1795-1821) had chosen the medical profession. His apothecary''s training influenced his conception of poetry as an art that could mitigate the world''s suffering. Keats''s generous spirit triumphed over personal sadness, finding expression in his concept of life as a `vale of Soul-making'' rather than a vale of tears. He published only three volumes before his death at the age of 25, and, while many of his contemporaries quickly recognized his genius, snobbery and political hostility led the Tory press to vilify him. This selection, chosen from the Oxford Authors critical edition of Keats''s major works, demonstrates the remarkable growth in maturity of his verse, from early poems such as `Imitation of Spenser'' and `Ode to Apollo'' to later work such as ''The Eve of St Agnes'', `Ode to a Nightingale'', and `To Autu

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Book SynopsisThis authoritative edition was formerly published in the acclaimed Oxford Authors series under the general editorship fo Frank Kermode. It brings together a unique combination of Keats's poetry and prose - all the major poems complemented by a generous selection of Keats's letters - to give the essence of his work and thinking.Trade Reviewamong the many virtues of this edition is the fact that it puts the question of Keats and politics high on the agenda. * Jonathan Bate *there is much to recommend Elizabeth Cook's carefully devised and generously inclusive edition. * Keats-Shelley Journal *

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Book Synopsis''The Moving Finger writes; and, having writMoves on: nor all thy Piety nor WitShall lure it back to cancel half a lineNor all thy tears wash out a word of it.''In the ''rubáiyát'' (short epigrammatic poems) of the medieval Persian poet, mathematician, and philosopher Omar Khayyám, Edward FitzGerald saw an unflinching challenge to the illusions and consolations of mankind in every age. His version of Omar is neither a translation nor an independent poem; sceptical of divine providence and insistent on the pleasure of the passing moment, its ''Orientalism'' offers FitzGerald a powerful and distinctive voice, in whose accents a whole Victorian generation comes to life. Although the poem''s vision is bleak, it is conveyed in some of the most beautiful and haunting images in English poetry - and some of the sharpest- edged. The poem sold no copies at all on its first appearance in 1859, yet when it was ''discovered'' two years later its first admirers included Dante Gabriel Rossetti, SwinbTrade ReviewReview from previous edition 'handsome, richly illuminating' * Boyd Tonkin, Independent *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; Note on the Text ; Note on the Pronunciation and Transcription of Persian Words ; Select Bibliography ; A Chronology of Edward FitzGerald ; RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM ; Table of Corresponding Stanzas ; Appendix 1: Contemporary Responses ; Appendix 2: Tennyson, 'To E. FitzGerald' ; Variants ; Explanatory Notes

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Book Synopsis''Brilliant poems of complex, haunting power... Averno may be Glück''s masterpiece'' The New York Times Book ReviewAn acclaimed collection from the Nobel prize-winning poetThis startlingly original reworking of the Persephone myth takes us to the icy shores of Averno, the crater lake regarded by the ancient Romans as the entrance to the underworld. Here, the consolations of rebirth and renewal are eclipsed by the immediacy of loss - by a mother''s possessive grief, an abducted girl''s equivocal memories, a farmer''s lament for a lost harvest. This chorus offers neither comfort nor solace but deepened understanding, its sorrow textured by the poet''s luminous wit. Together, the poems of Averno swell to a staggeringly powerful lamentation, through which the reader glimpses the ecstasy of the inevitable, only to find it resisted by the insistent, impersonal presence of the Earth.Trade ReviewBrilliant [poems of] complex, haunting power... Averno may be Glück's masterpiece. Certainly it demonstrates that she is writing at the peak of her powers. -- Nicholas Christopher * New York Times Book Review *Few poets can shoulder the weight of the myth the way Glück does...The poems brilliantly display a poet's insight, a mother's warmth, and a mortal's empath. There is wry humour, too, and, amid much that is dark, there are fragments of hope. * New Yorker *[An] intense and ambitious collection. * Guardian *An important collection...Averno has the feeling of an urgent inner dialogue between the believer and the skeptic. * Boston Review *An ageing soul's lyrical book of days ... The title poem will break your heart every time you read it but also affirm you in the toughest moments ... When Glück takes a broader look, the scope can be truly epical; when she looks inward you can sometimes hear your own voice. And her tenderness is breathtaking. -- Ilya Kaminsky * Library Journal *

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Book SynopsisA wonderfully readable anthology of our greatest poetry, chosen by the author of A Little History of PoetryTrade Review“Enthusiasm for the underdog is infectious. . . . It reveals a sensitivity in Carey’s aesthetic, a rejection of the sentimental and the highbrow in favour of the lyrical, the melancholy and the divine. It’s what ultimately ties the book together, and lends a profound emotional weight to the intellectual rigour.”—Andrew Male, Sunday Times“Reading poetry is a perfect commuter pastime, but can feel intimidating. Where to start? Perhaps with this gentle, welcoming anthology by this paper’s chief literary critic, which offers one emblematic poem, and a brief introduction, for 100 poets.”—Sunday Times“100 Poets is a good anthology to dip into or to read straight through, like I did. Whatever your experience of poetry, I think you’ll find something here to enjoy.”—David’s Book World“Professor John Carey has rounded up a collection of his favourite 100 poets, from Homer to Sylvia Plath, covering the familiar and the less common. . . . A bedside-table book of portable proportions and in durable hardback.”—Lucy Lethbridge, The Oldie Christmas Gift Guide

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Book SynopsisThe great English Renaissance tragedy—violent, powerful, unforgettable—in a freshly edited and annotated student edition.

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