In his lifetime, Alexander Blok was considered one of the finest of all Russian poets. He still carries that accolade today.
Laura Inman and “The Poetic World of Emily Brontë”
“The Poetic World of Emily Brontë” by Laura Inman is a wonderful way to be introduced to her poetry, seen through the lens of her novel “Wuthering Heights”
Poets and Poems: Robinson Jeffers and “Selected Poetry”
Robinson Jeffers (1887-1962) was a significant poet in the 1920s and 1930s, and then forgotten until rediscovered by the environmental movement.
The Poetry of World War I
Tim Kendall’s anthology “Poetry of the First World War” explains how poetry came to be so connected with “the war to end all wars.”
Poets and Poems: Marina Tsvetaeva and “My Poems”
Russian poet Marina Tsvetaeva (1892-1941) used love as a compass in her poetry, in the face of monumental tragedies she experienced in her country.
Poets and Poems: Wendell Berry and “This Day”
“This Day, ” Wendell Berry’s new collected Sabbath poems, remind us of the wholeness, consistency and beauty of his literary writing.
Poets and Poems: J.R.R. Tolkien and “Beowulf”
The newly published translation of “Beowulf” by J.R.R. Tolkien is both poetic prose and a reminder of the epic’s influence on “The Lord of the Rings.”
Anna Akhmatova and the Poetry of Resilience
Russian poet Anna Akhmatova experienced personal tragedy, war, revolution, civil war, and Stalinist repression, and still wrote haunting poetry.
Poets and Poems: Thomas Merton and “In the Dark Before Dawn”
Thomas Merton continues to exert a significant pull on the imagination, the intellect, and the conscience.
Poets and Poems: Ron Padgett and “Collected Poems”
“Collected Poems” by Ron Padgett covers more than 50 years of work, summing up a life lived in the creation of poetry.
Poets and Poems: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and “Prussian Nights”
“Prussian Nights” by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn reminds us that victory in war doesn’t automatically mean moral superiority over an enemy.
Haiku in English: The First Hundred Years
One of the best resources for Haiku in English, this is a helpful book. Check out the wonderful sample haiku and maybe go haiku hunting in Emily Dickinson.
Poets and Poems: Robert Frost and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”
“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost helped define poetry for millions of American Baby Boomers. It is still influential today.
Poets and Poems: J.P. Dancing Bear’s “The Abandoned Eye”
The poems in J.P. Dancing Bear’s “The Abandoned Eye” cut like razor blades, removing what we use to hide and obscure.
Poets and Poems: “Caribou” by Charles Wright
“Caribou, ” the new collection of poems by Charles Wright, is about memory, what has passed, and what is gone, and the realizations that come only with age.
Literary Tour: Faulkner House Books, New Orleans
Faulkner House Books is a literary landmark in New Orleans – the place where William Faulkner wrote stories, poems and the novel “Soldier’s Pay.”
Poets and Poems: L.L. Barkat’s “Love, Etc.”
Love Etc. reminds us what eternity is, and what part of it is contained within ourselves.
Poets and Poems: Brian Gardner’s “Up the Line to Death: The War Poets 1914-1918”
Brian Gardner’s “Up the Line to Death” preserves many great poets and poems of World War I.
Poets and Poems: Nicholas Samaras’ “American Psalm World Psalm”
Poets and Poems considers a new collection of 150 poems by Nicholas Samaras, each in the form of a psalm. “American Psalm, World Psalm” speaks to the heart.
Poets and Poems: “Selected Poems 1923-1975” by Robert Penn Warren
Poets and Poems features “Selected Poems 1923-1975, ” which reflects the poetic maturity of Robert Penn Warren’s work of than 60 years.