The first book of poetry I ever bought was “Four Quartets” by T.S. Eliot, and it has followed me for more than 50 years.
Poets and Poems: Yvor Winters and “Selected Poems”
“Yvor Winters: Selected Poems,” provides a fine collection of the importance and impact of an avant garde poet turned formalist.
“The Battle of Maldon” by J.R.R Tolkien, Edited by Peter Grybauskas
In “The Battle of Maldon,” Tolkien scholar Peter Grybauskas provides insights into both an epic poem and the great storyteller’s translation.
Poets and Poems: Stephen Cushman and “Keep the Feast”
In “Keep the Feast,” poet Stephen Cushman combines the sacred and secular, producing psalms that are jarring and challenging.
Poets and Poems: Emma Lazarus and “Selected Poems”
Known for a single if famous poem, Emma Lazarus was an accomplished poet, writer, polemicist, and champion for the Jewish people.
Poets and Poems: Charles Reznikoff and “Poems”
In his first two poetry collections, Charles Reznikoff reflected the experience of Jewish immigrants to America.
Poets and Poems: Victoria Maria Castells and “The Rivers Are Inside Our Homes”
The poems of “The Rivers Are Inside Our Homes” by Victoria Maria Castells pulsate with imagery as they describe homelands old and new.
Is the Sonnet Also an American Art Form? David Bromwich Says Yes
In “American Sonnets,” Yale professor David Bromwich has assembled poems that suggest the sonnet is an American art form.
Poets and Poems: Thomas Kinsella and “Last Poems”
“Last Poems” by Irish poet Thomas Kinsella explores the big, eternal questions that increasingly occupy our minds as we age.
“Hamnet”: Visualizing What Inspired Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”
The novel and play “Hamnet” suggest that Shakespeare may have memorialized his son, who died in 1596, in the play “Hamlet.”
Poets and Poems: Ellie O’Leary and “Breathe Here”
In “Breathe Here,” poet Ellie O’Leary writes of her childhood losses of her mother at age 10 and her father at 18.
Fourth of July: “Concord Hymn” by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote “Concord Hymn” for a monument unveiling, introducing one of the most famous lines in American history.
Poets and Poems: Osip Mandelstam and “Tristia”
Russians consider Osip Mandelstam one of the greatest poets; a new translation of “Tristia” helps explain why.
A TS Classic: “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde
A new edition of “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde, illustrated by Sara Barkat, shows how the story still applies to our own time.
Rediscovering Seneca: Dana Gioia Translates “The Madness of Hercules”
Dana Gioia combines drama, history, poetry and more in his fine translation “Seneca: The Madness of Hercules.”
Poets and Poems: Andrew Frisardi and “The Moon on Elba”
To read “The Moon on Elba” by poet Andrew Frisardi is to experience the light of Italy and the ideal or idea behind the words.
Poets and Poems: Bruce Beasley and “Prayershreds”
After reading the 18 poems of “Prayershreds” by Bruce Beasley, you’ll find yourself, and your poetic head, in a very different place.
Poets and Poems: James Sale and “StairWell”
In “StairWell,” poet James Sale continues his Dante-like epic poem, a marvel of imagination and insight into postmodernism.
Poets and Poems: Catherine Esposito Prescott and “Accidental Garden”
The 42 poems of “Accidental Garden” by Catherine Esposito Prescott consider the eternal question of whether life is planned or accidental.
Yes, Edith Wharton was also a poet
Edith Wharton not only wrote fiction and nonfiction; she also wrote poetry, publishing her first collection at age 16.