Poetry Books

I am amazed by her power. In her hands, words spring to life and life springs to words. Her mind plants the living experience in a kiss on the hand and flings it to her audience like affectionate royalty waving to an attentive crowd.

She was born in Hamburg, Germany and the "Curriculum Vitae" poem in this volume beautifully articulates her immigration to the United States and her life here. Mueller was recently awarded one of the largest prizes in literature, the 2002 Ruth Lilly Prize -- $100,000.00. Her poetry is worth that, and more.

Her Mother's death "hurt" her into poetry, she writes here, and yet the observations she gives through these poems are pure redemption. What she experiences is what we all know, and she offers it to us with reverence and respect in sparkling language of pure gold.

When she stumbles on the fact of aging: "One day," she writes, "on a crowded elevator, everyone's face was younger than mine. . . .The brilliant days and nights are breathless in their hurry."

I love everything she's written and eagerly wait for more.
One short poem just to treat you to an example of what poetry can be:

"EX MACHINA
"My word processor does not know Shakespeare.
It balks at ripeness, stops me at Othello
and Desdemona. They are not
in its vocabulary. On the other hand
it does not question arrogance and power,
accepts betrayal, jealousy and grief,
uncomprehending. They are on the list.

"I am reminded of the face
of the young killer on the screen
the other night. He knew the words
gun and crime and prison.
He even knew the word guilty,
but when he said it, his eyes were blank."

Buy this book -- and all her books if you can find them. Keep them nearby so you can reach into a poem when you need to be reminded what living is for.

This book of poetry won the Pulitzer Prize. She writes about a variety of topics, which makes her writing so easily accessible depending on whatever mood you're in or what you want to read.

Her poetry about birds is particularly detailed and lovely. As is the poetry about her mother, about death, abuse, about relationships...I can't imagine you'd be disappointed. Support POETS, support your own imagination and dreams - buy this book -- add this to your collection or give it as a gift. The title poem, Alive Together, is superb. Some other favorites: The Blind Leading the Blind, Why I need the Birds, When I am Asked, Things, Mirrors, Missing the Dead, and JOY.

here's a bit of When I am Asked:

when I am asked/how I began writing poems, I talk about the indifference of nature.

It was soon after my mother died, a brilliant June day, everything blooming.

I sat on a gray stone bench/ringed with the ingenue faces/of pink and white impatiens/and placed my grief/in the mouth of language,
the only thing that would grieve with me.

RECOMMENDED!

I treasure this book. It is beautiful, clear, and profound. Mueller's words and perspective awaken me with each reading. Robyn Johnson

If you are looking for one poem about relationships, "Alive Together" is the one. And with the rest of the poems in this amazing collection you'll find more truth, beauty and life. Get this book. Read this book. Send "Alive Together" to your significant other.

Lisel Mueller is hands down one of the contemporary masters of the free verse form. In her second language she writes of exile, reclamation, home, beauty. She excels at the persona poem, writing devastating sequences on (among others) Hellen Keller, Patty Hearst, Monet, Schumann, Bach, Brendel, and Mary Shelly. This New and Selected will lead your straight to Mueller's individual collections, worth every penny.

Cynie Cory, our very own alumnus of FSU is an amazing writer. Cory has been published in literary magazines as the non-profit literary magazine, Indian Review. If the cover of the book doesn't make you just want to pick up the book at once then I don't know what will. Aside from the brilliant defining poems Cory has brilliantly written I can't help but to admire the beautiful cover art of her book, American Girl. What intrigued me the most was the almost not meant to be seen writings on the cover, " winter never really finishes itself when the ice breaks free. It's still winter." Makes you think just like her many poems within this book. The amazing peaceful, befitting, and to the point poems is what makes this book so outstanding. This amazing American girl may just be among us Seminoles and we must keep an eye out for her and her future writings. This "American Girl" is definitely a must have in your collection of poetry.

This is the best book of poetry that I've read in a long time. Cynie Cory is brilliant and eclectic in her work, showing off a wide range of forms and subject matter as she questions the role of females in America. Her poems are quiet and deafening, meek and confident all at once. She doesn't beat around the bush, she gets right to the point. If you love beautiful images, there is much to be found throughout her poems, many that reoccur such as winter imagery, plums, directional references, etc. But the best thing about the book is that it does not give you any answers. Is Cory the quintessential American girl, or the underlying truth of girlhood in America? She leaves that up to the reader. Overall, a truly masterful book.

Cory plays with images and puts it all on the table for everyone to see. In American Girl, Cory touches on almost all subjects dealing with being a female. She takes us through heartbreak, love, and even through gun rights. I believe that Cory put her heart into this book and the readers will see. A must read.

I've taken a couple classes taught by Dr. Cory so my perspective on her work might be a little skewed, but I think this book of poetry is beautiful. American Girl is held together by recurring motifs, such as the repeated use of water, that are intertwined with well placed imagery. Winter is also a common thread and the poems really bring the reader back to a time in their life that is tied closely to the seasons. My favorite poem is The Theory of Everything. It is all about not being confined and wanting to be free. Most poems of this nature are dark and depressing, yet The Theory of Everything is quite optimistic. I recommend this book to anyone wanting to dive into a great piece of contemporary American poetry.

Great fun in this book of modulated and in some ways midwest-obsessed poetry. The great trick about this book is that it is both accessible and heady, experimental but not obnoxiously so. We see plenty of winter herein, and plenty of play with gender (as the title suggests, as the blurbs suggest). I am ordering more. I suggest you do too.

The commentary for each selection is informative and clear, and the translations are lucid and lively reading. A complete version of Beowulf is here along with the Anglo-Saxon Elegies and bits of Venerable Bede, Pope Gregory, a story of Caedmon's conversion, and other hallowed texts. I wish this book had been longer--more letters, more entries of the Chronicle, etc.--but as an author I know how size is often constrained by decision of the publisher; still, I would have paid ten times the cover for five times more. Here's to a second volume by the same translator.

This is the book that got me hooked on the Oxford World Classics series, which has not yet failed to provide beautiful translations where even the densest language becomes clearly understandable, all the while still keeping the integrity of the original work. The Anglo-Saxon World gives a sweeping introduction into the literature of the Anglo-Saxons while providing short commentary that places each work into historical perspective. While the information is unfortunately is not in depth, it is adequate enough for those unfamiliar with the history of the period to see the works in the proper context.

Found here are the major works: the epic Beowulf, "The Seafarer," "The Wanderer," and the works of Bede. But also found are the more obscure and, perhaps, more telling examples of their written culture, including (sometimes bawdy) riddles and even the amusing remedy for a woman's chatter: "eat a radish at night, while fasting; that day the chatter cannot harm you" (276). The texts range from deep pathos and solemn wisdom to the light, humorous and superstitious. Most significantly, this collection makes an ancient and foreign culture both easily approachable and readily accessible. For those with even a passing interest in Anglo-Saxon history, this book is well worth the time and money.

I'm a homeschooled student (in 10th grade). I read this book as part of a course on early European history, and have also referred to it while studying the history of the English language. Most of the translations are very accessible to the modern reader on their own, and Mr. Crossley-Holland's insightful commentary clears up those which are more difficult or obscure. Anyone who has a serious interest in the literature and culture of the Anglo-Saxons will not be disappointed in this book.

I bought this book in an old edition paperback form in Dublin because it contained the major elegies such as the Wanderer and the Seafarer. I ended up being extremely satisifed not only with the beautiful translation of the Wanderer, but with all of the selections and with Crossley-Holland's comments. I was very thrilled to meet him recently at a reading in Seattle, where he was promoting his Arthur trilogy. I'll have to check that out.

This book is easily one of the best collections of Anglo Saxxon period texts and as well is a great begining spot for anyone seeking further interest in the subject. As well with the epic Beowulf and Bede's writings this book is easily worth every cent and provides a wealth of additional information from religious writings to epic battle hymns.

I felt that this book did a great job as well as providing for understandable text and in most parts flowed easily enough that the writing proved both interesting and informative. The language is thick in some spots but overall the pure eloquence and spirit of the book compensates for this slight detail. The texts in this collection are as well very diverse so that almost any reader would find an interesting topic; and it proves a good book to read straight through or just pick up from time to time and read.

I bought this book when it was released and it became immediately a favorite. Mrs. Adair's clear voice and evocative prose pleases again and again. Great, accessible, "modern" poetry---what a pleasure! Highly recommended.

Ms. Adair was a mentor of mine some years ago. I like her work so much and find her poems to be like magic boxes: one opens them and finds treasures.
Brava, Virginia Adair!

Virginia Hamilton Adair (1913-2004) was raised in an environment which seemed truly perfect for a (budding) poet. She was born as the daughter of Robert Browning Hamilton (a poet himself). Her parents suffused her with poetry and gave her loving encouragement. After having published some of her works in the first decades of the former century, but because of several private reasons she did not publish for a long stretch of time, she only began to publish again in her eighties.

And I for one am very glad to have discovered her! Mrs. Adair does not mince words and speaks in a direct, assured and clear voice, so no mannerisms here. She takes a refreshing and intelligent look at things. I do love her fine and wicked humour.

These poems cover a wide range of subjects. The experience of a long life is distilled here. Heartwrenching are many of the poems in the Exit Amor section, because in 1968 her husband committed suicide. Her grief and despair found their voice in her poetry (One Ordinary Evening, Dark Lines, The Ruin, Exit Amor, The Year After or Coronach).

So try out Ants on the Melon and you will discover a wonderful poet!

It's always unfair to compare one writer to another, but if you love Emily Dickinson, then Adair's book is for you. Succinct, masterful use of the language. I loved this collection. Buy it!

I'm a literary dilletante and I admit it. I picked up this book because of its swell cover and title.

Upon skimming it in the bookstore, I was hooked. Poems about life, without sappy metaphor or tricky construction. Good earthy, practical poetry. Such breadth of matter, such depth of understanding. I felt that I'd met a poet of substance.

Let's leave it at this, Adair nudged me into reading more poetry, more often.

I bought this from Amazon as a present for Mother's Day, and it just arrived -- what an absolutely stunning book! It looks handmade, the collages are beautiful, the poems strong and elemental and touching -- extremely cool, the kind of book you keep by the bedside. Somebody obviously took a great deal of care.

The heart of the thing, though, are the poems themselves, which are wistful, sensual, melancholy, ecstatic -- amazing what can be said so thoughtfully in five short lines, and amazing, too, the universality of emotion expressed by these women centuries ago.

Ariake is a most wonderful book to read over and over again. Rae Grant's sensitive collages, which combine symbolic images and unusual textures, perfectly complement the brief but emotionally charged poems of court ladies, some named and some anonymous, in Heian Japan. This book is a goldmine of poignant imagery from a thousand years ago; but it can still elicit of the modern reader, perhaps, the same urgent emotions. I am repeatedly amazed by the freshness of the words. What marvelous translators must have worked on these poems! For the historically minded, Liza Dalby beautifully and concisely introduces the era and the circumstances of women during the Heian period.

Ariake is (inadvertantly) a companion volume to Song of the Kisaeng - a wonderful book of Korean courtesan poetry. I highly recommend reading both as the interplay of the differing sensibilities enhances the value of each.

Ariake in its own right is a beautiful book ... once I got past the inside covers of pink - the collage illustrations by Grant have a wonderful interplay with the text, repeating themes with a Japanese feel. The poetry is excellent and well translated. They retain a simple language with proscribed conceits while working as poetry in English.

An example: "In the blackberry / Night I saw you one last time, / But I let you go / Without meeting you at dawn, / And now I have learned regret."

For the technically inclined, the poems are wakas (31 syllable poems 5-7-5-7-7).

Oh, sisters of my heart, how I have longed to hear your voices. What a delight to find works from Japanese women poets. If you've already read Jane Hirshfield's "The Ink Dark Moon" and loved it, I know you'll like "Erotic Spirit: An Anthology of Poems of Sensuality, Love, and Longing" Edited by Sam Hamill.

Ah, the bewitching age of dynasties never fails to fascinate with the lovely and lyrical verses of longing...These poems have that passionate elegance - a spark that is about to burst into flame. The collages make for a truly exquisite gift. Read this with a lover - or a potential lover! Try writing your own! Like desire itself, I found myself wanting more.

The author illustrates in vivid clarity the fallacy of this so called reality. The percentage of people who don't understand will always be higher than those who do! These are poetic verses that go far beyond the depth of just words into the realm of divine consciousness. Awaken the sleeping Giant within you!!

Andre set the stage with the very first page of this book. He quote Proverbs 15:24 "The way of life is above to the wise that he may depart from the hell beneath". This author goes on to exemplify that he understand the message. This author brings the message front and center with no holds barred. Rude Awakening invoke a quest for spiritual knowledge , truth and justice. He talks about issues that are contreversial yet real. Kudo's to this author and the talents he possess, surely no rock will have to speak for him.

This book is off the hook. I also have his first book of poetry, so I am dedicated. I was extremely impressed, just when I thought I couldn't get any better... Do your thang......

I though Mr. Andre Thornton second book Awake was outstanding, it displayed maturity, ambitious, and great entertainment for reading time. I've noticed a unique quality he has in expressing his thoughts. I even wonder if some of his expression comes from experience. However I think Mr. Thornton show advance talent in his writing. One day I hope to recognize his peoms in music.

I'm a huge fan of poetry and spoken word. I think that I've seen and heard some of the best. This ranks up there with the best of them. Non-commercialized and hard hitting is how I would define this book. It surely opened my eyes, or rather made me "realize" some of my own thoughts. Poems like Corporate Plantation and the Trap are off the meter. These words will make you get your mind right, this is not for play. This is 4 Real.

This book was a labor of my love. Read my poetic lines and join me in my love, tears, smiles, and understanding of the world in which we live.

A book of Prose and poetry as only a New England born Author could write.
This book is all about life of family, nature, love and there are four pages about Leo Mustonen, the Airman who was missing for sixty years before the mystery was solved in a frozen mountain side.
A favored addition to my shelves of poetry along side my own two co-Authored books.

Two Worlds Apart
I've been a fan of Lou's poetic masterpieces for quite some time. This book is no exception. His talent as a poet shines with realism and expertise.

This book was amazing; it gave me new perspective on life. I also had several laughs and tears with this book. Best investment I ever made.

This book makes me smile. Lou takes a look at the ordinary and makes it extraordinary - - with a twist.

I snagged this at our library on a whim but it has quickly become a favorite of mine! Our 2-yr-old loves it too. We have an older child as well so I especially enjoy the inclusion of a doting sibling in the story. What a delightful portrayal of the first year of life, discovering family relationships and physical development.

I also love how the passage of time is marked with seasons rather than cut-and-dried numbered months for each stage. This allows you to enjoy the natural progression without getting hung up on the standard age for each milestone. Both of our children are healthy, but our first was "early" and our second was "late" with most of these "firsts" and it's easy to become a little anxious at times because it's impossible not to compare and contrast with others! How great not to add that stress into a children's storybook!

The watercolor artwork is glowing and gorgeous - it makes you want to just sit and almost breathe it in - it could be framed for a nursery!

The text and changes in font size are expertly done to provide details yet highlight the basics for younger listeners. This would make a lovely baby shower gift. We've now run out of renewals at the library so it's going straight to her wish list so we can have it forever!

Captivating illustrations celebrate the first year of baby's life. Moments after birth, smiles and all the joyous experiences of discovery and accomplishment are revealed in sweet prose and illustrations on each breathtaking page. This book will gently tug at the heartstrings of anyone who has ever loved a baby.

This book is so sweet and beautifully illustrated; It was on a shelf at our local library in the "New Books" section. I picked it up to read to my 20 month old daughter and proceeded to burst into tears! This could have been written about her; all of baby's 1st year milestones are recorded in harmony with nature. It is a simple and charming story. I will buy this book and save it for my little girl - so she can read about herself when she is grown!

The book had beautiful illustrations and a wonderful storyline. It is a wonderful way to celebate a baby's first birthday.

I had four children over a period of ten years, when, frankly, it wasn't fashionable. Realising now that I and my wife have "done our bit" to raise the census count now, we tend to look back very rarely on that period when they were all crawling about or demanding room service...

It's rather sad that while that period is going on, you rarely find people who will barge into the house and actually tell you the truth - that in all this haze of nappies, late nights, worry, and occasional delight, that this period is unreplaceable, precious, and if you look out of the corner of your eye, more than wonderful. Babies are one thing, I guess according to one set of people, but a parallel reality grants them quite incredible powers - they are magical creatures, impossible, fantastic, wise, full of joy and splendour.

This book made me look in precisely that direction - towards the rather long time ago of my own tinies, and I was immensely moved by the memories I had put away of my babies learning every little ordinary thing. And the art is just right and it's all magic.

I had to look the other way, my eyes were rather wet when I finally looked away, and of course I bought it. I'm not sure why, because my babies are now quite big, but I caught my girls reading it, and perhaps it's going to be for their babies, one day in the far distance!

This book is complete collection of all of Basho's haiku. Although he lived more than 300 years ago, he is still considered on of the finest Japanese writers ever to have lived. His work has influenced other writers, in other countries, for hundreds of years.

You do not have to be an expert in either haiku, or Japanese literature, to appreciate this book. There is so much information in the introduction, and index, that you will quickly learn to appreciate all the nuances of this form. The poems themselves are written on beautiful paper, in a beautiful format, with beautiful illustrations.

It is a perfect gift for yourself, or a friend, to have in your library collection.

It is a beautiful book. Jane Reichhold deserves thanks from all the readers and admirers of Basho. She has done an excellent job. The get up of the book is superb.

This is an essential book for anyone interested in, well, living fully. Basho is one of the world's great writers and this book is the best way to immerse yourself in his work. Doing so will make each moment longer, fuller, more connected.

Basho can help you to see,

white chrysanthanums
looking closely
no dust

(my translation)

To age,

this autumn
why am I older
a bird in clouds

(my translation)

Think of one's neighbours,

autumn deepens
so what does he do
the man next door

(Reichold's translation)

Smile,

miming a fan
drinking sake in the shade
of the cherry blossoms

(my translation)

The book contains fine translations of all of Basho's haiku, among the best, all of the poems in Japanese and in transliteration with literal translations, good notes and helpful essays on Basho, haiku techniques, etc.

A must have book.

Ever since I first discovered Basho, some forty-plus years ago in a seventh grade English class, I have been influenced by the seeming simplicity and power of his poetry. But a complete collection of his haiku did not exist in English and I had to make do with the various partial collections which surfaced now and again.

Now, at long last, thanks to Jane Reichhold and Kodansha International, we have all of Basho's haiku in English. Basho: The Complete Haiku is a literary tour de force which every lover of haiku, poetry, and Basho needs to have on his or her bookshelf.

The book itself is beautifully done with the artwork of Shiro Tsujimura. Subtle and subdued, the illustrations please and tantalize the eye. Offering a wonderful visual counterpoint to the poems themselves.

Reichhold, a haiku poet in her own right, has been on the English haiku scene from the beginning. Her understanding of the form is second to none and she stands amongst the best of English-language haikuists. What better tribute to a poet than for another to translate his work?

Reichhold's labor of love enriches us all. In Basho: The Complete Haiku, we learn of Basho's life, what were the possible influences upon him, and how he in turn influenced others. We gain an understanding of his literary techniques, as Reichhold presents us with an appendix of analysis. A glossary of important terms is also provided. Then, of course, there are the poems.

Basho's haiku are presented in two sections: the main section, which are the superb translations; a second which gives the Japanese, a literal rendering into English, and explanatory notes. The translations themselves are spare, clean, yet full of life. The translator has clearly been touched by the spirit of her mentor. The literal renderings and notes provide the reader an opportunity to go deeper into the poem for an even richer experience of nuanced meanings. This addition gives the book greater depth.

My heartfelt thanks goes out to Jane Reichhold for translating the work of Basho and to Kodansha International for bringing the work to the world. We non-Japanese readers can now savor the full range of haiku of one of the truly great poets and philosophers. I cannot help but think the spirit of Matsuo Basho is smiling and filled with great joy.

Matsuo Basho is the undisputed master of haiku. He refined what was seen as a simple, almost comic, style of verse into something that we would call high art. A collection like this, with all of his haiku translated and gathered together into a single, annotated volume is an absolute treasure, and the only surprise is that it wasn't published many years ago.

Of course, collecting the haiku is easy. There are numerous collections available in Japanese, and it is simply a matter of reprinting them. But translating his haiku is a different problem all together. Haiku are a form of art that take unique advantage of the Japanese language, and they can only be approximated at best. There are two general styles, a more-literal translation that tries to capture the form and order of the writer, and an artistic translation that tries to capture the feel of the poem while using the flow of the English language. The main difference is with the third line, which in a Japanese haiku is always a non-sequitur image that relates only indirectly with the first two lines, providing the scenery for the story.

Jane Reichhold takes the artistic approach, and I must admit it is one I am not particularly fond of. This is definitely "Jane Reichhold's Basho: The Complete Haiku", with the emphasis being on her interpretation rather than on introducing people to Basho's poetry. She is undoubtedly talented and respected, having published such books as Writing and Enjoying Haiku: A Hands-on Guide and Narrow Road to Renga: A Collection of Renga, and her translations have a beauty and power all of their own, but she ignores Basho's forms, and creates continuous narratives in the poems, narratives that do not exist in the original.

Ultimately, it is a matter of style, and preference of one over the other. I prefer a more literal translation that is true to the Japanese original. Others prefer the artistic approach. Some of the best haiku collections, such as The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology (Dover Thrift Editions), present the same poem translated by several different people so you can see how the meaning can change depending on the interpretation.

To me, the greatest section of "Basho: The Complete Haiku", which I wish had been the focus of the book rather than tucked into the back, is the appendix with all of Basho's haiku in both their original kanji and in the Alphabet-characters romaji, along with a literal English translation and annotations. This is the true treasure trove, with the master's art in his own words. To make this book perfect, and to take the emphasis off of Reichhold and put it back on Basho, the appendix wouldn't have been tucked into the back but threaded throughout the front with each poem being presented in its original Japanese and accompanied by the annotations and both literal and artistic translations. As it is, I find myself reading the back of the book much more than the front, but even so it is an amazing addition to my library and I am happy to have all the poems collected at last.

What a great collection! This is a wonderful read. I've heard many aviation poems before - but, this compilation has them all. Enjoy!

At the end of a Naval Aviator-Commercial Pilot career, I wish I had this volume for my family (and myself) during all those years. It puts into lyrical words the thoughts and feelings of "being a bird" and why I am what I am. A good read and a bedside book. We owe Reda one at the bar.

Col Reda has done a truly impressive job in colecting and selecting poems for this marvelous anthology. All the classics are included but it the quality of the lesser known poems that sets this book apart. A must have book for every pilot, and for those who love them.

Everyone who has experienced flight (and those who long to) can relate to the sheer emotion that it evokes, sometimes from deep within ones soul, often pleasant, sometimes not. As you are experiencing the sensations you may frequently be too caught up in the moment to express yourself with words, well, here they are. Yes they are others experiences, but you will find very many which match yours close enough to be called your own. Flight as many other "Romantic" adventures has it's way of engraving itself on your heart. These are exceptional expressions of a wide variety of flight forms, there's something here for everyone. A must for the enthusiasts bookshelves.

An excellent collection of aviation poetry that contains something for everyone. I recommend keeping the book bedside for some enjoyable light reading every night. The variety and notoriety of the authors is impressive.