Poetry Books

I recieved Aeschylus: Agamemnon right on time and it was crisp and new!

First in a trilogy about the return of the Greeks after the Trojan War. Powerful stuff. Such horrors and tragedy as only the Greeks can master. Agamemnon's father killed his brother's children and set their flesh before him to eat, unknowingly. Agamemnon himself killed his own daughter as a sacrifice to the gods for success in the Trojan War, and when he comes home after ten years (which is where the action begins), his wife, Clytemnestra, stabs him to death in a plot with Aegisthus who was the son of the father who ate his children, and in the next part, Orestes, Agamemnon's son will return and kill them both. Please don't think I'm giving away plot here. Plot is not the point, the writing of it is all. To see it staged by first-rate actors must be a real thrill indeed.

It would be good to have two years of college Greek behind you before starting on Denniston and Page's AGAMEMNON, a Greek text with modern commentary. As a single-volume edition for students, this one could not be bettered: everything is explained and difficult passages are translated in the notes -- about three lines a page are difficult enough to require this treatment. And I mean difficult for everyone, the world's greatest Greek scholars included. The difficulties are very thoroughly discussed. Another reviewer here has said Denniston and Page are dogmatic; not at all: they point out where passages are unclear, disagreed about by scholars, or outright lost. Most of the choruses contain passages so distorted scholars have to guess at what was written, and (assuming their guess is right) exactly what the passages mean. Aeschylus writes a little like Shakespeare in MACBETH: very poetically and not always clearly. In spite of all this, passages, sometimes quite long, of powerful poetry leap out of the page. The play has been compared to KING LEAR and called, along with LEAR, one of the two best tragedies of all time. What's more, it makes you feel, even with Denniston and Page's constant help, that you can really understand Greek if you can understand lines from this play.

I always liked Homer and Sophocles, but I still have a preference for Aeschylus. What makes "Agamemnon" such a great story is that not only is it a story in itself, but it is only part 1 of the trilogy. (Part 2 is "Libation Bearers" and Part 3 is "The Eumenides.") Now "Agamemnon" was of course written centuries before Shakespeare's "Troilus and Cressida." Nevertheless, the events of "Agamemnon" take place after Shakespeare's play. If you read that play by Shakespeare, you know that it deals with the last stages of the Trojan War. In Shakespeare's play, Agamemnon is pictured as a reasonable and competent king who is frustrated at the length of the war, is repulsed by the vanity of Achilles, and shows reasonable strength in diplomacy. Onto the material at hand. The chorus is basically a group of older men who can comment on the situations, but they can't really interfere. (Kind of like the narrator in a play.) The chorus tells us that Troy has fallen and Greece is triumphant. We then meet Agamemnon's wife Clytemnestra. She blames Agamemnon for the death of her child Iphigenia. So, she naturally wants to kill Agamemnon. The chorus seems to admit it was strange that the war was fought over the abduction of Helen who was a willing prisoner. Nevertheless, the chorus sides with Agamemnon when he arrives. But an Isaac Asimov proverb seems to explain this nicely: "Such a keen sense of honor is often praised by those who are safe at home." But of course, it is a different story to those who are directly involved. But of course, almost any time romance is involved, the voice and sense of reason take a vacation. Moving on, Agamemnon seems to be a good king in showing his piety in the light of victory. But there is one flaw. He has kidnapped Hector's sister Cassandra. (She was a virgin priestess to Apollo, and that would be the equivalent of kidnapping a nun for the purposes of pleasure.) Cassandra has the gift of prophecy, but because she tried to run with Apollo's gift 'without paying for it' Apollo cursed her in that no one would believe her prophecies. Showing reason, she curses Paris for starting the war with the utterly stupid kidnapping, and she tries to tell that Clytemnestra is plotting against Agamemnon, but of course no one will listen. She also tells of how Orestes will avenge his father and kill Clytemnestra (in Part 2). But back to the main plot. Clytemnestra plays the devil and uses Agamemnon's vanity against him which leads to his destruction. (How disturbing that vanity was the downfall of many men centuries ago and often still is.) In comes Clytemnestra's Aegisthus. He talks of the crimes of Agamemnon's father against his father. What happened was Aegithus's father slept with Agamemnon's father's wife. In revenge, Agamemnon's father tricked Aegithus's father into eating the flesh of his own son. The theme of revenge is further emphasized. It is of course a never ending circle. Though I do find it interesting that Aegithus finds it fit that Agamemnon suffers for the crimes of his father. (YET IT WAS AEGITHUS'S FATHER WHO STARTED IT!) So Aegithus and Clytemnestra can be together now. But of course, we know in Part 2, they will get their comeuppance. Overall, it's a great story that emphasizes the evils and the seeming eternity of revenge.

[Note: This edition is a text in ANCIENT GREEK with notes in English. It has no text in English if you are looking for one. There are many to recommend. The best translation of the Oresteia, of which this work is the first part, is in Tony Harrison's Collected Works; the worst, in my opinion at least, was written by Ted Hughes. All the rest are good.]
This is a superb edition with one caveat. At the moment, educated consensus generally holds that a line of poetry seldom has one meaning. Denniston and Page's text plus commentary of Agamemnon apparently was written before this consensus formed. Denniston and Page are feisty, dogmatic, and insistent that they are right, and are largely reacting to Fraenkel's massive text plus commentary to the same play. They take issue with Fraenkel on a number of points while acknowledging his immense erudition. I have no reservations, however, recommending this edition. It was very useful and well-thought out. I give it a high rating.

I read all sorts of books to my brother. Grandma bought this one for him. He loves the colors and the poetry and always brings it to me so that I can read it to him. He's only 19 months old. Casey Hoffman

THIS IS THE BOOK I WAS LOOKING FOR. A EASY AND ENJOYABLE WAY TO INTRODUCE MY CHILDREN TO FOOD AND WHAT FOOD REALLY IS. THE KIDS TOOK IT ALL IN WITH A REAL POSITIVE ATTITUDE. BELIEVE ME THIS HAS MADE CHRISTMAS GIFTS EASY. ALL MY BROTHER'S AND SISTER'S KIDS ARE GOING TO GET THIS. MS. O'DONNELL HAS A RARE GIFT AND I HOPE SHE TURNS OUT MANY MORE SIMILAR BOOKS.

I liked the animals and what they did. my daddy read me the story and it was fun. I specially liked the long dog he looks like my dog he doesn't wear hats

This little book is a delightful Ogden Nash - Aesop romp through our alphabet; the children will love the wonderful illustrations. Well done - just in time for Christmas.

Tom Scott, M.D. Orlando, Florida.

Sallie O'Donnell's delightful book deserves a worldwide audience. Chuckles will echo from continent to continent as adults and children savour the amusing rhymes - then slowly absorb the good advice contained in them. Sallie is a standard-bearer in the fight against the 21st Century's greatest scourge: obesity.

Peter Hinchliffe, Yorkshire, England.

This is a perfect book for Gramps to read to visiting grandkids (I did get permission from the parents). It not only entertains children but is enjoyable for adult readers as well. Plus it allows for lots of discussion about invented, imaginary monsters like trolls and ogres. A further plus is that the book if chuck-full of new words that 6 year olds will want to understand. If you are looking forward to reading to a visiting 6+ year old and are looking for something that would be fun, Awful Ogre and Monday's Troll, both by Jack Prelutsky, simply cannot be beat.

Jack Prelutsky, author of more than 30 artistic creations, takes the reader on a journey through the daily rituals of an ogre's pleasantly gross life. Prelutsky describes all of the ogre's activities from sunrise, when his pet rattlesnake wakes him, until late into the night, when he has a nightmare about a beautifully tranquil place. Using fabulous double-page spreads, Zelinsky illustrates how the ogre enjoys a violent storm, tends to his garden of carnivorous roses and overblown mold and takes supper at a local restaurant where his titanic appetite is satisfied with triple helpings of everything (including the silverware, plates and tablecloth). The 18 rhythmic and witty verses are brought to life with remarkable detail using watercolor and pen and ink. This combination of gruesome humor, along with the realistic snapshots of the ogre's life, will provide many hours of entertainment and enjoyment to all those who are ready to experience the adventure. Everyone will fall in love with this oversized and grotesque, but playful, ogre as they scour each marvelous and explosive work of art! (Ages 6 and older)

This book is the best book I've ever read! I love the colorful illustrations. I can't believe how good this book was. I don't read picture books most of the time but this one is unusually outstanding! The pictures are amazingly superb! I would give this book 10 stars, if I could.

Fans of Prelutsky and fans of Zelinsky, rejoice! This devoutly-to-be-wished combination comes off just as well as you might imagine. It really does present a day in the life of a one-eyed ogre in poems and pictures. And by all means, read it out loud! It's so much more fun that way. My favorite -- "When elves and gnomes encounter me, / They often shriek, `Grotesque!' / I bow with magnanimity / And murmur, `Statuesque!' " And the pictures! There are a lot of things going on in the four-color pictures. And kids will have fun finding them all! Some of the language is hilariously gross and disgusting -- and not for the squeamish! Prelutsky obviously has always loved the sound of words -- and big ones, at that. And as always, he doesn't write DOWN to kids. There is a glorious perfection in his rhythms. Kids will love to grimace and wince along with the gory subject matter. This book is so much fun!

What a terrific, fun, lively book! As much fun for me and my husband to read as it is for our son to have it read to him. Even though he is still small, he loves the rhyming cadence of it and the pictures. A nice change from Dr. Seuss - I just love Awful Ogre! Especially when he dances...or courts a grrrrl...or goes out to dinner...

This book would be a terrific addition to any childs library.

I have not actually read the book yet, but I know as one of Mr. Hafker's students that this book must be good. Mr. Hafker's love for poetry is shown at its best in this book.

"Bare" by Eric Hafker fuses impeccable raw emotion with an indescribable sense of sensuality. The poems are extremely personal, and incorporate a wonderful attitude with a tinge of humor. It is most definitely worth buying! Good Work Mr. Hafker!

I found the poetry by Eric hafker passionate and gracious. He extends his optimisim and passion to us through poetry. I thought that his words not only speak to the human race, but most importantly it speaks to the soul. I wish to read more from him in the near furture. We are blessed to have him in the world of poetry.

Poems that make you think about life. Excellently written, this group of poems is a great discussion piece. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking at the meaning of life and all of its experiences.

Eric Hafker's poems are profound, personal, and accessible, all in one shot. This collection is the mark of someone with a lot to say, yet the wisdom and courage to let the reader use his imagination as well.

If you don't relate to at least 5 poems in this beautiful, touching, soul-full book, your heart is not open! Moyer takes you to tears and laughter, and back to tears again! You will definitely want to send a few of these poems to people in your life. Read this and FEEL!

All women could find enjoyment in this book, and relate to many of the poems. "This Strong Woman" expresses the sentiment of most women in this modern day world. Not many poems run the gambit of emotions that this author presents. Her experiences in lfe are clearly expressed ... from coping with motherhood to the loss of loved ones, to the highs and lows of love itself. A truly brave expose' of ones innerself, with all the depth of feeling only a "true woman" could express. I highly recommend it to all women and perhaps to men, for a more complete understanding of our feminity.

Unlike some many poetry books today....this one is NOT over-wordy ("Drag out the ole Webster,just so's we can figure it out"...and,in the process,lose site of the entire theme,etc.)nor,vile "shock value" stuff (like 99 & 9/10's of what's out there today...by seriously 'poor me',misunderstood "Individualists"!!). No this is true-to-life offerings!...love(Family,life)..triumphs(overcoming trials,traumas,etc.)!...REAL STUFF! Transcending gender (I am a man)..for it speaks of the human heart! And,to it! Again..just straightforward,honest-to-goodness poetry!

"Bare Breated Heart" is truly soulful and should be inspirational to women in all walks of life. The author expresses universal emotions in areas that are seldom focused on - motherhood, love, fantasy, sorrow, death, happiness, whimsy, loss, strength, independence, ability, coping, femininity, family, friends, truth, humor, children, pain, comfort, sex, respect, honesty. So many often unspoken traits and emotions are bound to strike a chord with women everywhere. The cover....especially 'This Strong Woman'on the back....is bound to intrigue and pique the interest of any woman who sees it. Both the professional woman and the homemaker will find validation that she's not alone in her hopes, fears, and daydreams. A great gift for the woman in your life!

I have never read anything that put so many of my thoughts into words. I plan on reading this again and again.

Excellent, colorful book that emphasis the friendliness of bats while also teaching counting through repetition in story and rhyme. The fun and funny illustrations make it a must for bat lovers of all ages.

I loved this story because it was funny, and original. The rhyming and counting were fun for my students and the ending was clever. I like it when I can include musical stories into my teaching.

This book was very cute which is why I gave it such a high rating. This book is a poor example of how to rhyme. There are several lines in this book that are close to rhyming but it isn't quite there in several instances. Good for teaching counting up and backwards from ten.

As a third grade teacher, I found this book useful on the 55th day of school. After reading the book, the children made a pyramid using manipulatives for the bats. We used 1" tiles. This demonstrates a growing pattern using +1 pattern to grow with. This is a nice lead-in to multiplication.

This book has a fun and exciting story line. Children will have fun reading about the 55 bats at the jamboree. The illustrations are colorful and eye-catching. Children can have fun counting, adding and subtracting the 55 bats at the Bat Jamboree. Watch out for the Bat Lady!

Just because this is children's literature dosen't mean it is just for children. If you have an appreciation of literature or even if your not a big reader, this story will warm you heart with its wonderful characters, lovely story and beautiful writing. So simply written, it can be read to children, so beautiful the writing people older than 8 will defenitely will enjoy!! Randall Jarell is in my opinion, one of the kings of children's literature!

Randall Jarrell has given us a beautiful little story here of a bat and Maurice Sendak has given us some wonderful illustrations in the form of black and white drawings. There is not much to not like about this work. The children love it, and the adult reading it to the children will find it just as interesting and hypnotic as the child, if not more so, but on a different level. The text is wonderfully simple and a pure joy to read. I recommened this one highly.

We had a "bat book drive" in my daughter's class because they needed more research material about bats for a project they are doing than we could find in the local library. Instead of only purchasing scientific-sounding non-fiction, I was also looking for story and poetry books in which the charateristics and habits of bats were woven throughout the stories and poems. I read this book to my eight-year-old daughter the night before we took it to class. She demanded that I give her the book so that she could read it again herself. And, with stars in her eyes, stated that the poem at the end about a bats life was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard, and that she would be memorizing it. It was amazing how much she had learned and remembered about bats after the first time through the book. Lovely illustrations as well.

A beautiful story, beautifully written, about a little bat who composes poetry. One of the best children's books I've ever read; I order several copies at a time and give them for birthday presents.

This book is a gem. It's tender, clever, and deftly written. It's wonderful for reading aloud. I had trouble finding it for years, and I'm so pleased to see that it's available again.

Bought this for a gift; after cursory flip-through, seems fantastic. Prose looks clean and tight, and visuals I did look at were phenomenal- might add to even this narrative, which was certainly a classic even before this re-working. Seems to have potential as great nexus; will probably lead to my tracking down half-dozen more sources for more reading. Hoping recipient will lend it to me soon-

I compared this translation of Beowulf to some of the older versions freely available for internet download.The other translations contain plenty of obsolete words that need a good dictionary to understand. Seamus Heaney's work contains none of these. This makes it an ideal book to read for pleasure during high school or freshman college. The other versions were meant for use in universities where obscurity of text is considered an advantage and not a problem. (In the UK, until relatively recently, a course in Old English was mandatory to obtain a degree in English.) Try this translation first. After you finish this one, go try out the others (But then you will need the internet to look up what a "ring-dight vessel" is.)

My first experience both in Beowulf as well as Seamus Heaney's poetry. A beautifully paced epic poem, with a powerful, resonant word-craft. Tolkien fans will see where the great man learnt his art. The photographs are well chosen and in one case, of a barrow on a sea-shore, peculiarly haunting. Some money very well spent.

I really loved this. It gave such a sense of the original, with the cadence and the alliteration.
I am not a scholar in this area, but it gave such a sense of the roots of our literature.

Seamus Heaney's new version of his wonderful translation includes gorgeous photographs of artifacts and scenery to illustrate the story. It makes the story come alive more than ever.

Too often I have purchased poetry books for my kids only to have them store the book on their shelf and never read it again. Beyond Old MacDonald by Charley Hoce is a poem book of a different animal. Hoce's word play brings giggles to both children and parents. The many levels of the poems, as seen in "When My Cow Goes Dancing" - "She always wears a muumuu/Since it makes her calves look small," leave smiles on the faces of anyone reading them. With the obvious fun Hoce has with language coupled with Fernandes' perfectly delightful illustrations, Beyond Old MacDonald invites us to read his poems again and again ... and the kids really do it.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading these poems. Charley Hoce is a master of word play. His poems are creative, witty and will make both children and adults laugh out loud. Each poem reveals a quirk of the English language. Children will be challenged to think about the English language in different ways in order to "get" the meaning of the poems. The wordplay guide located at the back of the book is a great resource for teaching and demonstrating different literary elements such as puns, personification, homophones, idioms etc. This guide outlines each poem found in the book and the element it utilizes. Fernandes' watercolor colorful illustrations are full of energy and brought each poem to life. Her illustrations also reflected multicultural characters that I found refreshing. Even children too young to "get" the poem would enjoy looking at the colorful and funny pictures. This book of children's poetry respectfully deserves a spot on the shelves of public and school libraries. It definitely has a spot on my son's bookcase.

Beyond Old MacDonald is a wonderful, joyful collection of poetry about farm animals. Children giggle delightfully when reading them or when being read to. The wordplays make the poems very useful in the classroom. A Wordplay Guide is included.

I sat down with my 7-year old as we took turns reading the clever, witty little poem puns. I found myself laughing at the end of each pun, & my daughter occasionally stopping a moment, thinking, & finally laughing herself as she "got" the punchline. But, most of the puns she got right away. And if the 30 poems aren't reason enough to purchase this book, on the last page of the book the author/teacher includes a Word Play Guide to point out the language skill each of the poems employ (pun, idiom, personification, etc.). Making it an excellent teaching tool.

With 22 years experience as a classroom teacher Charley Hoce well knows what appeals to youngsters. As he says, "Children love puns, homophones, idioms, and anything that turns convention upside down." He has incorporated all of these into a jolly rhyming book based on the well known ditty "Old MacDonald Had A Farm." It might be especially fun to sing the song with youngsters before reading the rhymes.

Just watch children's eye light up when they see, "My horse he cannot whinny. My horse he cannot neigh. My horse has caught a nasty cold. My horse is hoarse today."

Artist Eugenie Fernandes has crafted boldly colored whimsical illustrations that enhance each verse. Intended for young readers from 4 - 7 "Beyond Old MacDonald" is thoroughly entertaining with a little education thrown in, such as language skills that children may need to practice.

- Gail Cooke

I have read 3 different interpretations of the Holy Gita. Nothing comes close to this one. Radhakrishnan's commentary is simply phenomenal.

Bhagvad Gita is a Wonderful Poem in Indian Literature (Sanskrit language). But given the fact that this language is no longer spoken (just like Latin), the contents of the great works such as Bhagvad Gita have to be read in translated forms.

Sir Arnold's translation is in poetic form, unlike most translations, which are mainly prose.

It makes for a concise reading, without really missing the the essence.

The Gita is my Manager, and I have personally benefitted immensely in dealing with main daily life sitiuations both in family and work. It has made a profound diference to my decision making ability qand leadership qualities.

I sincerely hope that every ambitious person takes time to read this and beenfit from the relevant parts of the text.

The Bhagavadgita (the Lord's Song) is the heart of the great classical Indian Epic, the Mahabharata. The hero of this epic is given the choice, just before a great war, whether to take the offer of a mighty army- or to choose a single charioteer. Of course, that charioteer is Krishna (the avatar of the god Vishnu on earth.) Krishna will not be able to intervene supernaturally in the conflict, but only offer teaching and advice. The hero, Arjuna, chooses Krishna and his advice over the mighty army, for he knows that to be in accord with God's will is all that truly matters. Besides, he also realises that Vishnu only incarnates on our plane of existence when things have deteriorated far out of control and it is time for Him to once again restore peace, justice, and harmony to the world. In other words, he KNOWS that he will be on the side of God, for God will literally be at his side.

This text represents the teachings that Krishna imparts to the hero, Arjuna. It is a message of how to put one's self and soul into accord, and in doing so, put one's self into mystic union with the divine. It is a message that one should do one's duty in the world without becoming too attached to one's actions or rewards (to be in the world but not of it.) It is also an assurance that the body is merely the body- to lose it is not to cease to exist. It is also a declaration that doing right for the sake of right is far more important that observing rigid rules and rituals of religious conduct.

This text is the excellent verse translation of Sir Edwin Arnold (1832-1904.) The Sanscrit terminology is all explained either in the forward, in footnotes, or immediately in the poetical, but highly comprehendable, text. I am not sure why this particular volume is listed as "abridged" for it is not. It is only abridged in the sense that the Bhagavadgita is an abridgment of the larger Mahabharata.

This is yet another marvelous selection in the highly affordable and tastefully selected Dover Thrift Editions collection.

The Bhagavadgita is one of the world's true classics of literature. Since it is not part of "western culture" it is often not included in the curriculum of school in the US, much to our loss. This translation is one of the most common, and the Dover edition is incredibly affordale. Being abridged, it is not a text for scholarly studies, but instead provides a great introduction to wisdom from the east... Highly recommended for students and casual readers.

Gandhi found this translation of the Gita to be the best he was able to find. Little more need be said.