Poetry Books

The structure of the book has been well thought out,with short sections of the text above the vocabulary for that text and at the bottom there is a full commentary with grammatical explanations. There are full explanations of the progress of the story, with interludes explaining the action to come and explanations of both gods and humans. Altogether, I would recommend this book to any sixth form or university classics student.

This Latin textbook provides the first half of the Aeneid in Latin, along with plenty of footnotes and appendices to guide you as you translate the great epic. Each page contains five to fifteen lines of the Aeneid, and the remaining two-thirds of each page contains the vocabulary, grammar notes, and miscellaneous footnotes. You never need to turn a page or refer to another dictionary, so the tedious aspect of translating is removed. (My fellow students love this awesome aspect and therefore call it the "Pharr Out" edition.) The appendices provide all the grammar rules you may have forgotten or have yet to learn. Beginner and Intermediate Latin students can't go wrong with this book if they need or want to tackle Virgil's Aeneid.

This book is a great guide when translating the Aeneid. It has all of the poetic figures, grammatical notes, and vocabulary one needs for preparation for the AP Latin test.

I have found this text to be helpful, although at times somewhat misleading. Pharr's edition of Virgil's Aeneid is renowned for its extensive annotations throughout the entirety of the text (intended to assist students as well as intermediate translators). At times these annotations are more harmful than helpful. Many are either unclear or offer too much impertinent information. For this reason, students often miss the relevant information contained within and simply accept Pharr's translations of various phrases/words without actually translating for themselves.

I recommend this book for any Latin 3, or Ap Class! The vocabulary fold out in the back is very useful! Although some may argue Barbara Boyd's Book 10 and 12 Pallas and Turnus book is exactly the same, the vocabulary lists are scarce. Pharr also has vocabulary on the pages you are translating, that do not occur as often. He also has interesting points that refer to the latin in interpretation, and he points out examples of literary devices. This book is EXCELLENT for a latin student in any grade!

Wisdom Of Life is unique in that it is written by a family, namely the Kriger Family. It is a bold attempt to share their insights into life with the world. They do this through means of one of the oldest writing systems known to man that of Chinese; through the use of traditional Chinese characters. The result makes for a very reflective read given the subtle reality that individual characters offer many different meanings for one's consideration.

For those who would not be in any way familiar with Chinese the work presents translations of each verse in French, English, German, Spanish, Hebrew, Russian, Arabic, and Sanskrit.

The following piece of wisdom in particular I find to be very useful:

"You should not become a slave to one idea." (Verse 5)

The work contains some delightful illustrations accompanying each verse. These also encourage the reader to take time to reflect on life. The cover design is very appealing in that it opens itself to a host of philosophical and spiritual interpretations.

Wisdom Of Life - a sweet fruit born of hard work successfully reaches out to the world through the power of various languages. It is a sign of what can be done not alone by a lone author, but also by he or she working with their family. This in itself is probably the finest piece of overall wisdom that the work teaches us.

I loved this book. Period. The ideas presented were thought provoking and insightful, and the opportunity to read (and spend hours with a bilingual dictionary translating!) in multiple languages was fantastic. This is an excellent opportunity for anyone looking to expand their foreign vocabulary, find a taste of languages that aren't often found or just to enjoy a great piece of writing.

I absolutely LOVE this book! Being a fan of Richard Bach's "Illusions", reading this book made me wonder if the 'Messiah' character Donald Shimoda knew of these ancient truths told within these pages.

And as an added bonus - I am a Hare Krishna, and love reading Sanskrit - so having this book in English and Sanskrit was a big plus. Now if only there was an Esperanto version, it would be perfect!

I found Bruce Kriger's "Book of Wisdom" to be a wonderful book that was thought provoking as well as insightful. Although I could only read the English version, seeing the words in the other eight languages was a beautiful experience. I would highly recommend Mr. Kriger's book to anyone that enjoys or needs an inspirational boost.

A friend of mine recommended this book and now I'm recommending it to anyone else out there who is going through some rough times. This book really helped me put my life into perspective and gave me some things to really think about. This is one of the most inspirational books that I've ever read.

After my 3 year old daughter kept pulling this off the library shelf to check it out time after time, I decided it was time to buy a copy. This version has beautiful illustrations and the text is lovely and timeless.

I loved this book as a child and have spent nearly three years looking for this particular version. A beautiful poem made into a fabulous bedtime story. Every child's personal library should have this book.

We love this book!!! The poem is beautiful and calming and the illustrations are gorgeous - definitely the best of the many available.

This was my favorite story as a child. I ordered this book for my grandchildren, they are too young to enjoy today, but will grow up with the story. The illustrations of my book of the 50's was much better, as the three characters were three babies of non gender.

Absolutely timeless poem with beautiful illustrations. This book is so wonderful to read at bedtime. The large glossy pictures keep my 2 year old's attention from start to finish!

THIS BOOK RECEIVED THE PEN/OAKLAND JOSEPHINE MILES AWARD FOR BEST BOOK OF POETRY.

ALSO, PACIFIC RIM REVIEW OF BOOKS, SUMMER 2007 WROTE:

"In this beautifully written book, Leza Lowitz seeks to share the inner landscape of her yoga journey and to inspire others to take this same journey from individuation to unity...She accomplishes this by capturing the spirit of yoga with strong images and simple free verse firmly grounded in the experience of practice in mind, body, and spirit...This is not the yoga of the hip and trendy, but the yoga of a true seeker--an ordinary woman who has discovered her Self through movement, and has found acceptance and grace through allowing her body and soul to unfold with yoga. Named after yoga postures and breath work, Lowitz's poems capture the spirit of yoga again and again. In "Sutra Hasta Majoriasana (Threading the Needle)," simple yet powerful metaphor reveals the essence of the pose in body, mind and consciousness.

...untangling a knot
that is my life
the knot becomes my teacher...

the needle that is sharp
at dawn
might be broken by dusk...

The thread that is straight today
doesn't know
it will be knotted tomorrow.

The knot
that is tangled today
could be woven into gold
ten years from now.

That is why
I thread the needle,
honoring the odds
steadying my arms
softening my breath
working the knot,
trusting.

Any reader will recognize the moment when challenges are viewed as an opportunity to learn and grow. A yoga practitioner will recall the pose and know that each moment on the yoga mat is a metaphor for life. Lowitz's words inspire us to embrace each posture as an opportunity to remain mindful of each moment, to learn and grow, and to cultivate faith."

--Christine Morita Clancy, PRR Issue Six, Summer 2007

Yoga Poems- Lines to Unfold By... is a glorious collection.
These poems bring a beautiful perspective to each asana.
At the end of a practice, I select a poem of an asana of focus for the day. I quietly share this with the class during relaxation, as the mind is open and the body calm. It is truely heartening to me to see the soulful, connection it often brings to the receiver.

This book is ideal to sell in your studio as well as a simple and delightful gift for anyone in your spiritual community...

laughter, love and light in Colorado

As someone who came to Yoga after 60, I have found Yoga Poems:Lines to Unfold By from author Leza Lowitz inspiring! Not only has she given a beautiful voice to the asanas but she has given me the desire to go even deeper into the heart of Yoga practice. I can visualize the poses in her poetic imagery. The poems are as serene as Yoga is meant to be. I loved the illustrations and only wish that each pose had its own rather than just those introducing the various sections.
Donna Mendelsohn

This is a delightful, delicious, exquisite book. I could nibble on it all day long! Leza's Yoga Poems are lovely to read while sitting in Upavistha Konasana (Seated Wide Angle Pose) or while eating an icecream sandwich after class. It is wonderful company if you are eating dinner alone. This books structure beautifully reflects the eight "limbs" or stages of yoga. Each inspired poem is named after an asana, (the Sanskrit term for a yoga posture), or a breathing practice. Like the other reviewers who practice yoga, I was amazed by how well Leza Lowitz captured the spirit of each asana. She has successfully united her passion for yoga with her love of poetry. The illustrations by yoga teacher and artist Anja Borgstrom are perfect. This is a magical book that also makes a most romantic present. If you are looking for a gift for the special Yogi or Yogini in your Life, or a perfect present for your teacher, I promise, this book will please them!

Suza Francina, author, "Yoga and the Wisdom of Menopause" and "The New Yoga for People Over 50."

Yoga Poems: lines to unfold by
tell the truth about more
than the poses they limn;
they tell about we
who unfold in the poses,
our moods
our aspirations
our whims;
lines to unfold by
are lines to live by;
as we learn to unfold the lines
as we learn to unfold the poses
we unfold ourselves.

This title is a must for educators of young children. The illustrations are beautiful and the language is understandable even for the youngest of school children. Reading and discussing this book with a classroom will help children discover that differences are what make us special and differences are a reason for celebration. Love builds the bridges that create community within any and all societies.

This book relays the differences of people in a simplistic way with beautiful artwork. When teaching, this book can be used with different age groups. It can be used as a story-starter for writing with students.

Buy this book if you love all people.

~Shauna Schoenborn

Recently a close friend with mixed race toddlers appealed to me for advice on how to respond to her children's questions about color and difference. She lives in 'monocultural' rural Spain and thought that based upon my own experiences I could share some insight. We chatted for a bit, and then after we hung up I started to search through the old forgotten children's books belonging to my (now teenage) sons for appropriate ones to send her. My boys were happy to part with the picture and early years storybooks I'd found until,that is, I showed them this book 'All the Colors of the Earth'. Individually they both said a categorical "No way!" to the idea of parting with it, and I was both shocked at the level of affection they held for this gorgeous but seemingly discarded book, and secretly proud that in their new worlds of computer games and Manga and loud music that they still harbored a secret place of childhood memories where this fabulous book holds such a special place. My eldest surprised me further by speaking of wanting to share it with his own children in the future-imagine! So I had to buy my friend her own copy and have it shipped to us in the UK, so that we could give it as a present when they came to visit us. The moist-eyed smiles and gasps of delight that both she and her partner gave while flicking through the pages said it all. Looks like yet another family has an heirloom for future generations.

I was fortunate enough to receive this as a prize in a local contest for my kids; they love it! The text, the images, and the meaning are all wonderful. It promotes tolerance without the heavy-handed approach that some books take by simply presenting the reality that children are all different, and yet are bound by love and youthful innocence, and that *that* is a beautiful thing. I highly recommend this book.

i bought this book when it was first printed. i wore the pages right out of the book, and bought a second. this book inspired me to write poetry of my own.

I have this book, which I got in 1995. It is Wonderful! I have read it many times and still have not lost intrest!! It is SO good, that I can not believe that it went out of print. I have also read Kevin's new book: Unfinished work. Which came out on Nov. 6. This book is beyond describing. Read it for yourself!!
Kevin Max Smith has a beautiful, amazing, God-given talent, that VERY few people have! He is wonderful at writing. And his poetry is deep and moving. I hope to see many more books from Kevin. Also , look for another coming out (sometime soon, I hope) : The London Cowboy Choronicles. These are all wonderful works of poetry!!
I also hear he
is (possibly) starring in a movie coming out some time next summer. Be sure to check that out as well.

This book was a awesome encouragement of how beautiful God can really work through just one man. Kevin is sincere and personal and his style is very beautiful.

This is an amazing book. When it was originally published promises were made that a second book would be forthcoming. So, Kev - where is it?

Most artists have to die before they're appreciated. Thankfully Kevin Max Smith of DCTalk fame didn't have to die, his book just had to go out of print before everyone scrambled the ends of the earth trying to get their hands on a copy. The poetry is pure delight (my favorite is "Captured") and I love his poems for their sheer simplicity. The artwork by Jimmy Abegg sets off the collection nicely making it something that you want to pass down from generation to generation.

She brings it to me several times a day and says, "Ree baby born." She loves the pictures, loves the rhythm of the text. A great book for everyone. Beautiful art, heartwarming and thoughtful.

When I ordered it, I thought the board book would have lift-the-flap features just like the hardcover version; the description and reviews here make it really hard to tell. For the record, the board book version does NOT have lift-the-flaps. It's still a great book though, and in balance of things I guess I'd rather have the sturdiness of the board book. (Also, hardcover was on backorder and would have been really delayed in arriving.)

this is a fantastic book, great pictures, covers all the seasons, and a baby first year of life.

This charming lift the flap book is very different from the ordinary. Sweet rhymes and adorable pictures will delight both parent and child. When you lift the flaps you will find the unexpected.

I bought this book for all my friends having winter babies. I love the board book version, so I can share it with my baby now. I am hoping to hold onto it as a keepsake for her. The illustrations are beautiful and colorful. This book is short and sweet. My 4 month old enjoys having it read to her.

Very nicely writen, warms the heart and reminds me to follow my heart regardless of the outside pressures.

Love isn't supposed to hurt. A sage's perspective on the matters of real love.

This book was ok, but didn't touch me as much as "the prophet" did.

For Khalil Gibran, love was a way perhaps a supreme way of achieving self-realization and completeness as a human being. Anyone can live their life transformed by the all consuming power of an encounter with "The Beloved". Particularly in the Eastern cultures there are people trapped in joyless or organized marriages; their passions sacrificed to convention. It is these segments of people that Gibran has brilliantly targeted. Gibran can write very complex social issues in quite simple terms. He can make these issues in a way that can make the reader feel one is taking a walk in a quiet wood, or bathing in a cool stream.

During the course of his reading one can observe that Gibran is a fervernt and outspoken champion of the cause of human rights. He has waged a struggle to strengthen the recognition of youth's freedom of action in love, and abolish from the social structure some of the prevailing ancient marriage customs. He has a strong condemnation of traditions of pre-arranged marriages of children by their parents, in complete disregard of the wishes of those so betrothed.

The ill-fated story of Lyla in `The Brides Bed' is an eye witness account recorded by Khalil. Lyla with courage, anguish and heroism broke in fury from this custom. She brought as a result on her self consequences extremely tragic. This is best described in Khalil's prose:

"... Come you cowards! Fear not the specter of death whose greatness will refuse to approach your littleness and dread not this dagger, for it is a divine instrument which declines to touch your filthy bodies and empty hearts. Look at this handsome youth, he is my beloved and I killed him because I love him. .... We sought a bed worthy of our love in this world which you have made so small with your ignorance and traditions. .... Then the bride lifted her dagger towards the sky, and like a thirsty person who brings the edge of a drinking glass to her lips, she bought it down and planted it in her chest..."

In the `Vision' he describes the social convention issue faced by one:

".. I am a lost human heart, imprisoned in the foul dungeons of mans dictates; tied with chains of earthly authority, dead and forgotten by laughing humanity whose tounge is tied and whose eyes are empty of visible tears. ..."

"His power came from some great reservoir of spiritual life else it could not have been so universal and so potent, but the majesty and beauty of the language with which he clothed it were all his own." -- Claude Bragdon



Kahlil Gibran, on Love:
Love was the central theme of Gibran's life which he expressed in prose poems, and drawings; "Just reading the English translation for this collection of his love-related Arabic works makes my bones ache with the amazing insights he portrays through moving language." ankh fire

"Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart,
and a song of praise upon your lips."
G. Khalil Gibran

The Beloved:
For Gibran, love was the eternal way for any human being to reach completeness, in self realization transforming their life by the power of the encounter with the beloved;
"Who among you would not cross the seas, traverse deserts,
go over mountains and valleys to reach the woman whom his spirit has chosen?
What youth would not follow his heart to the ends of the earth
to breathe the sweetness of his lover's breath, feel the soft touch of her hands,
delight in the melody of her voice?"

The Arkana Edition:
This Penguin Arkana edition of the unique selection of Gibrans writings on the mystical union in love and marriage which he dedicated to the spirit that embraced his spirit and the heart that poured its secrets into his heart, will kindle a fire in the emotions of poetry responsive readers like Ankh fire.
The introduction by Robin Waterfield is concise but eloquent and informing. The translator John Walbridge of Indiana University, who lived and studied in the Middle East introduced G. Khalil Gibran, in a nice biography analyzing his thought, and how he liberated traditional Arabic of his time, writing in a simple diction of modern new form. He compares the passion expressed in his early writings, with the its Lebanese setting and American influence. This new translation of the gifted poet's early Arabic composition is a contemporary fresh one which reflects the original text more closely.

G. Kahlil Gibran, 1883-1931:
I encountered Gibran before appreciating Arabic poetry, as a young kid I was amazed by the beauty of his art and the romance of his expression, in 'The Prophet.' Later, I read him in Arabic, before I found out how the Libanese emigrant poet has touched the Western hearts. This collection of Gibran's early stories, parables and poetic prose, were written in Arabic before his works were translated into English, earning him the nickname 'the Shelly of the Orient.' Many Arabic speaking intelligentsia, including my dad thought he has qualified to have been a Nobel Laureate!

This book lets you get a feel of how Beowulf was written in its original language, without having to study Olde English first.

I enjoy trying to read Saxon and having his translation to refer to is of great help. I am not sure of some of his translation but it is hard to make sure what you are reading since Saxon was never printed just writen. This a nice printing.

This is the essential version of Beowulf for anyone interested in really understanding the story and its setting. There are other dual-language translations but none that provide the same depth of background in introduction, commentary, and critical notes.
-- Christopher L. Webber, author of "Beyond Beowulf"

Although Seamus Heaney's translation is the one getting all the attention, and is very readable, this one is both readable and is a more word-for-word translation. The accompanying chapters on analysis of the poem are also fascinating.

This edition is widely accepted as closer to the original than Heaney's, even by people who prefer the Heaney edition.

I am not one of those people. I have read Beowulf in several translations as well as in the original Old English, and this is the version I would recommend. I find it to be faithful, clear, and elegant.

The Heaney Beowulf is a great book for fans of Heaney (I enjoyed it myself in that capacity). The Chickering Beowulf is a great book for fans of Old English literature.

Donald Hall's memoir of health and illness with his wife Jane Kenyon has stood in my mind years after I read this book. It is an understanding of issues in living through a bout of illness, of survival to regain health, or the fall when one loses the fight.

Above all the book is of a poet who loves another fellow poet.

But I think poetry is secondary to loving a wife who shared his home and passions for animals, people, words and social engagements to be with people who appreciated their love of literature and the love in the marriage.

I thought this book was a wonderful, loving tribute to the author's wife. :)

I recently finished reading Jane Kenyon's collected poems which left me missing her and wanting more. And so I picked up The Best Day The Worst Day: Life with Jane Kenyon written by Kenyon's husband--the esteemed poet Donald Hall. While the subtitle of this book is "Life with Jane Kenyon," I would argue that it is not so much about Kenyon's life with Hall as it is about her death, her dying. Yes, Hall does recount memories and vignettes of their life together, particularly how it was they came to live in their beloved farmhouse in New Hampshire.

Mostly I found this touching book to be an exploration of a husband moving through the process of grief, of holding on, and of letting go. Throughout, Hall beautifully and matter-of-factly reveals what it feels like when the one you love dies, and what are those threads that carry you through to this end, and what are those threads that bind you to this life afterward: "Poetry gives the griever not release from grief but companionship in grief. Poetry embodies the complexity of feelings in their most intense and entangled, and therefore offers (over centuries, or over no time at all) the company of tears."

I saw Donald Hall read at AWP almost a year ago and decided then that I had to have this book. I was moved to tears in the reading. I bought it and it took me a while to have the time to read it, and then a month and a half to read. It is not in anyway shape or form, easy to read. Not only is language dense and medical at points, but somehow each technical word is embedded in a love that is as strong 10 years after Jane Kenyon's death as I imagine it was at Hall and Kenyon's marriage 35 years ago. It a book that moves you to tears on almost every page. And not only is this written in tribute and memorial to a life of love, but it is a catalogue of life for popular and well respected poets. Writing habits, readings, trips, the things you write and do to have the money to write, the way that dedication is your life.

Hall lifts off the ornate cover of his 27 year marriage to the poet Jane Kenyon, once his student at Michigan, to reveal some down home truths about her personality. It seems that Kenyon's depression made his life pretty bleak, for she might lash out at him as easily as she tormented herself with her vague phantoms of anxiety--all very real to her, of course, for drugs of the Prozac class had no effect on her unfortunately. So take it all in all whenever the family came to call they were never sure whether or not Jane was going to be her warm, friendly and sometimes bawdy self, or her other self, the tormented one who preferred to be "invisible." My hat is off to Donald Hall because even if she was great, it's not always easy to be around someone who's dour to that degree.

But Hall does not suffer in silence, and he lets us know that her famous friends, poets like Galway Kinnell and Liam Rector, also witnessed episodes of depression that were pretty chilling. There's a new book in which the friends give testimony to this effect, celebrating her life and work, yet not skimping on her acerbity and gloom. And yet they loved her! She must have had something. For me, "THE BEST DAY THE WORST DAY" was a bit of a tell-all, and has its exploitative moments like the recent book by Michael Bergin about Carolyn Kennedy. Why couldn't Hall have shown us more of the happy hours? Why alternate every chapter of her life with one of her dying? It smacks of something a poet might do, for effect, for formal reasons, rather than sitting back and thinking, "This will make my readers think that I valued her only when she was dying."

There's something of a Jane Kenyon industry right now, and this book and others like it will, of course, add bricks to the mortar. As we turn our love for Jane Kenyon's writing into an actual house of mourning, I find it hard to predict what will be next on the platter. I expect that somewhere, somebody is working on a volume of selected letters to go with the selected and collected poems we have already been given. The Bill Moyers film, oddly, already came out. It was one of the few things Jane Kenyon was happy about, for as Hall tells us sometimes work helped, and sometimes the occasional good news like getting the NEA award of the Guggenheim. Good for her. Everybody needs something.