Flower Fairies of the Spring is a little collection of poems and illustrations by Cicely Mary Barker. It was published in 1923. They are adorable littFlower Fairies of the Spring is a little collection of poems and illustrations by Cicely Mary Barker. It was published in 1923. They are adorable little poems meant for children about all these little flowers of the spring. Starting with the earliest flowers to appear and ending with the latest blooms that appear on the cusp of summer. I really enjoyed reading this little collection this afternoon. The illustrations were half the fun as well. I even learned about some flowers that I hadn’t heard of previously. I did read it during the wrong season, but that’s ok!...more
About: The Raven Tales and Poems is a collection of short stories and poetry written by Edgar Allen Poe. Everything in this collection was written betwAbout: The Raven Tales and Poems is a collection of short stories and poetry written by Edgar Allen Poe. Everything in this collection was written between the years 1827 and 1849. Poe was a master of the macabre and all of these stories and poems have something creepy about them in one way or another.
Did I Like It?: Yes I did. I didn’t love it, but I found most of these stories to be quite interesting and never really found myself bored at any point. This collection was mostly made up of short stories and there really wasn’t that much poetry. That’s a good thing, because while I found his stories interesting I wasn’t actually a big fan of Poe’s poems. Poe’s stories were all well constructed and atmospheric though.
Favorite Stories: My two favorite stories were Ligeia and The Fall of the House of Usher. Ligeia is a bit of a creepy love story with it’s main theme being ‘the will to live�. I won’t say more, but it had that gothic atmosphere and yet an interesting and profound topic. The Fall of the House of Usher was wonderfully atmospheric as well and I liked the ambiguity of it. Ms. Found in a Bottle is another story I liked, an earlier one of Poe’s with a touch of seafaring adventure that had something in it that reminded me a bit of Pirates of the Caribbean. I also liked the ‘doppelgänger� story of William Wilson. The Masque of the Red Death was a little on the shorter side, but had wonderful atmosphere and description. Some Words with a Mummy I found to be a surprisingly comedic story with a bizarre premise. The last story that stood out to me was The Cask of Amontillado. On a surface level I don’t find it that interesting, but reading it as Poe grappling with his alcoholism, I found made me question it more and find it interesting.
Do I Recommend It?: Yes, if this sounds like something of interest. If you like gothic fiction/ horror and are particularly desirous of reading classics of those genres, I think you should pick this up. I also really liked this edition. It had all Poe’s most famous stories along with some other ones and a taste of poetry. I thought it was a well compiled edition. ...more
About: The Essential Rumi is a collection of Rumi’s poetry that has been translated by Coleman Barks. Rumi was a Persian poet and Sufi mystic in the 13 About: The Essential Rumi is a collection of Rumi’s poetry that has been translated by Coleman Barks. Rumi was a Persian poet and Sufi mystic in the 13th century. Rumi’s poems for the most part are centered around spirituality and connecting with the divine.
Did I Like it?: Yes I did! This was not my first time reading Rumi’s poetry, but I enjoyed it as I have previously. In November I decided to pick up this larger collection of Rumi’s poetry because I was getting a Rumi quote tattoo. Yes, I have been reading this collection since November. Between wanting to take my time with it and then forgetting to pick it back up it took me awhile to get through it! This is a large collection though, it’s really not something to race through. Rumi is such a wonderful and spiritual poet to read from though. He makes you connect to your spirit as you read, he makes you feel what he is saying on a spirit level as some of the things he relates can’t be understood in a rational way. His words are so beautiful, but yet it is not beautiful wordplay Rumi was worried about. His poetry is beyond the mere words that it is at first glance. Don’t even get me started on all the wonderful quotes i’ve gotten out of his work though. On my tumblr you can search Rumi on my page and find all the Rumi quotes I have loved over time if you are interested.
Do I Recommend This?: Yes! If you are interested in Rumi’s poetry I recommend you check it out. If you consider yourself a spiritual person or have any interest in spirituality you will probably be a fan of Rumi’s poetry. This is a good collection by the way! It is a long one, but you get a good variety of poems. Obviously when that happens you may not jive with all of them, but then there are lots to like at the same time!...more
About: Idylls of the King is a book of poetry that was written by Alfred Lord Tennyson through the years 1856-1874. This is a book of epic poetry that About: Idylls of the King is a book of poetry that was written by Alfred Lord Tennyson through the years 1856-1874. This is a book of epic poetry that is based on the legends of King Arthur.
Did I Like It?: I kind of enjoyed it. It wasn’t amazing or profound for me, but after reading Sir Thomas Mallory’s Morte D’Arthur in August I found this to be kind of interesting. Alfred Lord Tennyson was poet laureate in his day and you can tell that his version of the legends of King Arthur were used to talk about Victorian ideas. You can tell he compares Victorian England to Camelot a bit using Arthur as a man embodying Victorian ideals. You of course see the downfall of Camelot and Tennyson shows that even with these ideals in place people have human pitfalls that can tear these idyllic structures down. In the last poem, which is dedicated to Queen Victoria he says that he hopes that in that era that these pitfalls won’t hurt their idyllic order. Now while I don’t necessarily love his glorifying of the Victorian era and his very nationalistic message, I found it interesting how he used the legends of King Arthur to serve this purpose in a way. It’s interesting to see how the legends of King Arthur can be used in many different ways and in different time periods and this was no exception. What I did like about these poems was that they talked a lot about the relationships between these characters, especially a lot of the romantic ones. Through these poems we get to see different relationship struggles of jealousy, unrequited love, adultery, trust issues and brotherhood. In terms of actually liking the poetic aspect of this book, I wasn’t really a fan. These are epic poems written in blank verse and so didn’t have a very ‘poetic� structure and what not. I’m not really a fan of that type of poetry. These read more like stories told in a kind of poetic way.
Favorite Poems: I liked the one about Gareth and Lynnette. I also liked the two poems about Geraint and Enid. Lancelot and Elaine was good as well. Most of the poems did deal with the relationships within Camelot and those were my favorite. The couple that weren’t about that I wasn’t as fond of. I had read Tennyson’s poem The Lady of Shallot awhile back and really liked it, so after reading Le Morte D’Arthur I thought that poems in that vein would be fun to read, but I was disappointed to find that poem is not actually in this book.
Do I Recommend This?: Only if you are super interested. If you are a fan of the Victorian era, Arthurian legends, or epic poetry perhaps this may be up your alley. It’s not necessarily the best poetry though and it is quite a long collection. ...more
About: Howl, Kaddish and Other Poems is a collection of Poetry that was written by Allen Ginsberg in the 1950’s. Allen Ginsberg was a beat poet and theAbout: Howl, Kaddish and Other Poems is a collection of Poetry that was written by Allen Ginsberg in the 1950’s. Allen Ginsberg was a beat poet and these poems deal with downfalls of the government, mental illness, drug use, questions of the universe and God and expansive consciousness.
Did I Like It?: Yes I did. I struggled with deciding whether to give this collection 3 or 4 stars, but decided on 4. Allen Ginsberg was a fabulous poet and I can’t deny that some poems were good even if I didn’t love them. Of course there were poems that I loved. I liked his poems that dealt with consciousness and what not the best. I had the most trouble with the poems about mental illness such as Howl and Kaddish, which were two of Ginsberg’s most famous poems. I acknowledge that they were well written and important poems and that they were meant to be an uncomfortable read, I just still can’t say that I liked them though. Ginsberg some of the time felt like a more modern Whitman, but a little bit darker. I think this darkness prevented me from liking him as much as I could have. I still quite liked his poetry though, don’t get me wrong.
Favorite Poems: My absolute favorite poems were Transcription of Organ Music, Song, Poem Rocket, Footnote to Howl, Message and A Supermarket in California. There were quite a few others that I found to be pretty good as well, they just didn’t manage to be favorites.
Do I Recommend It?: Yes! If you are a poetry lover and are interested in reading some poetry from the Beat generation, what better place to go than Allen Ginsberg?...more
About: Leaves of Grass and Selected Poems and Prose is a collection of poems and a little bit of prose written by Walt Whitman. This edition contains tAbout: Leaves of Grass and Selected Poems and Prose is a collection of poems and a little bit of prose written by Walt Whitman. This edition contains the original Leaves of Grass that was published in 1855 amongst other pieces of poetry and a few prose pieces.
Did I Like It?: I really liked this collection. I first came across Walt Whitman’s work when I was in high school when I had to read the poem Song of Myself. It profoundly impacted me. It was one of the poems that made me fall in love with poetry to begin with and it hugely impacted my views on life. After having read that various times I thought it was time to read some of his other work. I of course got to reread Song of Myself once again, which was great as well as discovering some other wonderful poems. Whitman had such deep and profound views on life. His poems make you understand the unity of all things and the connection of all life forms. The way he uses ‘catalogues� by basically listing a bunch of different things really makes you feel like he is encompassing so many aspects of life and so many different types of people. His views about the human spirit, the vastness of the self, the beauty of life, the nature of time and the immortality of the soul are truly beautiful. I am happy to call Walt Whitman one of my favorite poets.
Favorite Poems: I liked just about all the poems from the original Leaves of Grass. They were fantastic! Besides that I liked Crossing Brooklyn Ferry, Spontaneous Me, From Pent-Up Aching Rivers, and A Noiseless Patient Spider. I wasn’t too fond of the prose however, although there were only a few pieces.
Do I Recommend It?: Most Definitely! If you love classic poetry, are a fan of Song of Myself, or are looking for a poetry collection that is profound and will affect your views on life this is probably a good collection for you to pick up!...more
About: Poems by Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning is a collection of poetry by the Brownings who were famous for their marriage as well as their poAbout: Poems by Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning is a collection of poetry by the Brownings who were famous for their marriage as well as their poetry in the 19th century. There are three sections in this book: the first is some of Robert’s poetry, the second some of Elizabeth’s poetry, and the third some of the letters they wrote to each other during their courtship.
Did I Like It?: Yes I did like this collection. I didn’t love this collection though and it took me awhile to get through it. There were poems I liked though, and poems that didn’t resonate. It was just a mix of both for me. For the most part I liked both Robert’s and Elizabeth’s poetry equally. It would be hard to pick a favorite. I also enjoyed their letters and thought it was a nice little addition to the collection at the end.
Favorite Poems: My favorite poems by Robert Browning were Inapprehensiveness, Summum Bonum, Meeting at Night/Parting at Morning, Now and Evelyn Hope. I also thought Porphyria’s Lover was good and creepy and Love in a Life and the excerpt from Pauline were relatively good too. My favorite poems by Elizabeth Barrett Browning were A Sea-Side Walk and the first book of Aurora Leigh ( I liked it so much I want to read the whole thing!). I also kind of liked The North and the South, The Best Thing in the World, Sonnets From the Portuguese, From Heine, Amy’s Cruelty, and A Man’s Requirements.
Do I Recommend It?: If you are interested in this collection then I think it’s worth picking up. If you have an interest in 19th century poetry in particular then this might resonate with you more....more
About: Stung with Love: Poems and Fragments is a poetry collection that contains all of the ancient Greek poet Sappho’s poems. Sappho’s poems were writAbout: Stung with Love: Poems and Fragments is a poetry collection that contains all of the ancient Greek poet Sappho’s poems. Sappho’s poems were written sometime between 630 B.C and 570 B.C. This particular edition and translation by Aaron Poochigian was published in 2009. Sappho’s poetry is very sensual and centers on themes such as desire, goddesses, her family, marriage, women in her life etc.
Did I Like It?: Yes I really liked this collection! I’ve read some of Sappho’s poetry before and loved it so much I had to read all of it. Her poetry is great and I love the time and place it evokes and the strong feelings of desire that run through some poems that years later I can still relate to. There’s something about Sappho’s poetry that I find so wonderful because I feel connected to it years and years later after it’s been written and it’s crazy to think how much it’s withstood the test of time. It feels beautiful to feel that I can connect with a person and their feelings who lived so long ago and it gives me the feeling of timelessness. Overall, her poetry is great and it’s so interesting to read about life from Sappho’s perspective in her little world on Lesbos in ancient Greece and to read about thoughts and feelings that are still entirely relevant today. Also, I really liked this edition because on the left side of each poem there was a little blurb about it that put it into perspective.
Would I Recommend It?: Most definitely! If you have any interest in poetry or in ancient literature I urge you to pick up Sappho’s poems....more
About: Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats is a poetry collection written by T.S. Eliot and published in 1939. All of the poems in this collection are About: Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats is a poetry collection written by T.S. Eliot and published in 1939. All of the poems in this collection are about cats and the collection was the inspiration for the 1981 musical, Cats.
Did I Like it?: Yes, I did. This was a cute and clever little collection of poems. The illustrations in my edition really added to the poems as well. The one thing I didn't like about it, was that there was a little bit of racism scattered throughout.
Favorite Poems: My favorite poem was one called The Old Gumbie Cat. Some other poems I liked were The Naming of Cats, Mr. Mistoffelees, Macavity: The Mystery Cat, and Gus: The Theater Cat.
Do I Recommend It?: Yes if you like poetry and happen to be a cat lover or a fan of the musical Cats....more
About: Selected Poems by T.S. Eliot is a selection of T.S. Eliot’s poetry that he put together and published in 1954. The poems in here span from 1917 About: Selected Poems by T.S. Eliot is a selection of T.S. Eliot’s poetry that he put together and published in 1954. The poems in here span from 1917 to 1954 and touch on subjects such as love, loss of meaning in modern life, and religion.
Did I Like it?: I did like this collection, but I didn’t love it. Prior to having read this collection I had read the poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock which has been one of my favorite poems of all time for quite a while. I thought because I love that poem so much I would love a lot of Eliot’s poetry. I have found that that is not the case however. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock ended up being the only poem that I remotely loved in this collection. There were a couple more that I liked that were in the same section as The Love Song, but other than that I just found his poems interesting. There can be no denying that The Waste Land in particular is one of the most famous poems in the English language and that it is an important poem. I’m glad I finally read it and I did find it interesting. It’s comment on the meaninglessness of modern society was pretty profound. I still didn’t absolutely love it though. I think that while his poems are good and interesting sometimes, his religious poems and his intense academic bent ( something he is sometimes criticized for) were things that disconnected me from his poetry a little bit.
Favorite Poems: Of course my favorite poem was The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock and I liked the other poems in the Prufrock section as well. Other than that I found The Waste Land, The Hollow Men and Animula interesting. The poem Whispers of Immortality was alright as well.
Do I Recommend It?: That’s hard to say. I definitely recommend that everyone read the poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock because it� s amazing. If you have any interest in reading The Waste Land it’s worth a read in your lifetime for sure. Other than that though I don’t really think this collection is super worth reading unless it really appeals to you....more
About: Selected Poems by E.E. Cummings contains a selection of Cummings' poems written between the 1920’s and the 1960’s. This collection was edited byAbout: Selected Poems by E.E. Cummings contains a selection of Cummings' poems written between the 1920’s and the 1960’s. This collection was edited by Richard S. Kennedy.
Did I Like It?: Yes, I really liked the poems in this little volume. I came away with many new favorite poems. It was a pleasure to read Cummings� very human and imaginative poems on nature, love, sex, innocence, and other topics. I enjoyed his unique style of poetry that broke grammatical rules, had weird sentence structure and had an interesting visual aspect. I liked the way he played with oneness and unity as well. There was a lot of feeling in these poems and you could feel the joy radiate out of the page with some poems and the misanthropy of some other poems. I feel like these poems are best read if you let them flow through you. If you overanalyze too much I think they would be harder to understand. When you let them flow and you feel them, you can absorb the meaning better. Overall, this was a great reading experience and I think I can now count Cummings as one of my favorite poets.
Do I Recommend It?: Yes, definitely. I do recommend this particular volume as well, as I think this was a good selection of poems and I liked how each section was introduced. If you enjoy poetry and want something outside of the box and innovative I would check this out....more
‘Yes, we did many things, then - all beautiful…�
About: Come Close is a poetry collection of poems written by the Ancient Greek poet Sappho. Sappho appa‘Yes, we did many things, then - all beautiful…�
About: Come Close is a poetry collection of poems written by the Ancient Greek poet Sappho. Sappho apparently was born around 630 B.C. and died around 570 B.C., so her poems were written sometime in between those years. This particular collection was translated by Aaron Poochigian. The poems in this collection are mainly centered around love, sexuality, gods and goddesses.
Did I lIke It?: I absolutely loved this poetry collection! The poems were beautiful and surprisingly simple. When reading this collection I felt instantly transported to Ancient Greece and felt very immersed in the poetry. There was not one poem that I did not like, which I feel is rare when reading a collection of poetry.
Favorite Poems: The poems in this collection do not have names, which I believe is because Sappho’s poems are really only fragments as the vast majority of her poetry was sadly lost long ago. This means I can’t tell you the names of my favorite poems. I had 12 favorite poems though, which is quite a lot for this small collection. The collection was split into sections and my favorite section was the one titled Goddesses.
Do I Recommend It?: Yes, I recommend this very much if this sounds like something you would be interested in. Of course I generally recommend this to those that like reading poetry, other than that if you like poems dealing with love or sexuality, classical literature or literature dealing with greek myths than you would probably enjoy this collection....more
About: The Love Poems by the Irish poet William Butler Yeats is a collection of his poems about love from the year 1888 to 1938.
Did I Like It?: Yes, IAbout: The Love Poems by the Irish poet William Butler Yeats is a collection of his poems about love from the year 1888 to 1938.
Did I Like It?: Yes, I did like this poetry collection. It was a pleasure to read and all of the poems were quite lovely. The poems in this collection were in chronological order and I must say that I greatly preferred the earlier poems and was not quite as fond of the later ones.
Favorite Poems: My absolute favorite poem in this collection that is a new favorite of mine is He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven. Some other poems I really liked were The Cap and Bells, The Song of Wandering Aengus, Never Give All the Heart, and Brown Penny.
Do I Recommend It?: Yes, if this sounds like something you’d be interested in reading. Of course I recommend this to people that particularly like poetry. If you like classic poems, love poems, or Irish poets than this collection may be something you’d enjoy....more
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