An accessible guide to the most important poems ever written— from the
Epic of Gilgamesh
to
The Waste Land
—and the poets behind them
Discover the key themes and ideas behind the most important poems ever written, and the poetic geniuses who wrote them.
The perfect introduction to poetry,
The Poetry Book
takes you on a fascinating journey through time to explore more than 90 of the world’s greatest poetic works.
Discover poems in all their many guises and from all over the world, from the epics of the ancient world through Japanese haikus and Renaissance sonnets to modernist masterpieces such as
, and the key works of the last 50 years—from
And Still I Rise
by Maya Angelou to Derek Walcott’s
Omeros
.
Using the
Big Ideas
series' trademark combination of clear explanation, witty infographics, and inspirational quotes,
unlocks the key ideas, themes, imagery, and structural techniques behind even the most complex of poems, in clear and simple terms, setting each work in its historical, social, cultural, and literary context.
Delve into the works of Dante, Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Dickinson, Eliot, and Neruda with in-depth literary analysis and fascinating biographies. Find out what odes, ballads, and allegories are. Trace recurring motifs, explore imagery, and find out how rhyme and rhythm work.
From
Beowulf
to Seamus Heaney's
Bogland
,
is essential reading for readers of poetry and aspiring poets alike.