Hirsch, Edward

Poet's Choice
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Poetry: "There has never been a civilization without it."
  • The Best Poetry Anthology Ever?
  • A handbook for poetry lovers!
 Poet's Choice
Edward Hirsch
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

GeneralGeneral | Criticism & Theory | History & Criticism | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
AnthologiesAnthologies | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
CriticismCriticism | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Fiction BooksLook Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Reference BooksLook Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:
  1. How to Read a Poem: And Fall in Love with Poetry
  2. Wild Gratitude
  3. The Demon and the Angel: Searching for the Source of Artistic Inspiration
  4. Averno: Poems
  5. White Apples and the Taste of Stone: Selected Poems 1946-2006

ASIN: 0156032678

Book Description

Edward Hirsch began writing a column called "Poet’s Choice" in the Washington Post Book World in 2002. This book brings together those enormously popular columns, some of which have been revised and expanded, to present a minicourse in world poetry. Poet’s Choice includes the work of more than one hundred poets from ancient times to the present—among them Sappho, W. B. Yeats, Czeslaw Milosz, Primo Levi, Robert Frost, Pablo Neruda, Amy Lowell, Mark Strand, and many more—and shares them with all of Hirsch’s inimitable enthusiasm and joy. Rich, relevant, and inviting, the book offers us the fruits of a life lived in poetry.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Poetry: "There has never been a civilization without it.".......2006-05-13



Always relevant, poetry addresses the great themes of our lives, love, loss, the modern terrors of a post 9/11 world, the scourge of war and a hope for peace. Tackling every human emotion and universal concept, poetry "puts us in touch with ourselves" as we interpret the words of the poets, personalizing and processing. This collection addresses every aspect of life, from the general to the personal perspective, our marginalized society, our place in the grand scheme of things and an ongoing dialog with history from the perspective of our own experiences. The poem is the sound of humanity, the voice of yearning and hope, restoring us to an increasingly alienating world, a private corner of the universe where we find comfort and expression.

Poet's Choice is not just another collection of great poems, but a more intimate format, the author speaking to the landscape of poetry, the language of each selection, shared anecdotes, bits of information that render each work uniquely accessible: Jorge Luis Borges' "Nightingale"; Rabindranath Tagore's "Final Poems"; Nellie Sachs' "Butterfly"; Xuan Quynh's "Summer"; Pablo Neruda's "Body of a Woman" and "Walking Around", to name but a few. This is poetry in its natural context, complex, universally appealing. Thoughtfully assembled, the poets speak the language of the world, past and present, an anthology that begs for a permanent place on a desk or bedside table, an island of personal exploration that expands souls and heals the battered heart.

"And so
it has taken me
all of sixty years
to understand
that water is the finest drink,
and bread the most delicious food,
and that art is worthless
unless it plants
a measure of splendor in people's hearts." (Taha Muhammad Ali)

To absorb the depth of these poems is to appreciate the differences inherent in the world we inhabit, elevating the consciousness and reaching for the finer self, one with the universe in human experience and the source of hope. Luan Gaines/ 2006.


5 out of 5 stars The Best Poetry Anthology Ever?.......2006-04-20

I prefer anthologies for my intermittent poetry reading jags, so the role of editor is important. And after looking through POET'S CHOICE, I think that a case could be made that Edward Hirsch is the most auspicious choice for poetry editor/scholar that one could make.

In POET'S CHOICE, Hirsch has brought together material from his "Poet's Choice" columns to run alongside both international poems (which comprise one half of the book) and the work of American poets (the other half.) POET'S CHOICE is further organized into chapters exploring subgenres of poetry that a layperson would not ordinarily encounter. The odd thing is, Hirsch's introductory essays are so good, one can spend as much time enjoying his prose as the poems themselves!

By providing this accessible context and thought-provoking analysis with terrific poetry, Hirsch has compiled a truly excellent book. It's sublime reading both for the short term and for the long haul as well.

Just for fun, the following is a poem by the late William Matthews, which lays out the "Four Subjects of Poetry":

1. I went out in the woods today, and it made me feel, you know, sort of religious.
2. We're not getting any younger.
3. It sure is cold and lonely...
(a.) without you, honey.
(b.) with you, honey.
4. Sadness seems but the other side of the coin of happiness, and vice-verse, and in any case, it is too soon spent, and on what, we know not what.

4 out of 5 stars A handbook for poetry lovers!.......2006-03-17

"Poetry is a necessary part of our planet." Edward Hirsch

Poet and critic, Edward Hirsch offers the reader an opportunity to experience poetry and the world in a new way in his book, Poet's Choice.

Hirsch examines and reflects on the works of more than 130 poets from all over the world and throughout history. He believes poetry is a meaningful way to look at the world and life. The challenge is to experience and appreciate life through the beauty of poetry written by both well-known and obscure poets.

For those who love poetry or have a strong desire to experience the ideas and concepts of life and death and all things in between, Hirsch's comprehensive volume is a treasure. It is worth the journey just to read his perspectives.

Armchair Interviews says: Hirsch's Poet's Choice is not for the beginner unless they have a deep desire to learn to love the written word, what it communicates and how it touches us all.






How to Read a Poem: And Fall in Love with Poetry
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Bought for Poetry writing course
  • Like an old glove, it gets better with age...
  • Too simple, too personal
  • What goes out from the heart enters the heart
  • But... How to Read a Poem?
 How to Read a Poem: And Fall in Love with Poetry
Edward Hirsch
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

GeneralGeneral | Criticism & Theory | History & Criticism | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
CriticismCriticism | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
RhetoricRhetoric | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Fiction BooksLook Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Nonfiction BooksLook Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Reference BooksLook Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:
  1. Poet's Choice
  2. A Poetry Handbook
  3. The Practice of Poetry: Writing Exercises From Poets Who Teach
  4. The Making of a Poem: A Norton Anthology of Poetic Forms
  5. In the Palm of Your Hand: The Poet's Portable Workshop

ASIN: 0156005662

Amazon.com

Edward Hirsch's primer may very well inspire readers to catch the next flight for Houston and sign up for any and all of his courses. Not for nothing does this attentive and adoring poet-teacher title his book How to Read a Poem and Fall in Love with Poetry; Hirsch's big guide to getting the most out of this form is packed with inspiring examples and thousands of epigrams and allusions. Above all, he is intent on poetry's physical and emotional power. In chapters devoted to the lyric, the narrative, the poetry of sorrow, of ecstasy, of witness, Hirsch continually conveys the sheer ecstasy of this vital act of communication. (He takes us, for instance, with great care and mounting excitement, through Emily Brontë's "Spellbound," which he discovered at age 8 when "baseball season was over for the year.") Above all, there is the thrill of discovery as Hirsch offers up works by artists ranging from Anna Akhmatova to Walt Whitman, Elizabeth Bishop to Adam Zagajewski, and everyone in between. I defy you not to fall in love with Wislawa Szymborska on the basis of "The Joy of Writing," which begins: <blockquote> Why does this written doe bound through these written woods?
For a drink of written water from a spring
whose surface will xerox her soft muzzle?
Why does she lift her head; does she hear something?
Perched on four slim legs borrowed from the truth,
she pricks up her ears beneath my fingertips. </blockquote> Elsewhere, Hirsch's section on Sterling Brown's redefinitions of African American work songs should put this neglected poet back on the map. And his introductions to Eastern European poets such as Jirí Orten, Attila József, and Miklós Radnóti will make you want to ferret out their hard-to-find work. (Perhaps his publisher should put out a companion anthology...)

Hirsch manages to cram entire worlds and lives into 258 pages of text (which he follows up with a huge glossary and extended reading list). His two paragraphs on Juan Gelman, whose son was murdered and pregnant daughter-in-law disappeared during Argentina's "Dirty War," bring this man's art into clear, tragic focus. But even here, the compulsively generous author is compelled to enshrine the words of other critics, foregrounding Eduardo Galeano and Julio Cortázar, who describes Gelman's art as "a permanent caress of words on unknown tombs." What a pleasure it is to be inside Hirsch's head! He seems to have read everything and absorbed most of it, and he wears his considerable scholarship lightly. Many of his fellow poets have suffered for their art, have been imprisoned and killed--but above all, Hirsch makes us realize that, no matter what the artist's circumstances, subject, or theme, "the stakes are always high" in this game that writer and reader alike must keep playing. --Kerry Fried

Book Description

How to Read a Poem is an unprecedented exploration of poetry and feeling. In language at once acute and emotional, distinguished poet and critic Edward Hirsch describes why poetry matters and how we can open up our imaginations so that its message can make a difference. In a marvelous reading of verse from around the world, including work by Pablo Neruda, Elizabeth Bishop, Wallace Stevens, and Sylvia Plath, among many others, Hirsch discovers the true meaning of their words and ideas and brings their sublime message home into our hearts. A masterful work by a master poet, this brilliant summation of poetry and human nature will speak to all readers who long to place poetry in their lives.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Bought for Poetry writing course.......2007-04-07

Bought for poetry writing course, was helful but slow read.

5 out of 5 stars Like an old glove, it gets better with age..........2007-03-09

I tend to think of this book as I do my seasoned, battered first baseman's mitt, which accompanied me through eight seasons of championship Senior Mens' Hardball in the Northwest.

As I grow older, I become more appreciative of Ed Hirsch's spiritual gift. It is no small feat to mentor well, especially in a field as suspicious as poetry, but Hirsch manages quite well, with no lies and no breaking of hands, with no disillusion or politicking. By sharing his passion and speaking honestly and humbly from his heart, he presents a compelling case for reading poetry, for reading at all for enjoyment, love, and salvation. It's a necessary book, and I wish I had written it myself. It is a superior substitute for extended, engaging conversation. I'm glad we have it, and that someone as capable as Ed Hirsch has made himself and his insights available to us.

Robert McDowell, author of the forthcoming Poetry In Your Spiritual Practice

2 out of 5 stars Too simple, too personal.......2006-09-27

This book is for people who never read poetry or "just don't get it" when they do.

The author focuses on why he fell in love with each poem, information that I found boring because of the way it was delivered. He then picks apart the poems (sometimes cutting out every line, sometimes grabbing at random bits). It takes away from the magic of a poem when someone uses pages upon pages trying to explain why it is beautiful or moving. Those things must be felt - gained from the poem itself.

There are so many ways in which this book could have been written that would have made it uplifting, touching, or, at the very least, not boring.

5 out of 5 stars What goes out from the heart enters the heart.......2005-05-08

There is a Jewish teaching, that something said from the heart enters the heart. Hirsch's love of poetry is the dominant theme here, an enthusiasm he teaches in every line he writes. He cites Rilke as saying that poetry should be an ' experience' something felt and sensed directly. And poetry is clearly that for Hirsch.
Those of us who have read poetry all our lives, and found in it a special gift and power, a special consolation and source of strength know and understand the kind of ' love' Hirsch is talking about.
Poetry can enhance life and give us strength in it. If this work succeeds in bringing more readers into the circle of loving poetry then it will certainly have done work of value.

2 out of 5 stars But... How to Read a Poem?.......2004-09-28

Edward Hirsch has written a meticulous analysis of the art of poetry, imbued with an authentic love of the form. From page to page he dissects and interprets; his enthusiasm remains high throughout. Not just the poetry, but also the poets themselves are lavished with heroic praise, their craft transcending the mortal. Their words are golden strands of virtue more appropriately whispered into the ears of gods.

But, but...

For those of us uneducated in the art of poetry there is a much more basic level of understanding that has to be achieved first: Why no punctuation? Why do sentences break in mid-breath? How does one find the meter in a poem? How does one read poetry without the stops and starts from line to line? Perhaps we should have learned this in school, but we didn't, so we bought this book.

This is a good book, really, but it is not what its title suggests. It should rather be entitled "The Love of Poetry", or "Falling in Love With Poetry", or "Furthering Your Love of Poetry", or something else emotive. "How to Read a Poem" sounds mechanical, the basics, just what those uneducated among us get when we do a keyword search on how to read a poem.

Select another book in order to learn how to read a poem, then graduate to this one once you comprehend the basics.
Wild Gratitude (Knopf Poetry Series)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Extraordinary, direct poetry
  • Stunning American poetry.
 Wild Gratitude (Knopf Poetry Series)
Edward Hirsch
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

20th Century20th Century | Poetry | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Poetry | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
United StatesUnited States | Single Authors | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Fiction BooksLook Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:
  1. How to Read a Poem: And Fall in Love with Poetry
  2. Lay Back the Darkness: Poems
  3. Poet's Choice
  4. New and Selected Poems 1974-2004
  5. The Figured Wheel: New and Collected Poems, 1966-1996

ASIN: 0394741536
Release Date: 1986-01-12

Amazon.com

In Wild Gratitude, Edward Hirsch unfurls a kaleidoscope of inventive poems that honor other artists and writers, confront urban life and embrace East European fugitives, as well as eulogizing his grandparents and recollecting his youth. At their very best the poems in this collection, which won a National Book Critics Circle Award, somehow merge these subjects, as is the case in "Three Journeys," which draws parallels between a bag lady's troubles and those of an artist. In all, the book offers readers a sweeping accumulation of work by a talented poet deserving of greater attention.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Extraordinary, direct poetry.......2003-04-18

I saw Edward Hirsch read from his work earlier this week and the reading confirmed what I have thought for some time--he is one of the best poets now working. Direct, passionate, delightful and in love with life despite its difficulties and disappointments, this reissue (along with his new book, Lay Back the Darkness and his older collection, For The Sleepwalkers) is a book no lover of serious, skilled poetry should be without.

5 out of 5 stars Stunning American poetry........1999-08-31

I've had this volume for many years now. Hirsch's poem "Edward Hopper and the House by the Railroad" is perhaps one of the best American language poems ever written. I consider almost all of Hirsch's work to be outstanding, but I hope never to be without a copy of this volume.
Transforming Vision: Writers on Art
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Transforming Vision: Writers on Art
    Edward Hirsch
    Manufacturer: Bulfinch Pr
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    GeneralGeneral | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    CriticismCriticism | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Museums & Collections | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    Exhibition CatalogsExhibition Catalogs | Museums | Museums & Collections | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books | General | Guggenheim Museum | Los Angeles County Museum of Art | Metropolitan Museum of Art | Museum of Contemporary Art | Museum of Modern Art | National Gallery Of Art | Tate Gallery | Whitney Museum of American Art
    GeneralGeneral | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    20th Century20th Century | History & Criticism | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | History & Criticism | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    20th Century20th Century | Poetry | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    20th Century20th Century | British | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    Criticism & TheoryCriticism & Theory | History & Criticism | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Deconstructionism | Feminist | General | Hermeneutics | Marxist | Semiotics | Sexuality in Literature | Structuralism
    Look Inside Art BooksLook Inside Art Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
    Look Inside Fiction BooksLook Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. Museum of Words: The Poetics of Ekphrasis from Homer to Ashbery
    2. The Gazer's Spirit: Poems Speaking to Silent Works of Art
    3. How Poets See the World: The Art of Description in Contemporary Poetry
    4. Frank O'Hara: Poet Among Painters
    5. Third Mind: Creative Writing Through Visual Art

    ASIN: 0821221264
    The Demon and the Angel: Searching for the Source of Artistic Inspiration
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Interesting, if pretentious, look at Lorca's 'Duende'
    • I'm not sure
    • Entering the nether world of inspiration
    • Elucidating the Elusive
    		 The Demon and the Angel: Searching for the Source of Artistic Inspiration
    Edward Hirsch
    Manufacturer: Harvest Books
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    History & CriticismHistory & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books | Criticism | General | Regional | Themes | Women in Art
    Study & TeachingStudy & Teaching | Reference | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    Literary TheoryLiterary Theory | History & Criticism | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Criticism & Theory | History & Criticism | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    AnthologiesAnthologies | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    CriticismCriticism | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    AestheticsAesthetics | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
    Creativity & GeniusCreativity & Genius | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
    History & NonfictionHistory & Nonfiction | Book Clubs | Specialty Stores | Books
    Look Inside Art BooksLook Inside Art Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
    Look Inside Health BooksLook Inside Health Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
    Look Inside Fiction BooksLook Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
    ASIN: 0156027445

    Book Description

    A work of art, whether a painting, a dance, a poem, or a jazz composition, can be admired in its own right. But how does the artist actually create his or her work? What is the source of an artist's inspiration? What is the force that impels the artist to set down a vision that becomes art?
    In this groundbreaking book, Edward Hirsch explores the concept of duende, that mysterious, highly potent power of creativity that results in a work of art. With examples ranging from Federico García Lorca's wrestling with darkness as he discovered the fountain of words within himself to Martha Graham's creation of her most emotional dances, from the canvases of Robert Motherwell to William Blake's celestial visions, Hirsch taps into the artistic imagination and explains, in terms illuminating and emotional, how different artists respond to the power and demonic energy of creative impulse.

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Interesting, if pretentious, look at Lorca's 'Duende'.......2004-06-01

    This book allegedly sets out to discover where inspiration for art comes from. In order to do this, the author focuses heavily on the work of Federico Garcia Lorca and his theories of Duende - a dark primal emotional state from which Lorca drew much inspiration. The back cover of the book gives a vast listing of other artists, authors and poets whose names are thrown out teasingly. Unfortunately, people like Hemingway, Plath, Blake and Rimbaud are only briefly touched upon in the book, while heavy emphasis is placed on Lorca's work.

    As much as I find the concepts of Duende fascinating, I would rather just read Lorca's books. 'Demon and the Angel' suffers from misrepresentation, and readers should be warned. This is not a search for artistic inspiration. A description that is far closer to the truth would be 'Investigating Lorca's Theories and their Relationships to Other Artists'.

    Still, it does prove a fascinating read, and the limited space all the other artists are given is still a decent sampling of their art. Pretentious at times, but still a fairly motivational book for writers and artists. Just be warned who the real star of the book is.

    3 out of 5 stars I'm not sure.......2003-09-11

    I started reading it, and found myself to be lost. I felt like there was a book I should have read before this one. It seems like a continuation of something else. But, it is probably just not for me.

    5 out of 5 stars Entering the nether world of inspiration.......2002-07-02

    Flashes of inspiration, of originality, of that conjoining of synapses that transmit creativity to the mind/eye/hand/soul of the receiver and bring forth significant art have been assigned to a Muse, a connection with some other place, always indefineable until this eloquent little book by the intoxicatingly intelligent Edward Hirsch. As erudite as this well researched book is, it is more a companion to the learning eye and mind, much like his other forays into how to read poetry, etc. Using the centuries-old concept of the "daimon" or demon as best illustrated thorugh Lorca's "duende", Hirsch spends the first half of his book drawing us into a familiarity and asks us to be vulnerable to the concept of a mysterious spirit that enters from the bowels of the earth the body of the writer, poet, musician, composer, dancer, and induces creativity. His examples and quotations from a wide range of artists are convincing. And just when we feel sure that we understand the creative source, Hirsch takes us a step further and discusses the Rilke belief that inspiration comes down from the heavens as an angel to soar through the mind of the receptive artist and provides that out of body, inexplicable touch that we call creativity. With both sources - one emerging for the bowels of the earth as a dark demon and the other descending through the firmament to transiently rest inside the soul - Hirsch addresses just what is "creativity" and how we can better find it and embrace it. This small book speaks volumes to artists and readers alike. This is not a "self help" book, but rather a source of inspiration as powerful as any canvas or poem or symphony. Read and improve your connection with art.

    5 out of 5 stars Elucidating the Elusive.......2002-04-12

    Employing as touchstones Garcia Lorca's consideration of duende and Rilke's concept of the angel, Edward Hirsch constructs a convincingly argued, evocative "search for the source of artistic inspiration." In lucid, forceful prose Hirsch draws illustration for his argument not only from poetry (art in words)but from all the arts. His thought-provoking investigation deepens our understanding not only of the source of artistic inspiration but also of the interrelation of the arts and their common inspirational wellsprings. His illustations and exemplifications range widely among virtually all modern artistic innovators. By coming at the question of inspiration through all the arts his discussion deepens and enriches the reader's understanding, leaving him or her enlightened and stimulated.
    Complete Poems and Selected Letters of John Keats (Modern Library Classics)
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Excellent For College Study or Independent Reading
    		 Complete Poems and Selected Letters of John Keats (Modern Library Classics)
    John Keats
    Manufacturer: Modern Library
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    BritishBritish | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | Classics | Contemporary | General | Historical | Humor | Letters & Correspondence | Middle | Old | Poetry | Renaissance | Shakespeare | Short Stories
    AnthologiesAnthologies | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    British & IrishBritish & Irish | Single Authors | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    Keats, JohnKeats, John | ( K ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    Look Inside Fiction BooksLook Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. Shelley's Poetry and Prose (Norton Critical Edition)
    2. The Major Works: Including The Prelude (Oxford World's Classics)
    3. Lord Byron: The Major Works (Oxford World's Classics)
    4. Selected Poetry of William Wordsworth (Modern Library Classics)
    5. The Complete Poetry & Prose of William Blake

    ASIN: 0375756698
    Release Date: 2001-02-13

    Book Description


    'I think I shall be among the English Poets after my death,' John Keats soberly prophesied in 1818 as he started writing the blankverse epic Hyperion. Today he endures as the archetypal Romantic genius who explored the limits of the imagination and celebrated the pleasures of the senses but suffered a tragic early death. Edmund Wilson counted him as 'one of the half dozen greatest English writers,' and T. S. Eliot has paid tribute to the Shakespearean quality of Keats's greatness. Indeed, his work has survived better than that of any of his contemporaries the devaluation of Romantic poetry that began early in this century. This Modern Library edition contains all of Keats's magnificent verse: 'Lamia,' 'Isabella,' and 'The Eve of St. Agnes'; his sonnets and odes; the allegorical romance Endymion; and the five-act poetic tragedy Otho the Great. Presented as well are the famous posthumous and fugitive poems, including the fragmentary 'The Eve of Saint Mark' and the great 'La Belle Dame sans Merci,' perhaps the most distinguished literary ballad in the language. 'No one else in English poetry, save Shakespeare, has in expression quite the fascinating felicity of Keats, his perception of loveliness,' said Matthew Arnold. 'In the faculty of naturalistic interpretation, in what we call natural magic, he ranks with Shakespeare.'

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Excellent For College Study or Independent Reading.......2002-03-18

    In his short life John Keats created some of the finest poetry in the English language. I have read his shorter poems and odes many times, not for study, but simply for enjoyment. I am not a Keats expert, but I can now easily recognize quotations from Keat's odes, sonnets, and other poems. I especially like "The Eve of St. Agnes", a story of romance and danger in a medieval setting that illustrates Keats' remarkable command of language.

    Keats is not difficult, but footnotes help with archaic words and references to more obscure Greek mythology. I prefer to read Keats unaided, then read the footnotes (best if tucked away in an appendix), and then return and read the poem again. For longer poems I jump to footnotes more quickly.

    Initially, the inexpensive Dover edition "Lyric Poems", was exactly what I needed. Later, as I tackled longer poetry like "Endymion", I migrated to more complete collections with commentary and footnotes.

    Keats" works are widely available in hardcover and paperback. Which collection is best for college study or independent reading? I have two favorites, one by Penguin Classics and the other by Modern Library. Both are available in softcovers.

    The first is "The Complete Poems" by Penguin Classics, edited by John Bernard and a standard choice for college classes. I have the second edition, 1977. Barnard's extensive footnotes and commentary are quite good and offset his somewhat brief introduction. Additionally, the appendix discusses textual variations in Keats' manuscripts and has a useful guide to Greek mythology names. The third edition, 1988, adds 20 pages of selected letters, Keats' notes on Milton's Paradise Lost, and his notes on a Shakespearean actor.

    The second choice (my favorite) is the newly published "Complete Poems and Selected Letters of John Keats", Modern Library 2001 edition (not the earlier 1994 hardcover version). Apparently as a direct challenge to Penguin Classics, this edition offers a longer introduction (22 pages) by Edward Hirsch and excellent footnotes (not too many, nor too few) by John Pollock. Also, as the title implies, it has selected letters by Keats, some 25 pages in total. Somewhat hidden in the appendix is commentary by six well-known literary critics such as T. S. Eliot, Mathew Arnold, and Keats' biographer Walter Jackson Bate. Lastly, the font is larger and more crisp in the Modern Library version (but is still quite acceptable in the Penguin edition).

    Overall, I prefer Hirsch to Barnard, but both are good choices. Both are 5-stars.
    Richter 858
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • as good as it gets
    • A plethora of pleasures
    • Just when you thought realism was dead
    • A Feast for Eyes and Ears
    • Much more than another coffee table book
    		 Richter 858
    Ann Lauterbach , Connie Deanovich , W.S. Di Piero , Jorie Graham , Brenda Hillman , Paul Hoover , James McManus , Michael Palmer , Dean Young , Edward Hirsch , Dave Hickey , Richard Howard , Klaus Kertess , Gerhard Richter , and Bill Frisell
    Manufacturer: The Shifting Foundation/SFMOMA
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    ModernModern | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    PopPop | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    United StatesUnited States | Regional | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    Look Inside Art BooksLook Inside Art Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
    ASIN: 0971861005
    Release Date: 2002-09-02

    Book Description

    Gerhard Richter's abstractions are profound and beautiful, though perplexing. After all these years, they still present a curious challenge: what, exactly, are they? RICHTER 858 explores this question by focusing on one suite of extraordinary pictures painted in 1999, soon after his return to work after a silence caused by a stroke. Both investigation and celebration, this book brings together image, music and text in a uniquely compelling way: contributors include the great guitarist and composer Bill Frisell, two sharp-eyed critics, and a baker's dozen of prominent, award-winning poets. Housed in an aluminum slipcase, this lavish, oversized volume features the largest, most sumptuous, and most accurate reproductions of any Richter work. The eight paintings of the suite are shown at more than half-scale, and also, quite untraditionally, presented unbound on heavy paper in a pocket at the back of the book--allowing readers to mix, match, and re-present the work for themselves outside the confines of the printed volume. Forty details from the paintings are also reproduced in large-format, accompanied by the poems and texts. These brilliant passages--rich in incident and intervention, and ranging from the coolly sublime to the loudly riotous--make fascinating pictures in their own right. Additionally, a double gatefold opens to show all eight paintings in panoramic view. In essence, RICHTER 858 presents an elegant, if raucous, meeting ground for our most important contemporary artist and a diverse chorus of American music, poetry, and criticism.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars as good as it gets.......2005-08-23

    this package is an expensive, over-the-top look at the abstract painting of the world's greatest living artist. every aspect of the production: box, metal slipcase, cd, book, folded enlargements, is beautifully executed. years from now, this will be the one critical gerhard richter item which every collector will be looking for. outstanding.

    5 out of 5 stars A plethora of pleasures.......2003-02-02

    You don't have to be an afficionado of contemporary poetry, or an art lover, to appreciate the many delights housed within the aluminum slip case of this work. But if you happen to be either, or both, this book is a must.

    The "book" has, in this case, evolved well beyond the concept of an art tome. The joining of music, poetry and lovingly accurate reproductions under one cover makes the circumnavigation of this opus is a particularly rich eexperience. Which is not to say that listening to the music , or dipping into one poem, is not an entirely satisfying moment by itself.

    Be prepared, however: this gesamtwerk is big, and will not fit into an ordinary bookcase! The paintings being reproduced to scale has dictated the extra large format, but the extraordinarily accurate pictorial results are worth the extra weight.

    5 out of 5 stars Just when you thought realism was dead.......2003-01-10

    This is a gorgeous book by a man who in the future will be credited with debunking all the art critics who since the 1950s have been shouting to themselves that Realism is dead, or the ones that still shout "painting is dead." Gerhard Richter breaks all the rules of "being an artist." He has worked in a variety of styles, refusing to produce a "style" as often artists are supposed to do. In his ealy photorealistic -paintings Richter copied ordinary, found images onto canvas, but gave them an indistinct appearance. Again, by working directly from photographs, he manages to debunk all the criticism that such techniques often bring. This subversive realism is now more evident than ever, in these later, almost fuzzy works that still manage to knock the visual senses as if shouting: "Long Live Painting - Long Live Realism!"

    5 out of 5 stars A Feast for Eyes and Ears.......2002-11-17

    I've only recently become acquainted with the range of Gerhard Richter's work, but the series of eight abstract paintings which are being celebrated here are enough to justify his reputation for me, and the sheer richness and resolution of their presentation in this book is of a standard I've never come across anywhere. Elegant, sensuous and gorgeous, this is more than a `typical' art book in manners large and small; includes insightful essays by writers like Dave Hickey, poetry, and a CD by Bill Frisell with a string trio that's a lot more quirky and edgy than his recent stuff, in a good way (no banjos). The book's editor, David Breskin, has done an amazing job - the aluminum slipcase is a pretty sharp touch, too.

    5 out of 5 stars Much more than another coffee table book.......2002-11-07

    Unfortunately I haven't yet made it to SFMOMA to see the Gerhard Richter exhibit. However, my much anticipated copy of Richter 858 arrived in the mail today, and to say that it didn't disappoint is an understatement. I had initially been a little wary about getting it. It comes with an aluminum slipcase and poetry and an audio CD with music composed by the brilliant Bill Frisell, and while some might find this sort of presentation lush, I, being somewhat of a purist, was afraid these inclusions would be nothing more than bells and whistles-basically a lot of noise to give voice to a suite of paintings that, according to any good Kantian, should be able to stand on its own. Boy was I wrong. People who know me know that I don't like fuss, but even the worry about scratching the aluminum slipcase, or maneuvering the book's awkward size and bulk, or the guilt for not using gloves to turn these impeccably produced pages, couldn't dampen the sheer transport I felt as I drunk in art and text and Bill's passionate and daring compositions with equal abandon. I've been reluctant to embrace anything multimedia, but Richter 858 may have just pushed me into the 21st century.
    Agnes Martin: The Nineties and Beyond
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • --------------
    		 Agnes Martin: The Nineties and Beyond
    Agnes Martin , Edward Hirsch , and Ned Rifkin
    Manufacturer: Hatje Cantz Publishers
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    ModernModern | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    Martin, AgnesMartin, Agnes | ( M-O ) | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Museums & Collections | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    Look Inside Art BooksLook Inside Art Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. Agnes Martin: Writings
    2. In Pursuit Of Perfection: The Art Of Agnes Martin, Maria Martinez, And Florence Pierce
    3. The Perception of the Horizontal
    4. Gerhard Richter: Editions 1965-2004 (Hatje Cantz)

    ASIN: 3775711651
    Release Date: 2002-03-02

    Book Description

    Agnes Martin has spent every morning for the past 40 years working in her New Mexico studio, producing square abstract paintings that consist of graphite horizontal lines across fields of white, gray, or pale colors. Though her work superficially belongs to the history of Minimalism, Martin considers her paintings the abstract expression of positive inner states of existence. Published on the occasion of her 90th birthday, this catalogue presents the iconic serenity and elegant geometry of her canvasses from the past decade, in a format complimentary to Martin's own immutable aesthetic.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars --------------.......2006-07-18

    This is a fine collection of the later work of Agnes Martin. Her work is a great example of how an action becomes something other. No documentation will ever suffice for seeing her work in person, but as these things go this book captures some of her subtleties. I turn to this book at times when I need to be reminded that we can make tender references to perfection.
    Human Landscapes from My Country: An Epic Novel in Verse
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Human Landscapes of a Nation
    • Great Book, and a good edition
    		 Human Landscapes from My Country: An Epic Novel in Verse
    Nazm Hikmet , and Nazim Hikmet
    Manufacturer: Persea Books
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    20th Century20th Century | Poetry | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    Asian AmericanAsian American | Poetry | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Poetry | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    EpicEpic | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    United StatesUnited States | Single Authors | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    AsianAsian | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. Poems of Nazim Hikmet, Revised and Expanded Edition
    2. Notebook of a Return to the Native Land (Wesleyan Poetry)
    3. Beyond the Walls: Selected Poems
    4. Canto General
    5. The Kingdom of This World: A Novel

    ASIN: 0892552735

    Book Description

    On the occasion of the poet's one-hundredth birthday, this masterwork is at last available in its entirety in English. When, on the eve of the Second World War, Nazim Hikmet (1902-1963)—Turkey's most acclaimed and popular poet—was sentenced to twenty-eight years in prison for his Communist beliefs, he embarked on the writing of his epic, Human Landscapes from My Country. This 17,000-line verse-novel is made up of a traveler's vivid encounters with Turkish men and women from all walks of life. In colloquial language, Hikmet stages their private hopes and griefs, and through these many human dramas, he documents Turkey's historic transformation into a secular republic. Human Landscapes from My Country is "lively...cinematographic...[able] to capture the least scholarly reader" (Denise Levertov). Human Landscapes from My Country was published in an abridged English-language version by Persea Books twenty years ago. This new edition marks a major event in contemporary world literature.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Human Landscapes of a Nation.......2002-11-19

    Nazim Hikmet's great Epic Poetry is written in simple lines that carry more than they seem. So much about a culture and its human side. Nazim Hikmet, regardless of his politic side, is a humanist that always believed in human beings and wished for the best for those who suffer. Human Landscapes is a masterpiece of his humanist side.

    5 out of 5 stars Great Book, and a good edition.......2002-10-27

    Nazim Hikmet and his poetry and prose are famous for various reasons, and I think with this specific edition the value of the poetry is very well communicated even to those who read Nazim for the first time. The translation, the glossary and the introductions are what make this edition great. As to what makes this book great... it is a very telling story of the history of the time in Turkey. The characters come alive and pass us by as we turn the pages and the reader becomes a part of the epic. While reading the story I felt like I was in Turkey and was turning my head to see where the noises were coming from only to be included in the daily lives of so many very well developed characters....
    The Night Parade: Poems
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		The Night Parade: Poems
      Edward Hirsch
      Manufacturer: Knopf
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

      20th Century20th Century | Poetry | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Poetry | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
      United StatesUnited States | Single Authors | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
      Similar Items:
      1. Lay Back the Darkness: Poems
      2. Earthly Measures: Poems
      3. On Love: Poems
      4. Wild Gratitude
      5. How to Read a Poem: And Fall in Love with Poetry

      ASIN: 0679722998
      Release Date: 2003-11-04

      Authors:

      1. Hitchcock, Jayne
      2. Hoag, Tami
      3. Hoban, Russell
      4. Hobb, Robin
      5. Hoddis, Jakob Van
      6. Hodgins, Jack
      7. Hoffman, Alice
      8. Hoffman, Daniel
      9. Hoffmann, E. T. A.
      10. Hofmannsthal, Hugo Von

      Authors

      Authors