Shakespeare
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
Shakespeare is one of the most important English poets of the Renaissance. One little-known detail about this edition is that it is dedicated to Sir Henry Irving, one of the most celebrated Shakespearean actors of the Victorian era. He was the first actor to receive a knighthood and helped shape how Shakespeare was brought to life on the stage.
It makes this old volume feel like a lovely meeting of Shakespeare on the page and Shakespeare in the theater. I purchased this at Book Reviews in Bluffton, Ohio.
Twelfth Night; or, What You Will — New Hudson Shakespeare, 1880
I have an early edition of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night; or, What You Will, published in 1880 as part of the New Hudson Shakespeare series. What makes this one especially interesting is that it wasn’t simply a reproduction of the play; it was designed to help readers understand Shakespeare through introductions, notes, and commentary.
King Lear — Graphic Novel Adaptation
Found this graphic novel adaptation of King Lear by William Shakespeare at Hyde Bros Bookstore, and it was one of those books that made me stop and take a closer look. Sometimes seeing a story unfold through illustrations can bring out emotions that might not come through quite the same way as when looking at text alone. Gareth Hinds does a wonderful job of showing Lear’s deteriorating state visually, making his journey feel even more heartbreaking.
The Plant-Lore and Garden-Craft of Shakespeare
Poetry Classics
The Song of Hiawatha — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1855
For those who wrote and asked what book I was gifted for Christmas in 2018, it was the 1855 copy of The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. I adored this story and cover and thought I needed to add it to my collection. I reread it the day we bought it. It's written in a poetic rhythm called trochaic tetrameter.
The Complete Poetical Works of John Greenleaf Whittier — 1876
Boston: James R. Osgood and Company, 1876. While the cover of this book is loose and the first few pages are well worn, the content itself is an interesting read, and I appreciate the historical notes in the back of the book. Whittier's poetry often captures something that can be easy to overlook—the ordinary moments that become precious memories.
He was deeply involved in the abolitionist movement and used his writing to oppose slavery.
Keats is one of those poets whose work makes you slow down and savor the words. Though his life was tragically short, he left behind some of the most beautiful poetry in the English language, including Ode to a Nightingale and To Autumn. There is something timeless about Keats—his love of beauty, nature, and the fleeting moments of life still feels remarkably fresh today.
The Best Known Works of Edgar Allan Poe
I have many editions of Edgar Allan Poe. Among my favorites is an older edition titled The Best Known Works of Edgar Allan Poe. I purchased it at Book Reviews. The same writer we associate with “The Raven” and dark, haunting tales like The Tell-Tale Heart also helped create the literary ancestor of Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, and countless modern detectives. I have many copies of Poe's works, and this includes graphic novels Poe: Stories and Poem Gareth Hinds Poe by Boom Studios
The Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson
I received a gift certificate from co-workers for a Barnes & Noble Bookstore, so I put it to good use. One of my purchases was The Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson. Dickinson turned inward and found poetry in nature, love, death, and the everyday moments around her, and she became much more widely appreciated after her death.
My 2022 Christmas gift included Beside Lake Beautiful, William Quayle, I'd actually read the description and thought this book would be right up my alley. Quayle was very much a bookish preacher. He quoted poetry and literature freely and believed that beautiful language could help people think about deeper things.
Poetry Collections & Anthologies
Academy Classics: American Poetry — 1923
Poetry collections are fun to find. I have the book Academy Classics American Poetry, published in 1923 and edited by A. B. De Mille. I thoroughly enjoy this edition as it has some of the best-known authors in literature.
Robert Frost Poetry for Children
Frost’s Poetry for Children is a lovely introduction to one of America’s best-known poets. His poems about nature, seasons, animals, and everyday life have a simplicity that makes them inviting for younger readers, while still offering something for grown-ups to enjoy. A sweet little collection for anyone who appreciates the beauty of Frost’s words.
James Weldon Johnson’s The Book of American Negro Poetry
James Weldon Johnson’s The Book of American Negro Poetry is a wonderful collection and a truly rewarding read. First published in 1922, it brings together the voices of Black American poets whose work is by turns beautiful, moving, thoughtful, and powerful. There is something special about discovering these poets together in one volume—a book that invites lingering over the words and returning to them again.
Poems by Alice and Phoebe Cary — Household Edition
My husband surprised me with a trip to a newly opened bookstore in a nearby town, and I selected Poems by Alice and Phoebe Cary—Household Edition, published by Houghton Mifflin. Both Alice and Phoebe Cary were also contributors to The Revolution, the influential newspaper run by Susan B. Anthony. The sisters' involvement in the suffrage movement and their support for social change give their poetry even more depth and relevance.
The Viking Book of Poetry of the English-Speaking World, Volume Two — 1941
Who doesn’t love a book that lets you wander through poetry from another time? My 1941 Volume Two of The Viking Book of Poetry of the English-Speaking World brings together poems from across the English-speaking world.
The World's Best Poems — 1946
The World's Best Poems, edited by Mark Van Doren and Garibaldi M. Lapolla, is a 1946 book from my collection. I have always had a love for poetry, so a book like this naturally catches my attention. I love that I can open it and find poems from different times, different places, and very different writers all gathered together in one book.
There is something special about an older collection of poetry. You never quite know what you are going to find when you turn the page. A poem can be hundreds of years old and still say something that makes you stop and think.
American Poems, Revised
I have always enjoyed finding my way through older poetry collections, and American Poems, Revised is one of those books that makes me stop and think about how far American literature has come. Beginning in 1752, it takes me back to a time when America was still young, and its literary voice was still developing.
The Young Guard - E. W. Hornung
I adore this collection of World War I Poems & Author's War Memoirs: Consecration, Lord's Leave, Last Post, The Old Boys, Ruddy Young Ginger, The Ballad of Ensign ... Uppingham Song and Wooden Crosses
Other Poetry Finds
Lucile — Robert, Lord Lytton, 1860
I went to the bookcase at the Pierce bookstore and selected this book. I don't recall ever seeing a manuscript arrangement quite like this before. This book is written in anapestic tetrameter couplets by Robert, Lord Lytton, published in 1860 under the pseudonym of Owen Meredith. My copy appears to be leather-bound and “gold-edged” with roses across the cover. The binding is in very poor condition.
The cover is torn and heavily cracked, but the book pages are in great condition. When I open the cover of this copy of Lucile, I see a faint image of Lord Lytton, and there is a lovely dedication to his Father in which the author appears to be somewhat uneasy.
Borrowed Water: A Book of American Haiku
Borrowed Water: A Book of American Haiku, by Los Altos Writers Roundtable Staff, has over 300 poems. I picked it up at Hyde Bros Bookstore in Indiana.
American haiku can take something incredibly ordinary—a bird, rain, a leaf, a fence, a moment outside—and make you stop and actually look at it. The familiar 5–7–5 pattern is a simplified way Americans often learn haiku. I'm informed that traditional Japanese haiku operate differently.
A gentle introduction to D. H. Lawrence’s poetry, featuring poems about nature, animals, childhood, and everyday life.
James Whitcomb Riley and William Somerset Maugham
I chose selections of James Whitcomb Riley and William Somerset Maugham from a second-hand bookstore as my 2023 Christmas gift. I loved the nostalgia and old illustrations and appreciated the connection to The Riley Hospital for Children. And I liked that Maugham could quietly expose the difference between what people say they believe and how they actually behave.
Wayside Inn — A Camera Impression by Samuel Chamberlain
I love old black and white photography and am rather fond of Longfellow, so I was more than pleased to find a copy to purchase of Longfellow's Wayside Inn, A Camera Impression by Samuel Chamberlain. When opening this book, one immediately recognizes Americana, and this book beautifully depicts the four seasons at the Wayside Inn; some of my favorite images are B's: Ballroom, Bar Room, Barn, and Birches.
In reading related works, I found that Longfellow returned to the Wayside Inn years after his first volume of Tales of a Wayside Inn, adding a second series in 1872 and a third in 1873. It appears the project grew over time, with new storytellers and new tales joining the original gathering.
How Far is Far? Peter Hilty
These are poems of Peter Hilty is signed by the author but not addressed to me. I picked it up in a bookstores ages ago and have held onto it. Many of the poems look back toward his Missouri childhood and his family's life.
Newer Works of Poetry
The Writers Bloc Club Don Lubov
Ada Lovelace Isabel Sanchez Vegara
It is said that what people like best about Keats's work is that his poems stimulate the imagination of his readers.
Seamus Heaney
Heaney won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995 "for works of lyrical beauty and ethical depth, which exalt everyday miracles and the living past."
Meet a Poet: Erik Fuhrer
Author, poet, microfiction writer, and educator Erik Fuhrer talks about reflection, self-expression, poetic rituals, rhyme, and finding your own way as a writer.
