Collection: Poetry

This revised and expanded edition of The Essential Rumi includes a new introduction by Coleman Barks and more than 80 never-before-published poems of Rumi.

Through his lyrical translations, Coleman Barks has been instrumental in bringing this exquisite literature to a remarkably wide range of readers, making the ecstatic, spiritual poetry of thirteenth-century Sufi Mystic Rumi more popular than ever. The Essential Rumi continues to be the bestselling of all Rumi books, and the definitive selection of his beautiful, mystical poetry.

Pulitzer Prize winner Sylvia Plath's complete poetic works, edited and introduced by Ted Hughes.

By the time of her death on 11, February 1963, Sylvia Plath had written a large bulk of poetry. To my knowledge, she never scrapped any of her poetic efforts. With one or two exceptions, she brought every piece she worked on to some final form acceptable to her, rejecting at most the odd verse, or a false head or a false tail. Her attitude to her verse was artisan-like: if she couldn't get a table out of the material, she was quite happy to get a chair, or even a toy. The end product for her was not so much a successful poem, as something that had temporarily exhausted her ingenuity. So this book contains not merely what verse she saved, but--after 1956--all she wrote. -- Ted Hughes, from the Introduction

"The popularity of [Dog Songs] feels as inevitable and welcome as a wagging tail upon homecoming." --The Boston Globe

Mary Oliver's Dog Songs is a celebration of the special bond between human and dog, as understood through the poet's relationships to the canines that have accompanied her daily walks, warmed her home, and inspired her work. Oliver's poems begin in the small everyday moments familiar to all dog lovers, but through her extraordinary vision, these observations become higher meditations on the world and our place in it.

Dog Songs includes visits with old friends, like Oliver's beloved Percy, and introduces still others in poems of love and laughter, heartbreak and grief. Throughout, the many dogs of Oliver's life merge as fellow travelers and as guides, uniquely able to open our eyes to the lessons of the moment and the joys of nature and connection.

'This is a book for all the dead queers. It is an attempt at reconciling growing up in the shadow of the AIDS crisis with the realities of PrEP and 21st Century LGBTQ+ culture. It is about finding personal balance in the face of the limits of gender and sexuality. This is a book for anyone who has felt out of sync with mainstream cultures, queer or not.' --Michael J. Wilson

'Wilson's work shines.' --Publishers Weekly

dear self, is a free-flowing collection of gentle reminders and loving affirmations centered around self-love, self-acceptance, growth and healing. This collection takes you on a journey of deep reflection and introspection until you uncover the many layers of yourself that have been waiting to be loved.

Getting ready for sleep is tons of fun in this iconic board book from author and illustrator Sandra Boynton.

This classic bedtime story is just right for winding down the day as a joyful, silly group of animals scrub scrub scrub in the tub, brush and brush and brush their teeth, and finally rock and rock and rock to sleep.

The day is done.
They say good night,
and somebody
turns off the light.

Who, if I cried out, would hear me among the angelic
orders? and even if one of them pressed me
suddenly to his heart: I'd be consumed
in that overwhelming existence. For beauty is nothing
but the beginning of terror, which we can just barely endure,
and we stand in awe of it as it coolly disdains
to destroy us. Every angel is terrifying.
-from "The First Elegy"

Over the last fifteen years, in his two volumes of New Poems as well as in The Book of Images and Uncollected Poems, Edward Snow has emerged as one of Rainer Maria Rilke's most able English-language interpreters. In his translations, Snow adheres faithfully to the intent of Rilke's German while constructing nuanced, colloquial poems in English.

Written in a period of spiritual crisis between 1912 and 1922, the poems that compose the Duino Elegies are the ones most frequently identified with the Rilkean sensibility. With their symbolic landscapes, prophetic proclamations, and unsettling intensity, these complex and haunting poems rank among the outstanding visionary works of the century.

The Flowers of Evil, which T.S. Eliot called the greatest example of modern poetry in any language, shocked the literary world of nineteenth century France with its outspoken portrayal of lesbian love, its linking of sexuality and death, its unremitting irony, and its unflinching celebration of the seamy side of urban life. Including the French texts and comprehensive explanatory notes to the poems, this extraordinary body of love poems restores the six poems originally banned in 1857, revealing the richness and variety of the collection.

About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Explore the essence of life, love, nature, and time in exquisite verse with this elegantly designed edition of Emily Dickinson's finest poems.

Born in 1830 in Amherst, Massachusetts, to a prominent New England family and educated at Amherst Academy and Mt. Holyoke Female Seminary, Emily Elizabeth Dickinson lived most of her life in seclusion, devoted to writing. She scarcely left home, nor did she have many visitors. Only ten of her poems were published in her lifetime, submitted without her permission by friends. It was only after her death in 1886 that the scope of her work as a poet came to light--over 1,700 poems were discovered in a dresser drawer by her sister, Lavinia.

Emily Dickinson's poems reflect her loneliness, as well as her love of nature, the influence of the Metaphysical poets of seventeenth century England, and her strong Puritan religious beliefs. Yet, it is her use of language, form, and the deceptive simplicity of her verse that categorize her as an important force in nineteenth century American letters and, along with Walt Whitman, a founder of a distinctly American voice in modern poetry.

PRELUDE

THIS is my letter to the world,
That never wrote to me, --
That simple news that Nature told,
With tender majesty.

Her message is committed
To hands I cannot see;
For love of her, sweet countrymen,
Judge tenderly of me!

The Timeless Classics series from Rock Point brings together the works of classic authors from around the world. Complete and unabridged, these elegantly designed gift editions feature luxe, patterned endpapers, ribbon markers, and foil and deboss details on vibrantly colored cases. Celebrate these beloved works of literature as true standouts in your personal library collection.

A timeless collection of hundreds of poems that resonate to the American spirit.

Leaves of Grass is a timeless collection of poems and essays penned by influential nineteenth-century writer Walt Whitman. This profound compilation explores topics such as nature, mysticism, mortality, transcendentalism, and democracy. Inspired by personal experiences and observations, Whitman spent almost four decades piecing together the complete work, sharing societal ideals and epiphanies about life that still resonate with readers today. This sturdy leather-bound edition of the complete Leaves of Grass also includes Whitman's preface to the original 1855 edition, in which he expounds on his personal philosophy of writing poetry.

This collection is a story about the perseverance of the self and the strength of the community; the inevitability of becoming broken and beaten; the reminder that we are connected and we are exquisite; that our scars show where we did not die: and that when we are underestimated, bloodied, and battered, we will rise again.
Both personal and communal, drawing strength specifically from the Yazidi people through her time in Iraq - Maia tries to make sense of the utterly unimaginable and the all too common, so that the reader may take solace in exploring the beauty and depth of their own sheer strength in the face of pain and anguish.
The universe will always promise brutality and struggle.
Individuals will always possess the power of resilience.
Humanity will always offer a future.

The Song of Achilles and Circe get a sapphic, young adult twist in this "exciting, richly textured, thought-provoking" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) retelling of the myth of Arachne spun in moving verse.

Arachne is a homely girl with no claims to divinity or fortune, ostracized by all but her family and closest friend, Celandine. Turning to her loom for solace, Arachne learns to weave, finding her voice and her strength through the craft. After a devastating loss, Arachne and Celandine flee to the city of Colophon, where Arachne's skills are put to the test. Word of her talent spreads quickly, leading to a confrontation with the goddess Athena, who demands that Arachne repent for her insolence and pride.

But Arachne will not be silenced. She challenges Athena, and a fateful weaving contest ensues, resulting in an exposé of divine misdeeds, a shocking transformation, and unexpected redemption.

A brilliant weaver of words, author Rebecca Caprara transforms an ancient myth into a sweeping novel in verse, unraveling the tales that frame Arachne as a villainess and delivering a timely story of long-awaited justice.

Occupy Whiteness is a collection of hybrid erasure poems from inaugural Dallas Poet Laureate and multi-world slam competition winner Joaquín Zihuatanejo.

Starting from long-form works of literature by straight, white men, Joaquín Zihuatanejo occupies their pages, erasing words and sections, leaving only his poetry behind -- the white space that remains becoming colonized Brown verse.

Occupy Whiteness is an act of rebellion that reclaims spaces and highlights a history of erasure of Brown life.

An unflinching look at the present day, the collection is haunted and blessed by the image of ancestors who braved the river and desert to travel into border states for the opportunity of freedom. These are poems meant to agitate and create unease, to make the reader realize that neither their author nor the immigrant children he describes are Other. Through poems and interspersed photography from the border, Zihuatanejo poignantly depicts this equally beautiful and brutal place we call home.

The debut poetry collection from Lyndsay Rush (aka @maryoliversdrunkcousin) is a humorous and joyful celebration of big feelings, tender truths, and hard-won wisdom, for fans of Maggie Smith, Kate Baer, and Kate Kennedy.

At long last, a book of poetry for people who didn't even know they liked poetry. And they're in good company: author Lyndsay Rush didn't know she liked it either. That is, until she embarked on an internet experiment under the Instagram username @MaryOliversDrunkCousin that turned into a body of work that struck a chord with women across the country; thanks to her signature wordplay, witticisms, and--against all odds--wisdom.

With titles like "Shedonism", "Someone to Eat Chips With", "It's Called Maximalism, Babe", and "Breaking News: Local Women Gets Out of Bed", Rush's debut collection of poetry uses humor to grapple with the female experience--from questioning whether or not to have children, to roasting the patriarchy, to challenging what it means to "age gracefully"--and each piece delivers gut-punching truths alongside gratifying punchlines. Readers walk away from Lyndsay's work feeling seen, celebrated, and wholly convinced that joy is an urgent, worthwhile pursuit.

With over 140 convention-bending poems--most of which are never-before-seen--this book is quite literally A Bit Much.

Does loss define us, or do we define loss? Tracing the duality of grief as it reverberates through a family, Callie Siskel wrestles with questions of identity and inheritance in precise, lucid poetry. Two Minds indulges and therefore exposes the vanity of turning private pain into art and the pursuit of self-revelation. Drawing on ekphrasis, ars poetica, and the prose poem, Siskel expands the elegiac genre as she oscillates between childhood and adulthood, art and mythology, as well as the natural and domestic world. At once cerebral and emotional, Two Minds is an essential meditation on the ways that loss cleaves and doubles our perceptive power.

Winner of the 2023 Trio Award, Christian Gullette's Coachella Elegy explores the queer promised lands and poolside utopias of the American West even as they are threatened by environmental destruction. With precision and clarity, Gullette's poems wander the desert landscape of California, reveling in its beauties and challenging its sacred myths. His speaker seamlessly transports us from a hospital room where his husband battles cancer to the Palm Springs oasis where the vacationing couple celebrates survival. But their days of mimosas and the "spirit of unrestraint" are haunted by tragedy-the death of a young brother, the danger of climate change. In this utterly original debut, Gullette casts "a dream world that doesn't erode, doesn't mold," a story of pleasure against the odds, a story of endurance. Coachella Elegy is a lament for what is lost, and also an unforgettable song of hope and renewal.