LITMIR.BIZ

Loosely based on the Arthurian legend of the Holy Grail and the Fisher King, “The Waste Land”, which first appeared in 1922, is a landmark work of Modernist poetry. Containing hundreds of allusions and quotations from other works, “The Waste Land” is marked by a disjointed structure which moves between voices and imagery without a clear delineation for the reader, a hallmark of Modernist literature. Arguably Eliot’s most famous work, the theme of the poem, as the title would suggest, is ultimately a dire one, of disillusionment, despair, and death. Also included in this collection is “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” a work which preceded “The Waste Land” having been first published in 1910. Regarded as the beginning of Eliot’s influential period, “Prufrock” was considered idiosyncratic at first but with time has been recognized as an important shift in poetry from the Romantic era to the Modernist one. “The Wasteland and Other Poems”, which includes an additional twenty-three poems, collects some of the most pivotal works of the Modernist literary movement, which would establish Eliot as one of the most important poets of the 20th century.

Подробнее

Upon its original publication in 1857 Charles Baudelaire’s “Les Fleurs du Mal” or “The Flowers of Evil” was embroiled in controversy. Within a month of its publication the French authorities brought an action against the author and the book’s publisher claiming that the work was an insult to public decency. Eventually the French courts would acknowledge the literary merit of Baudelaire’s work but ordered that six poems in particular should be banned from subsequent publication. The notoriety caused by this scandal would ultimately work in the author’s favor causing the initial publication to sell out, thus prompting the publication of another edition. The second edition was published in 1861, it included an additional thirty-five poems, with the exclusion of the six poems censored by the French government. In this volume we reproduce that 1861 edition along with the six censored poems in an English translation by William Aggeler. Rich with symbolism, “The Flowers of Evil” is rightly considered a classic of the modernist literary movement. Its themes of decadence and eroticism seek to exhibit Baudelaire’s criticism of the Parisian society of his time. This edition includes an introduction by Frank Pearce Sturm.

Подробнее

Upon its original publication in 1857 Charles Baudelaire’s “Les Fleurs du Mal” or “The Flowers of Evil” was embroiled in controversy. Within a month of its publication the French authorities brought an action against the author and the book’s publisher claiming that the work was an insult to public decency. Eventually the French courts would acknowledge the literary merit of Baudelaire’s work but ordered that six poems in particular should be banned from subsequent publication. The notoriety caused by this scandal would ultimately work in the author’s favor causing the initial publication to sell out, thus prompting the publication of another edition. The second edition was published in 1861, it included an additional thirty-five poems, with the exclusion of the six poems censored by the French government. In this volume we reproduce that 1861 edition along with the six censored poems in an English translation by William Aggeler along with the original French. Rich with symbolism, “The Flowers of Evil” is rightly considered a classic of the modernist literary movement. Its themes of decadence and eroticism seek to exhibit Baudelaire’s criticism of the Parisian society of his time. This edition includes an introduction by Frank Pearce Sturm.

Подробнее

Along with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Keats is considered one of the most important figures in the second generation of English Romantic poets. Born on Halloween in 1795, John Keats lived a very short life, dying at the age of twenty-five from tuberculosis. In 1814 John Keats began an apprenticeship with Thomas Hammond, a surgeon and apothecary and by 1816 had achieved his apothecary’s license, which allowed him to practice medicine. However Keats passion lied elsewhere and by the end of 1816 he was resolved to be a poet and not a surgeon. Despite his short life, Keats produced an immense volume of poetry; however the esteem of his reputation rests primarily on the quality of his Odes, which are marked by their use of sensual imagery. Keats was not well-received during his lifetime and sensing his imminent death viewed himself as a failure as is evidenced by the following statement written in an 1820 letter to Fanny Brawne: “I have left no immortal work behind me—nothing to make my friends proud of my memory—but I have lov'd the principle of beauty in all things, and if I had had time I would have made myself remember’d.” History of course has remembered Keats differently, as one of the truly great poetic talents of all-time. This edition includes his complete poetical works and includes an introduction by Britain’s poet laureate Robert Bridges.

Подробнее

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), the reclusive and intensely private poet saw only a few of her poems (she wrote well over a thousand) published during her life. After discovering a trove of manuscripts left in a wooden box, Dickinson’s sister Lavinia, fortunately, chose to disobey Emily’s wishes for her work to be burned after death. With the help of Amherst professors, Lavinia brought her sister’s gifted verse into print. “The Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson” brings together the first three series of her posthumous publications which debuted respectively in 1890, 1891, and 1896. It is here in this collection that we witness her poetic depth and range of style. The myth that surrounds Dickinson’s life is enhanced by the ethereal quality of her poetry. Dickinson’s idiom is as varied as her meter, and her unconventional use of punctuation, metaphor, and image make her an innovator of the lyric akin to many of the early modernists. These poems examine love, death, and nature with an effortless yet complex tone and voice. Now one of the most read and admired American poets, Dickinson’s poetry deservedly continues to resonate with modern readers.

Подробнее

Подробнее

Подробнее

Подробнее

First published in 1901, “Four Leaf Clover” is a collection of beautiful poetry by Ella Higginson. Ella Rhoads Higginson (1862 – 1940) was an prominent American author famous for her award-winning poetry, fiction, and essays set in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. She produced two collections of short stories, six books of poetry, a travel book, a novel, more than a hundred short stories, over three hundred poems, and many essays. Other notable works by this author include: “The Voice of April-Land and Other Poems” (1903), “Alaska, the Great Country” (1908), and “The Vanishing Race” (1911). The poems include: “Four-Leaf Clover”, “The Trembling Heart”, “The Little Girl of Violet-Land”, “September”, “The Darkest Hour”, “Sleep”, “The Cry of the Drowned”, “Mother's Picture”, “The Mirror”, “Surrender in Victory”, “The Star”, “Foreordination”, “The Rose”, “March”, and more. This fantastic collection is not to be missed by those with an interest in American literature and in the Pacific Northwest in general. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition for the enjoyment of readers now and for years to come.

Подробнее

After 60 years at Gethsemani Abbey, Br. Paul follows up his recent memoir, In Praise of the Useless Life, with a poetic collection that shows how to do just that – by writing poetry. Amounting to Nothing is both practical and metaphysical, a puzzling over the ultimate things of life, and a descending on the Benedictine ladder of humility to the earthly creatures surrounding a Kentucky monastery. This is less an exploration in self-knowledge than a forgetting of self in the wonders of everything. Quenon treads bare footed on the margins of mortality and immortality, with wit, thought, and hope.

Подробнее