Hello Reader!
I hope your day is going well :) During summer, I find poems to be the most comforting thing to read. Not only do they embrace the season, but the common topics of love, excitement, and romantic feelings are always my favorite. I picked this up from a local bookstore and fell in love with the cover, published by Avenel Books in 1998, while a little outdated, it remains a classic.
This book is a collection of poems from some of the most famous authors, poets, and writers across the world, (as clearly stated) from Shakespeare to Emily Dickinson and even sections of The Bible. With a beautiful introduction that describes the large scope of what poetry is, " Each of the selections in this group of famous poems has been chosen because it has stood the test of experience for a great many people and seems likely to reach the hearts of many more for years to come."
Isn't this book just beautiful!! Ahhh the aesthetics of summer and old books, anyways I wanted to dive into a few of some of my favorite poems from the collection!
" Address of Ruth to Naomi" - From the Bible, The Book Of Ruth (19)
I can't say I'm a complete expert in everything biblical, growing up and never really hearing about the bible, the relationship between Ruth and Naomi confused me. I know recently there have been connections made by readers about a possible romantic feeling between the two, however, in my English class the relationship between Ruth and Naomi had always been described in a family way and I can see that throughout this poem. Naomi wishes only the best for Ruth and Oprah, expects Ruth to remarry of course, and only to face her dedication. Ruth reassures her" The Lord do so to me, and more also, If ought but death part thee and me." (19) It's so interesting to see how easily Ruth dedicated her future alongside her mother-in-law regardless of no blood ties or obligations between the two. Of course, later on, Ruth finds her future husband but supports Naomi for the rest of her life, she understands the struggle between women and the tie they must have to a man for stability and provides this to Naomi with nothing in return. The familiar love and care of women in such a time while maintaining the ideals of family was beautifully written and allowed the poem to display the bond of family.
" She Walks In Beauty" - George Gordon, Lord Byron (52-53)
Whoever inspired this poem truly is the most beautiful person on this planet, the way I would die to be written as such. This poem is a classic love poem, an appreciation of what seems to be the clearest sign of what a woman is. While a direct person is rarely pointed towards throughout this poem, the description of what makes this woman from her eyes or face, and the subtle details, truly make a reader fall in love with this woman herself. Her time is " But tell of days in goodness spent... A heart whose love is innocent." (53) Without a single word, she is described as beautiful throughout these Stanzas, but specifically in the third, we see how she views her life in a timeline. Living in the present unbothered by the devastation often found in the past or the negative inevitable of the future. The repetition of just how honest and overall pure she is interested in the description of women, she quite literally embodies serenity and feminine traits beyond a lover, but rather a being of beauty untouchable by time.
Although this book is full of all types of poems from a variety of authors, I felt a little disappointed to see a large portion of these poems coming from European or American-based authors. There is a tornado of writers who have made their impact on literature and poetry in general. I can't nitpick too much based on the timing of when this was published, however, seeing a poem from Sappho or Maya Angelou and other influential female writers would have really allowed for a collection of " The World's Best Loved Poems" to feel complete. I would love to see a follow-up or a second volume of this series though! With the growth and further discovery of influential artists across the globe, having a true collection of pieces of literature from a variety of places and people would allow casual and avid lovers of poetry to find comfort in a diverse collection of poetry.
Overall, A Treasury Of The World's Best Loved Poems gives insight into the most influential and well-known pieces of American and English Poetry. With summer just beginning, this book fills a reader with the classic tales of love, care, and commitment, a wrap of romance.
With lots of love
- The Library Diary ~☆
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