William Wordsworth
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- £5.99
Publisher Description
In this series, a contemporary poet selects and introduces a poet of the past. By their choice of poems and by the personal and critical reactions they express in their prefaces, the editors offer insights into their own work as well as providing an accessible and passionate introduction to the most important poets in our literature.
Earth has not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty . . .
-- Composed Upon Westminster Bridge,
September 3, 1802
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The Poetry for Young People series adds two renowned British Romantics: Samuel Taylor Coleridge, ed. by James Engell, illus. by Harvey Chan; and William Wordsworth, ed. by Alan Liu, illus. by James Muir. The first title features excerpts from some of Coleridge's most famous long narrative poems, such as "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," along with shorter works, such as "Answer to a Child's Question," which begins "Do you ask what the birds say? The sparrow, the dove,/ The linnet and the thrush say, `I love and I love!' " Wordsworth is organized around topics such as "Nature" and "Children and Young People," and includes famous works such as "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud." The poet's love of nature shines throughout, as in the opening lines of "It Is a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free": "It is a beauteous evening, calm and free,/ The holy time is quiet as a Nun/ Breathless with adoration." As befits each poet, the artwork for Coleridge tends toward the more mystical and fantastic, while that for Wordsworth focuses on realistic and natural scenes.
