Dover Thrift Editions: Poetry

In this first-ever anthology, more than 80 acrostics show the versatility of a storied poetic form that dates back to ancient times. In standard acrostics, the initial letters of successive lines spell out words when read vertically. Highlights include Lewis Carroll's acrostic about the namesake of his Alice character, Edward Lear's humorous alphabet poem, Edgar Allan Poe's sonnet with a name arranged diagonally, and a forty-stanza poem spelling out the Lord's Prayer. Informative chapter introductions explore acrostic legends, including Sir John Davies, who began the tradition of using the form to praise someone's name with acrostics about Queen Elizabeth I, and George Moses Horton, an African American slave who peddled produce and poems before he learned to write. "Beginning with ancient acrostic poetry, the information in this remarkable book shares the fascinating history of this poetic form. Michael Croland's well chronicled details reveal how acrostics have woven through society's history. This rewarding collection of poems is a welcome gift for spreading interest and delight in acrostics." -Avis Harley, author of African Acrostics: A Word in Edgeways "There's a first time for everything," 'they say, and that is apparently true for Michael Croland's gathering of poems written in the venerable verse form called "acrostics." . . . Croland has treated the subject exhaustively in this interesting volume.'" -Lewis Turco, author of The Book of Forms "Far from basic poetry, acrostics, the introduction notes, 'have an ancient history in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew' and transcend the constrained form. From Blackwell's three-line acrostic about the sun to Chilton's lengthy poem about The Lord's Prayer, readers will savor poems on assorted subjects from both famous authors and unknown writers." -Lisa M. Bolt Simons, author of Acrostic Poems "Aficionados of wordplay will delight in this long overdue compendium of an often undervalued art form, which also discusses its history and highlights, along with variations ancient and modern such as the hidden acrostics in Shakespeare, Joyce, and, not unexpectedly, Lewis Carroll." -Mark Burstein, president emeritus of The Lewis Carroll Society of North America "It's a poetic party on paper for Word Nerds like me, and a must-read for devotees of the form." -Brian P. Cleary, author of Bow-Tie Pasta: Acrostic Poems

This volume combines two of Joyce's poetry books, “Chamber Music” (1907), a collection of thirty-six love poems, and “Pomes Penyeach” (1927), which features thirteen poems-with two longer poems by Joyce, "The Holy Office" and "Gas from a Burner."

Famous for his nostalgic poems invoking the people and places of rural Indiana, James Whitcomb Riley (1849—1916) earned himself the nickname "the Hoosier poet." His verse also earned him election to the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the gold medal of the National Institute of Arts and Letters, and several honorary degrees. This volume contains a rich selection of his best and most familiar poems - filled with the warmth, humor, and picturesque Hoosier dialect that made Riley one of the most beloved American poets. Included are "The Old Swimmin'-Hole," "The Raggedy Man," "When the Frost Is on the Punkin," "Little Orphant Annie," "An Old Sweetheart of Mine," and many more.

This superb collection of 26 works features the poet's masterpiece "The Waste Land", the complete Prufrock and Other Observations, "The Hollow Men," and the collection Poems.

Poets have long treated birds as a captivating source of inspiration as metaphors, references, and symbols of death, eternity, life, love, power, religious beliefs, and superstitions. Others have used different types of birds to express their thoughts and emotions. This volume highlights these remarkable creatures as they take flight from the Elizabethan era through the twentieth century. Selections from classic to contemporary authors include poems by William Blake, Emily Dickinson, John Keats, Herman Melville, Edgar Allan Poe, Wallace Stevens, William Carlos Williams, William Butler Yeats, and others. This anthology is ideal for classroom use, independent study, and personal perusal.

Countee Cullen (1903–46) was an African American poet, playwright, and novelist and a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance. Copper Sun, a collection of over fifty poems, is his second book of poetry. Cullen explores the emotional consequences of race, religion, and sexuality in Jazz Age America. His lyrics are moving, eloquent, and poignant and are as powerful today as when they were first published nearly a century ago. Accompanied by seventeen beautiful Art Deco illustrations from the original publication, his poems will open up conversations about courage, heartache, identity, love, and more while nourishing your spirit every step along the way.

Renowned for her acerbic wit, cynicism, and satirical humor, Dorothy Parker skewered the pretensions of everyday life and clichéd relations between men and women in her debut poetry collection, published in 1926. Originally printed in Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and Life magazine, her early poems were a runaway success with the young, liberated women of the Jazz Age. Notable for their lighthearted, clever verse and razor-sharp quips, the selections include "A Well-Worn Story," "Godspeed," "News Item," "Résumé," "The False Friends," "Verse for a Certain Dog," and many others. Once known as "the wittiest woman in America," Parker was a founding member of the Algonquin Round Table and the Screen Writers Guild.