Natural History Verse: An Anthology - Hardcover

This is a selection of nature poems taken mainly from the 19th century onwards. The introduction surveys the stylistic changes over the centuries, noting how the early idealized and stylized work gradually gave way to the imaginative poetry of the Romantics and the realism of the 20th century. It comprises a wide range of poets: Wordsworth, Clare, D.H. Lawrence and Ted Hughes feature prominently though little-known poets are also included. Some 20-25% of the work is devoted to non-British writers, the majority of whom are American, such as Robert Frost and Robinson Jeffers, but Canadian writers such as Archibald Lampman and Wilfred Campbell and Australians such as John Blight and Kenneth Mackenzie are included. Each section has poems on a particular aspect of nature, eg birds (the largest category), animals, seaons, landscape,in approximate chronological order, so that the reader can see how poetic attitudes and style have changed over the years. The editor has tried to select poems which treat their subject with originality and which he feels make us realize the pleasure which can be gained from the close observation of nature as well as including some which are amusing. An index of poems, first lines, and a list of poets and their nationalities is also included.