Nature: Poems Old and New

by May Swenson

Book Overview

The first major gathering of May Swenson's poems in a decade, this posthumous collection concentrates on her nature poems. Drawn from nearly fifty years of her work, Naturecontains 182 poems, many... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0618064087
• ISBN13: 9780618064083
• Release Date: April 2000
• Publisher: Mariner Books
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Great poems for a daughter

I am not a poetry guy; I really like horror fiction by Stephen King and Clive Barker. However, my 20 year old daughter loved it the first time through and still sometimes pulls it out to reread some of her favorites; sorry I'm a bad father as I don't recall which ones.

A voluptuous vision

May Swenson weaves surprising humor, vivid detail, and startling imagery into her poetry. It's always alive with fresh ways of describing the familiar, and held together by a subtle but strong philosophical thread. She has the knack of writing immediately accessible poetry that's never watered down, never less than rigorous & precise -- yet she never lets the reader see the intricate structure behind the brilliance of the image. There's always the sense of a fiercely intelligent spirit at play in her work. The poetry gathered here is about Nature ... but we're not talking about a vague, bland, greeting card version of Nature. This is the world both harsh & beautiful, bleak & transcendant, often astonishingly erotic & intimate. Reading her poetry is like drinking a particularly rich & sparkling wine, tinged with rare spices. And in reading, all your senses will be dizzy & dazzled before you know it. Most highly recommended!

As Bountiful As Nature Itself

Swenson is a master at pithy telling of the heart and the natural world. Her poetry is so open, so enjoyable to eat. You feel how much heart and insight she has, while reveling in her brevity and images. Tim Siegel Friends Wilderness (Retreat) Center www.friendswilderness.org

May Swenson

My introduction to May Swenson came when I recently met the person to whom all of her work has been bequeathed. I found May Swenson's work to be very accessible, which is not the "vogue" in poetry at the moment. Anyone can understand and be touched. Her childlike humor mixed with her sometimes profound subject matter makes this book a treasure trove of sweet, funny, heart-wrenching, fascinating poems that you'll want to flip in and out of over and over again. It has made me interested in the rest of her work and life.