The Hand of the Poet: Poems and Papers in Manuscript

by Rodney Phillips and Cleo Qian

Book Overview

Based on an enormously successful exhibition at The New York Public Library, The Hand of the Poet draws the reader into the real world of the poet - ink spots, tobacco stains, and all - by presenting a wide range of working drafts, letters, diary entries, photographs, and memorabilia. One hundred writers from the seventeenth century to the present day are represented. Biographies and portraits of each poet - alongside manuscripts of such legendary...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0847819582
• ISBN13: 9780847819584
• Release Date: March 1997
• Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications
• Length: 358 Pages
• Weight: 2.79 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 8.2" x 10.3"

Customer Reviews

For the aspiring poet, a good read

There is something magical about seeing well known and loved poems in the poet's own hand... this book provides an interesting insight into the works of a good number of well-known poets. A must-have for those who read poetry with more than just a passing interest, this book is also a good starting point for biographical information. Nice photographs, and, when necessary, captions transcribing the poets' sometimes illegible handwriting make this book a gem. Perfect for browsing.

from the exhibition

this was a nicely done book that helps show you the importance of the poet's original manuscript. all poets and poetry lovers should pick this one up.

a good representation of an excellent exhibit

This book is based on an 1996 exhibit in the New York Public Library which featured original material from one hundred poets, covering centuries of work, including poets as diverse as John Donne and Allen Ginsberg. Part of the appeal of the exhibit was seeing the actual original manuscripts, jotted notes, and correspondence right in front of you, and in that regard, the book can not live up. It is, nonetheless, excellent in its scope and interesting in its reproductions of the material from the exhibit. It would be particularly appealing to students or enthusiasts of poetry, that is, those with a prior background knowledge of the poets included. It would be of less value to someone looking for an introduction to poetry. I did thoroughly enjoy both the exhibit and the book and do strongly recommend it to any poetry enthusiast.

A nice gift book

Contains reproductions of original manuscripts, about one page each, of a wide range of well known authors. Nicely bound and wrapped, a good gift especially for aspiring authors or people very involved in literature.