English Poetry Literature

New York Times bestselling author and former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins captures the essence and mystery of dogs in this special collection of poems inspired by our beloved companions, with striking watercolor canine portraits by Pamela Sztybel. “Collins remains the most companionable of...

As exhilarating today as they were at the time of being written, Homer's epic poems transport the listener on a courageous and daring journey at the heart of one of the most infamous wars in history. Discover the heroism and compassion of soldiers at the close of the Trojan War in The Iliad, as well as the devastating aftermath of the conflict in The Odyssey. Exploring themes such as bravery, mortality and homecoming, both works are a unique insight into ancient Greek culture.

There Was an Old Woman (Who Lived in a Shoe): What do you do when you live in a shoe? Save up some loot and move to a boot! There Was a Crooked Man: Everything is a little crooked in this silly rhyme everyone loves to recite.

African American literature is the body of literature produced in the United States by writers of African descent. It begins with the works of such late 18th-century writers as Phillis Wheatley. Before the high point of enslaved people narratives, African-American literature was dominated by autobiographical spiritual narratives. The genre known as slave narratives in the 19th century were accounts by people who had generally escaped from slavery, about their journeys to freedom and ways they claimed their lives.

Lovers of cats and poetry, prepare to be amazed and entertained! A Carnival of Cats features sixty-three poems and twelve watercolor paintings that explore the author’s love for and admiration of cats—their beauty, grace, and inscrutable character—and his bemused surmises as to what motivates their puzzling, distinctive, often delightful behaviors. This engaging book tells stories of cats the author has known and cherished—pets, strays, those who are a little of both, and some met only for one special moment.

One evening on Lāhaina’s Front Street, as Shaffer walked to an evening with friends, someone passing on the sidewalk commented, “The islands are even further west than I thought.” Those accidental words, like poetry, shifted his perspective once again regarding the place he lives. Even Further West is a collection of poems written of, in, and on the Hawaiian islands.

Theogony & Works and Days by Hesiod are foundational texts of ancient Greek literature, offering a powerful blend of myth, morality, and early philosophical thought. In Theogony, Hesiod presents the first systematic account of Greek mythology, tracing the origins of the cosmos and the genealogy of the gods—from Chaos and Gaia to Zeus and the Olympian order.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda’s first poetry collection Flashes and Verses… Becoming Attractions uniquely waxes lyrical on such pop cultural icons as Marilyn Monroe, Billie Holliday, Muhammad Ali and David Bowie. He also crafts the most dynamic ekphrastic poems inspired by photos and artwork by Helmut Newton, Edward Hopper and Leonardo da Vinci. He composes the most bedazzling bilingual odes to Sandra Cisneros and Juan Felipe Herrera.

The Iliad stands as the blazing cornerstone of all Western storytelling, an ancient epic that captures the violent splendor, tragic heroism, and unbearable human cost of the Trojan War. Attributed to Homer but shaped by generations of oral poets, it plunges listeners directly into the final, furious weeks of a ten-year siege, where gods interfere in mortal affairs, armies clash on the dusty plains beneath Troy’s towering walls, and the fate of empires turns on the choices of men driven by pride, rage, love, and grief.

One of a kind collection of poems devoted to the distinguished London market shopping locations. Through rich vocabulary the author recollects her impressions of the mysterious and celebrated institutions. The journey takes the listener across London and across time. It illuminates on the traditions and customs that shaped the markets through their rich history and embellished them with masterpieces by renowned architects. It presents the modern image, fuelled by globalisation and commercialisation. It accentuates the significance of the demographics in defining their future.

From Neolithic axe heads to Bronze Age warrior shields, Roman tiles, Byzantine ivory, Elgin Marbles, Elizabethan jewellery, Victorian pottery and contemporary textiles, London museums possess vast treasures of world heritage, displaying them to current generations and preserving them for the future. Through eloquent verse, Lande Jewels transports the listener to the multitude of cosmopolitan’s wonderful museums.

A one of a kind narrative nonfiction collection of poems devoted to wild urban dwellers.

This cheerful book full of informative narrative poems takes the listener through ancient pagan traditions that inspired the celebration as we know it today. From the Roman Saturnalia to Norse Yule, from Persian god Mithras to Jesus Christ, there are fables, symbols and lessons to learn that the book eloquently relays. Christmas tree, christingle, mistletoe, Santa Claus, mince pie, stockings, angels, wreaths, turkey—all come to life in fun trivia stories.

The Odyssey is the greatest adventure story ever written, and one of the great epic masterpieces of Western literature For almost 3,000 years, it has been a storehouse of ancient Greek folklore and myth. It is also our very first novel, if we think of it in terms of romantic plot development, realistic characterizations, frequent change of scene, and heroic dramatic devices.

The Arthurian legend of Camelot has been told many times, but never better than by Alfred Tennyson. Employing some of the most stirring and beautiful blank verse ever written, Tennyson crafted his version of the Knights of the Round Table over the course of nearly fifty years, completing it in 1885. Despite the length of time, Tennyson managed to maintain a high level of style and continuity throughout.

A dirty, skinny, dog shows up in Sam and Katie's neighborhood. They start to follow it, and they don't like what they see: The Wilson sisters yell at it because it goes in their garden and the Tracy twins chase it on their bikes and throw things at it. Sam and Katie want the dog to know they'll be its friends. They think it should have a name. Most of all, they want it to like them. But then they do something thoughtless, and after that, it's hard to make things right, especially because the dog now won't come near them.

Inspired by the #SayHerName campaign launched by the African American Policy Forum, these poems pay tribute to victims of police brutality as well as the activists insisting that Black Lives Matter. Elliott engages poets from the past two centuries to create a chorus of voices celebrating the creativity, resilience, and courage of Black women and girls.

This heart-wrenching novel in verse describes the life of a poor girl surviving the Irish Land War and the everyday challenges she experiences.

From award-winning Irish author Meg Grehan comes an accessible and beautifully crafted middle-grade novel-in-verse about Stevie, a young girl reckoning with anxiety about the many things she has yet to understand - including her feelings about her friend Chloe.

At last - here from the team behind the beloved international best seller comes a companion to Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site. All of our favorite trucks are back on the construction site - this time with a focus on team-building, friendship, and working together to make a big task seem small!