The Prophet

A prophet has is about to board a ship home after 12 years in exile, when he is stopped by a group of people. His teachings to them, discussing love, marriage, crime, freedom and law among many other aspects of everyday life, form the 26 poetic essays of Gibran's work. The work has been a bestseller since its first publication.

The Best American Poetry 2009

David Wagoner writes about regular lives with plain grace and transcendent humanity, and the seventy-five poems he has chosen for the 2009 edition of The Best American Poetry grapple with life, celebrate freedom, and teem with imaginative energy.

Autobiography of Goethe

In the work of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832) one can find the seed of most German thought, literature, science and theology. A hugely influential man, not only on Germany but on the rest of Europe, Goethe's best known work is the two-part play Faust . Goethe was a privy-councilor to the Duchy of Weimar and his interest in foreign literature helped birth the concept of the world literature. George Eliot called Goethe "Germany's greatest man of letters…and...

The Cambridge Introduction to Sylvia Plath

A lucid overview of Plath's life, work, influence, and the critical reception of her writings to the present day.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Poetry

You’re no idiot, of course. You’ve read poetry that has touched your heart, and you’d like to improve your own writing technique. But even though you have loads of inspiration, you’re discovering that good instruction can be as elusive as a good metaphor. Don’t let your Muse leave you! With loads of smart advice and helpful exercises, The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Writing Poetry will help you compose powerful, emotion-packed poems that you can be proud of. In this Complete Idiot’s Guide®, you get:. --Simple explanations of the building blocks of poetry—metaphor, imagery, symbolism, repetition, and more. --A step-by-step guide to the poetic process—from your first inspiration to your poem’s last stanza. --Easy-to-follow guidelines for writing sonnets, sestinas, narrative poems, and more!