Thrilling verse from the father of modern poetry.
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Jules LaForgue, for so long underrecognised in his own country, is now seen as the father of modern poetry, especially influential on the work of Eliot and Pound in terms of persona, language, reaction to modernity, and  the violent incongruity of his metaphors and images.
This edition boasts  excellent prose translations of the poems by Graham Dunstan Martin.  These  may be insufficient for the non-French speaker, but the problem with  translations that try to catch the spirit of the original rather than the  detail, such as Ron Padgett's translations of Blaise Cendrars, is that  necessary omissions can lead to dilution and distortion.  So, I suppose,  this book is best recommended for those, like myself, who have a smidgeon  of mediocre French, and can compare their own efforts against Martin's  grammatically correct translations.
His introduction is refreshingly free  of jargon, and with great simplicity, he details LaForgue's tragically  early life, his intellectual precusors, his cultural milieu, his themes and  his methods.  LaForgue's poetic skill often has to transcend the essential  banality of his philosophy, and Martin's discussion of LaForgue's pervasive  irony seems to suggest that his work is often about nothing at all if every  comment, even if it's 'ironic' is ironically cancelled out by irony (oh  yes).
The first selection of which I've just read is largely juvenelia  entitled 'The Grief Of the Earth'.  Martin warns of the young LaForgue's  vulnerablility to Hugo's influence, based on considerable rhetorical  bombast, and these poems aren't free of railing against God, the weather,  'ordinary' people, the world, the Unconscious.
But even this early in his  oeuvre, LaForgue shows remarkable brilliance.  He uses conventional forms,  such as the sonnet or lyric, but rends their frames with the exciting  violence of his vocabulary, the unnerving juxtapositional clashes he  achieves.  His poems often start out as one thing, offering a certain set  of emotions, which, through irony, and exagerration, become something  totally different, more disturbing.  The 'Lament of the Notre-Dame  organist' is a case in point.  The hero begins grieving movingly for his  dying lover, but he gets so carried away by his grand sentiments, that he  thinks her already dead, and savours the lashing he'll give to the  Almighty, and the eternal doleful Bach fugues he'll play.  A pitiable,  Romantic, lover has become something much more modern and  disturbing.
It's not all violence though.  There is a lovely debate  between a clown and Jesus over the paradox of free-will and God's  omniscience; a strange lament by lonely Parisians for the superficial, but  gay and alive,  high society that has abandoned them during winter; a danse  macabre by a grotesque infant whose mother calls him beyond the grave; and  a mellow, despairing tribute to poetry, cigarettes and dreams as escapes  from the living death that is our existence.  I can't wait to try  LaForgue's more mature work.
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What can be said about this masterpiece that has not been said already?  There is good reason behind measuring all epic poetry up against the standard defined by Homer in his two great works, the Iliad and The Odyssey.  From Achilles' heated argument with Agamemnon over his slave-girl to the moving final scene of Priam begging for a lost body, this work is absolutely phenomenal.  I cannot find even the words to praise it enough.

The translation done here by Robert Fitzgerald is excellent.  The verse flows smoothly, the epithets are well-placed and not cumbersome, and the action is crisp and pure.  Fitzgerald did a wonderful job of this translation, preserving (in my mind, though I've never read the Greek) the integrity of this poem very well.  This great epic should be required reading for everyone.
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SINCEIAMHEREIMIGHTASWELLEATTHATORANGE is a collection of free verse poetry and some of the best poetry Ive had the pleasure of reading in quite a while. These are very brief pieces, but pack a wallop, as poet Geoffrey Alexander examines the human condition.

These poems are untitled, but each looks at a different topic and emotion. Plus, Alexanders imagery is vivid, not always beautiful, but highly effective. For example,

He Struck an ugly pose
Laughed with one rotten tooth
Crooked head, slanted nose
I came to tell the truth.

I appreciated not only the picture, but also the word choices. I also loved this one:

No amount of steps
Going forward or
Backwards
Will stop you
From going over the edge

This was thought-provoking and struck a chord with me. It spoke to the futility of lifea downer, I suppose, but entirely truthful.

If you love modern poetry, I would suggest downloading this haunting, gorgeous collection. Ill definitely look for more from this author.
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Walt Whitman is a genius of a poet. He takes what seems like existential ramblings, and turns them into beautiful and self-reflective pieces of art. This is not just poetry, it's literally a thesis on life, a philosophical treasure, a song that celebrates being alive, a picture depicting the cycles of life, an ode to the SOUL - simple thoughts, taken to extraordinary levels by an extraordinary man.

Although to some, the poems may be too open-ended, long, tedious or verbose to appear enjoyable - but, when you lay bare the meaning behind Whitman's words, you cannot help but feel empowered, aware, introspective, a believer in life, the lover of a human body, and a worshiper of the human soul. What more can you ask from a poet, and his poetry? Read it, live it, and love it!
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Can't imagine Housman read better.  Read rhythmically (but not badly) by a gifted British actor.  All 63 poems are on the disc (just over an hour long).  The meter, rhymes and meaning are all there.  Poe said all poems should be lyrics and express a single feeling, and that feeling should be sadness.  I myself only like lyrics, but don't agree with Poe about what feeling they should express.  But Housman's poems are truly sad, more so, more realistically than Poe's.  And I never felt it so strongly before I heard this reading.
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I have read through every poem in this book several times now over the months I have owned this book.  I am amazed again and again at the depth and creativity this man brought to poetry. He wrote so down to earth, and yet with such profound depth of feeling.  You can see as well how his translation of ancient Greek made him see his own Irish landscape and people as twins to those old, old people and stories.  Wonderful book!
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Fred Dings' work always reminds me of Wordsworth's line that "poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility."  Dings is a rare poet in that he skillfully utilizes very classical forms to convey very modern themes. The result is stunning.  As Coleridge would say, his poetry expresses "more than the usual emotion" in a format of "more than the usual order."  I, too, would like to see a little more play with metre in his work, because the intentional variations would be very powerful -- and there is no doubt he has the skill.  But why force an outside opinion on a very original and unique voice?  Dings' form and metre is integral to his compelling voice as a writer.  He is complex and deep while also being accessible.  His work expresses with exquisite elegance the decidedly inelegant parts of our deepest selves.  His work is downright heartbreaking at times and you may not even see it coming.  More than the usual emotion set into more than the usual order.  One of a kind.
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One of my husband's favorite poets is W.S. Merwin. I feel so fortunate that I was able to beat my husband to the purchase so I could gift it to him. He is very pleased. Merwin's poetry delights him.
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Dante's masterpiece THE DIVINE COMEDY is well worth anyone's time to read. The epic poem is all things: a journey of self, a divine romance, an exciting personal "vision" of Hell, Heaven and Purgatory. But, as with most poems of this length from a time long, long ago (13th century), any modern reader who is not a scholar, academic, or university student is likely to keep this book on the shelf and not read it. That was me, and then I found Gallegher's book and decided to take the plunge and give Dante a fair chance. What a surprise! Dante is VERY modern, and Galleghar proves that in his very, very readable book that breaks down incredibly complex historical references, religious references, and classical allustions and obscure imagery for the modern reader. And even though THE DIVINE COMEDY has its philosophical moments, its action moves quickly through short cantos (chapters), and Gallegher (much better than Cliff's or Monarch Notes!!) causually speaks with readers, answering all of the questions that a reader would ask. It's like he has read the readers' minds.

This would be a perfect text for high school teachers who are required to teach Dante but have no idea as to how to approach a modern youth with 13th century POETRYm starting off with his question and answer introduction "A Catechism of the Comedy." A sampling of some of the questions are: "Is THE DIVINE COMEDY a difficult book to read?" "Do we need to know about his life?" "Why is this work so special and so highly honored?" "Is it really a comedy?" "If it is a comedy, why is it called "divine"?" The answers Gallegher gives are spot on, direct, modern and complete. What is great also about the answers, is that even though they are clear at a young person's level, they are just as valuable to an adult who is not a liberal arts major.

In addition, Gallegher's wonderful Appendix also includes complete summaries of all of Dante's other works, including his letters and questions about "his remains."

Just as the poet Virgil takes Dante's hand and guides him through the heavenly and not so heavenly regions, Gallegher's modern -- always modern -- analysis of THE DIVINE COMEDY will make any reader feel as though the reading journey was worth it. I also understand much, much better now why THE DIVINE COMEDY is just as valuable a read as books by Homer, Shakespeare, and Anne Rice (just joking). THE DIVINE COMEDY is a lot of fun to read, but if you want to get even more from your reading experience, Gallegher's TO HELL & BACK is perfect for the non-scholar.
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Very well done narrative with poem readings about one of the world's great modern voices, who happens to have been Irish!
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The author of Halcyon Wings, is most brilliant and talented poet, whose writings only continue to excel in the depth of emotion:borne out of many experiences, doubtless, and also from the inspirational writers of old, from whom Nithin Purple has been inspired. . .P B Shelley being amongst the uppermost.

It was a pleasure to read this book. When I first heard news of publication, I was also inspired to pursue my dream to publish, and I was and still am delighted to know and read work from the most talented poet. His mind for understanding native language and also English, is pretty impressive, to put it very mildly. How cleverly Percy Bysshe Shelley issues forth from the pen to screen to the page!

Nothing like reading enchanting poetry in this our time which retains elements of antiquity of bygone years! Superb and brilliant writing like this, in my humble opinion, should not be overlook'd nor placed upon a shelf to be forgotten; nay, instead, the light should arise and glow upon Halcyon Wings, and the pure gemstones, so rare and magnificent they be, glisten as the stars in the night sky. . .so that many others may also enjoy them!

I look forward to reading more work from the most talented writer I have known! Truly remarkable reading of excellent and extraordinary talented mind. Take a bow, Nithin, for ye have done exceeding great work here!

Best regards to thee,
~Timothy
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'If I could Fly" is undoubtedly written to a very high standard, and a classic collection of a well versed and expertly written short poems. Malcolm I would like to thank you very much for sharing this fantastic work with the general public and novice poets. I especially enjoyed "Flying",a rich poem describing the lost art of connecting with each other in the world bombarded with high tech and time wasting cell phones.
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The poems included in this book show a wonderful wealth of  original thought. The flights of the poet's imagination are quite impressive and remarkable. We find here bold and new images. The poet with strong imagination is able to create the song of the soul in these poems.
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Arthur Turfa continues to show us how wonderful poetry can be, as he takes us on journeys in his own life that often parallel our own lives. This very modern poet doesn't try to impress the reader by his genius -- the exact opposite. I find myself reading it and relating to it on many levels. It's thought-provoking in how it reveals the every-man in all of us.  I am already using this book as a gift for people who love reading and are seeking something interesting, enlightening and sometimes with some gentle humor. Truly a pleasure to spend time with Mr. Turfa.
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Eugene Ostashevsky is my favorite contemporary poet, and The Life and Opinions of DJ Spinoza is some of his best stuff. If you haven't read him before, this is a perfect place to start. There is tremendous intelligence on display here, and wacky imagination, and a unique sense of humor so abnegating it sometimes sounds like despair.

Ostashevsky mistrusts language and, by extension, everything that's constructed by it; that is to say, everything. It's a legitimate beef, and the poet's forehead-smacking alter-ego DJ Spinoza kvetches about it at book-length--to God, especially, whose profound irritation with him is no less poignant for being hilarious.

DJ Spinoza wheedles, he argues, he complains. On the threshold of enlightenment, he crawls around ridiculously on all fours, blind as a bat, having dropped his glasses. And yet, to the extent that he has enough courage to survive his boredom--his cosmic boredom--to stand in the face of onrushing meaninglessness and hold his ground--there is something powerfully endearing about this post-heroic character. Inspiring, even.

I love these poems. They make me think, and laugh, in ways that merely beautiful words do not, cannot. Per their usual, Ugly Duckling Presse has done a great job packaging them. It's a handsome little volume. I hope that through it Ostashevsky will find the audience his work so richly deserves.
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Ferlinghetti is a very influential poet that wrote this book during the "Beat Movement."
This book is a composite of wonderful poetic expression for this period in his life. I was not an avid reader of poetry before... I found that I thoroughly enjoyed his work and it makes me want to go to San Francisco to meet the City Lights Bookstore owner. He made me believe that poetry can save the world.
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Here are 270 pages of the most sublimely beautiful poems in English that I have ever read. Sam Hamill has brought us one step closer to the music of an ancient and culturally distant aesthetic that, until the modernist revolution of the last century, was closed to English speaking readers and writers.
It is difficult to overestimate the impact that Chinese poetry in translation had on modern poetry in English. Arthur Waley's *170 Chinese Poems* and Ezra Pound's enormously important adaptions in *Cathay* are cornerstones of modernism. Kenneth Rexroth's translations, starting with *100 Poems from the Chinese*, were equally as important to the last quarter of the 20th century. Moreover, the interest that these translations produced sparked an interest in world poetry, that completely transformed poetry in English during the last 50 years.  The obvious issue that is always before the reader of poetry in translation is authenticity. Octavio Paz said all poetry is translation. Still, as a reader, it's impossible to know what distance is really spanned in the journey from Tu Fu's mouth to my ears.
I think this book goes a long way toward settling, if not answering some of these concerns. I don't read classical Chinese, so I don't know exactly how accurate these translations are. Nevertheless, Sam Hamill's informative (though somewhat loopy) introduction makes a strong case for thier reliability. By showing his method, he inspires confidence that not only are you reading beautiful English poems, but that what you're reading is speaking to over the bridge of centuries and cultures.
The center 100 pages of this amazing book contains probably the finest translations to date of China's great 8th century poets, Li Po, Wang Wei, and Tu Fu (who is, according to K. Rexroth, the greatest non-epic, non-dramatic poet in any language in the history of the world). These treasures are surrounded by a generous selection of poems dating from the 1st century BCE to the 16th century CE.
Whether you already love poetry or you want to start loving it, don't pass up the enrichment that these poems can bring to your life.