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The New Penguin Book of Love Poetry
When I am sad and weary
When I think all hope has gone
When I walk along High Holborn
I think of you with nothing on
There are almost as many definitions and different sorts of love as there are poets. Edited on the assumption that any poem which speaks of one human’s desire for another is a qualifying factor, this rich and diverse anthology ranges through time and fashion to best represent ‘man’s changeless responses to the changeless changing seasons of his heart’.
Wine comes in at the mouth
And love comes in at the eye;
That’s all we know for truth
Before we grow old and die.
I lift the glass to my mouth,
I look at you, and I sigh.
Edited with an Introduction by Jon Stallworthy
When I think all hope has gone
When I walk along High Holborn
I think of you with nothing on
There are almost as many definitions and different sorts of love as there are poets. Edited on the assumption that any poem which speaks of one human’s desire for another is a qualifying factor, this rich and diverse anthology ranges through time and fashion to best represent ‘man’s changeless responses to the changeless changing seasons of his heart’.
Wine comes in at the mouth
And love comes in at the eye;
That’s all we know for truth
Before we grow old and die.
I lift the glass to my mouth,
I look at you, and I sigh.
Edited with an Introduction by Jon Stallworthy
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 28, 2003
About the author
Roy Campbell
103 books18 followersRoy Campbell was an Anglo-African poet and satirist. He was considered by T. S. Eliot, Dylan Thomas and Edith Sitwell to have been one of the best poets of the period between the First and Second World Wars.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 26, 2016
There was some lovely poems in this collection, some were even incredibly heart breaking. I had just come out of hospital and I wanted to read some romantic, love filled poems. I liked quite a lot of them however I couldn't rate it higher because I was surprised that this collection of love poetry included some rapey poems or lusting after very young girls and that's just wrong on so many levels. Too many of these poems were disgusting and I'm disappointed they were included (one poet referring to his wife as 'you bitch' yep that's true love right there), yes you can argue that some were written back in the days when all of that was okay but they shouldn't be celebrated in this day and age, I strongly believe they shouldn't have been included.
So yes some really lovely, beautiful and romantic poems but someone really should have checked the other more disturbed poets.
x
So yes some really lovely, beautiful and romantic poems but someone really should have checked the other more disturbed poets.
x
April 27, 2023
Wonderful collection
My new favourite poetry anthology. Would make a great Anniversary gift. And I need just nine more choice words apparently...
My new favourite poetry anthology. Would make a great Anniversary gift. And I need just nine more choice words apparently...
December 3, 2023
such a good collection of poems. i love love !!!
February 5, 2023
Not sure I’m following why so many of the poems are about virgins, innocence and sometimes rape when there’s probably hundreds of thousands of beautiful poems that aren’t. Also this is predominantly western writings, why? Have they ever read an Arabic love poem, they’re some of the best ever written and I don’t even remember seeing one. Confused by the whole thing.
2 stars cause I was pleased to see my favourite poem ever in there on the last couple of pages so at least it ended on a good note (for me at least)
2 stars cause I was pleased to see my favourite poem ever in there on the last couple of pages so at least it ended on a good note (for me at least)
September 26, 2021
About 15% of these were incredible, but there were far too many mentions of virginity, maidenhood and cuckholding i.e. men can't be trusted to write about women.
December 18, 2023
This took me pretty much a year to get through - I thought it was brilliant. So many great poems to do for Love Through the Ages at A Level. I feel like I really understand the different trends in the eras, etc.
Read
July 20, 2023DNF
March 4, 2024
Much to love here (and a few poems either in dialect or old English that I found fairly unreadable).
Among my new-to-me favourites:
Patrick Macdonogh - "She Walked Unaware"
Carol Ann Duffy - "Warming Her Pearls"
Anthony Hecht - "Going the Rounds: A Sort of Love Poem"
Louis MacNeice - "Meeting Point", "Christina" and "The Sunlight on the Garden"
Lawrence Ferlinghetti - "Away Above a Harborful"
Yehuda Amichai - "A Pity. We Were Such a Good Invention"
Peter Porter - "An Exequi"
Charles Baudelaire - "Damned Women"
Thomas Hardy - "Under the Waterfall"
Catherine Tufariello - "After All"
Robert Graves - "Sick Love"
Among my new-to-me favourites:
Patrick Macdonogh - "She Walked Unaware"
Carol Ann Duffy - "Warming Her Pearls"
Anthony Hecht - "Going the Rounds: A Sort of Love Poem"
Louis MacNeice - "Meeting Point", "Christina" and "The Sunlight on the Garden"
Lawrence Ferlinghetti - "Away Above a Harborful"
Yehuda Amichai - "A Pity. We Were Such a Good Invention"
Peter Porter - "An Exequi"
Charles Baudelaire - "Damned Women"
Thomas Hardy - "Under the Waterfall"
Catherine Tufariello - "After All"
Robert Graves - "Sick Love"
December 1, 2020
Years ago I owned this book and somehow or another, I lost it. The only book I've ever lost that I know of. I don't know which edition I had, but it is excellent. These are all the best love poems throughout history put in one book.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews