The Rattle Bag : An Anthology of Poetry

The Rattle Bag : An Anthology of Poetry
ISBN: 9780571225835
Publication Date: 1 July 2005

"The Rattle Bag" is an anthology of poetry (mostly in English but occasionally in translation) for general readers and students of all ages and backgrounds. These poems have been selected by the simple yet telling criteria that they are the personal favorites of the editors, themselves two of contemporary literature's leading poets.
Moreover, Heaney and Hughes have elected to list their favorites not by theme or by author but simply by title (or by first line, when no title is given). As they explain in their Introduction: "We hope that our decision to impose an arbitrary alphabetical order allows the contents of this book] to discover themselves as we ourselves gradually discovered them--each poem full of its singular appeal, transmitting its own signals, taking its chances in a big, voluble world."
With undisputed masterpieces and rare discoveries, with both classics and surprises galore, "The Rattle Bag" includes the work of such key poets as William Shakespeare, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Lewis Carroll, Dylan Thomas, Wallace Stevens, Elizabeth Bishop, and Sylvia Plath among its hundreds of poems. A helpful Glossary as well as an Index of Poets and Works are offered at the conclusion of this hefty, unorthodox, diverse, inspired, and inspiring collection of poetry.
Seamus Heaney received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1995. His many books of poetry include "Opened Ground," "Electric Light," "The Spirit Level," "Seeing Things," "Station Island," "The Haw Lantern," and "Field Work," as well as translations of "Beowulf" and "Diary of One Who Vanished." A resident of Dublin, he has taught poetry at Oxford University and Harvard University. In 2004, Heaney was presented with the "Kenyon Review" Award for Literary Achievement.
The British poet, translator, author, and critic Ted Hughes, born in 1930, wro...