Showing titles in Themes & Styles

This remarkable poem, dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I, was Spenser's finest achievement. The first epic poem in modern English, The Faerie Queene combines dramatic narratives of chivalrous adventure with exquisite and picturesque episodes of pageantry. At the same time, Spenser is expounding a deeply-felt allegory of the eternal struggle between Truth and Error....

The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India. It is of immense importance to the culture of the Indian subcontinent and is a major text of Hinduism. Its discussion of human goals (artha or 'purpose', kama or 'pleasure', dharma or 'duty' and moksha or 'liberation') takes place in a long-standing tradition, attempting to explain the relationship of the individual to society and the world (the nature of the 'self') and the workings of karma.

How Are You? I Am Alive Blessed and Challenged! is not just a collection of poetry—it’s a declaration. A scream. A whisper. A hand reaching out from the wreckage and saying, I’m still here. Sharliene Phillips shares her story through unfiltered, gut-honest verse—tackling trauma, abuse, anxiety, healing, sexuality, depression, survival, and everything in between. These poems carry scars and strength, tears and laughter, rage and resilience. Whether you’ve lived it, survived it, or are still fighting through it, this book offers a mirror, a light, and a voice that refuses to stay silent.

Diese Gedichte erzählen von der Kraft der Liebe, vom Wandeln durch Schmerz und vom Glück, das in den kleinen Momenten aufblüht. Tauche ein in eine Welt aus Gefühl, Romantik und zarter Melancholie.

In this book-length epic poem set in northern Nigeria, Saddiq Dzukogi blends the personal with the mythical, part prayer and part praise song, expanding the griot tradition of Bakandamiya, a poetic form from northern Nigeria popularized by Mamman Shata.

In "Gay Poems for Red States," Carver counters the injustice of a persistent anti-LGBTQ+ movement by asserting that a life full of beauty and pride is possible for everyone. More than a collection of poetry, Carver's earnest and heartfelt verses are for those wishing to discover and understand the vastness of Appalachia, and for the LGBTQ+ Appalachians who long for a future -- and for a home -- in an often unwelcoming place.

Echoes of an Old World: An English Spirit in New England is a collection of poems by Elizabeth Stansfield Hunter, edited by her grandson, David Hunter Kennedy. The book reflects Elizabeth’s deep connection to both her Victorian English heritage and her life in New England, capturing themes of nature, family, love, and loss. Written between the 1920s and 1960s, the poems explore the beauty of nature, the joys and trials of life, and the devastating impact of losing her son during World War II.

Why Hearts Remember is a poetic journey through the raw, beautiful, and often unbearable ways the human heart loves and survives. From the first spark of infatuation to the ashes of loss, each poem captures the echoes of connection that refuse to fade.

The year is 878. Young King Alfred struggles to regain his West Saxon kingdom from the invading pagan Danes led by Gormr (aka Guthrum, aka Godrum). His kingdom overrun, Alfred joins Gormr's court disguised as a Welsh gleeman. Gormr consults Alfred as a counselor and wizard, but resists Alfred's attempts to convert him. Meanwhile, Alfred learns that his lady and their children are Gormr's prisoners.

Ovid's sensuous and witty poetry brings together a dazzling array of mythological tales, ingeniously linked by the idea of transformation - often as a result of love or lust - where men and women find themselves magically changed into new and sometimes extraordinary beings. Beginning with the creation of the world and ending with the deification of Augustus, Ovid interweaves many of the best-known myths and legends of Ancient Greece and Rome, including Daedalus and Icarus, Pyramus and Thisbe, Pygmalion, Perseus and Andromeda, and the fall of Troy.

This revised and expanded edition of The Essential Rumi includes a new introduction by Coleman Barks and more than 80 never-before-published poems. Through his lyrical translations, Coleman Barks has been instrumental in bringing this exquisite literature to a remarkably wide range of listeners, making the ecstatic, spiritual poetry of 13th-century Sufi mystic Rumi more popular than ever.

Through poetry, prose, and the compassionate encouragement you would expect from someone who knows exactly what you're working through, Sparacino is here with the words you need. The Strength in Our Scars tackles the gut-wrenching but relatable experiences of moving on, self-love, and ultimately learning to heal. In this book you will find peace, you will find a rock, you will find understanding, and you will find hope.

Find refuge and wisdom with a student of Thich Nhat Hanh in this poignant poetry collection that speaks to the heart of overcoming life’s adversities, Zen style.

In this volume we listen to the world through the eyes and words of the English Romantics. This very special poetical period is filled with the loving and tender verse of poets who still beguile us all with their beauty.

Working from existing translations, Thomas Merton composed a series of his own versions of the classic sayings of Chuang Tzu, the most spiritual of Chinese philosophers. Chuang Tzu, who wrote in the fourth and third centuries BC, is the chief authentic historical spokesperson for Taoism and its founder, Lao Tzu (a legendary character known largely through Chuang Tzu’s writings).

In A Meditation on I Am, Rupert Spira contemplates the essential nature of our self before it has been conditioned or qualified by the content of experience. It is a poem, a prayer and a hymn of praise to the simple fact of being that is the source of the peace and happiness for which we long above all else.

The greatest of all the medieval romances about the Holy Grail, Parzival was written in the early 13th century. The narrative describes the quest of the Arthurian knight Parzival for the Holy Grail. His journey is filled with incident, from tournaments and sieges to chivalrous deeds and displays of true love.

A curated compendium of poetry and prose from the award-winning poet Mary Oliver, including the book-length masterpiece The Leaf and the Cloud, the collection What Do We Know, andessays from Long Life—with a foreword by fellow Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Postcolonial Love Poem Natalie...

With Professor Esolen you will enter the terrible gates of Hell and progress level by infernal level to its diabolical depths. Professor Esolen places a special emphasis on the drama of the poem, leading you through each canto in succession. Professor Esolen will more than satisfy your curiosity about Hell and the fate of the damned. He will reveal in all its starkness the horror of sin and awaken in your heart a longing for divine love.

A moving manifesto in poems and essays, inviting readers to embrace their humanity and live fully alive in our age of social change, hyper-capitalism, and pervasive loneliness yes, everyone is struggling right now so please be gracious be kind & patient, but subvert every institution that relies...