The New Penguin Book of English Verse

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"This anthology emphasizes the community of the poem rather than the isolation of the poet. The result is a more continuous view of English verse than has usually been attempted, from the fourteenth to the late twentieth century. Poems are seen as talking to each other, striking juxtapositions are made and a new chronology comes to light. Equally, it chronicles the evolution of English verse in linguistic and historical, rather than purely biographical, terms. Texts are reproduced with original spelling and punctuation, allowing the printed voice of the poetry to be seen and heard. Space is also given to 'the poetries traditionally excluded by Poetry': readers will find a higher proportion than usual of anonymous verse, and a selection of poems written on surfaces other than paper, such as inscriptions and epitaphs."--Jacket