Are you searching for that perfect poetry book this Christmas? We’ve collected our best books to buy for poetry lovers this festive season. Poetry can be a tricky terrain to navigate, but with work from the likes of Oscar Wilde, The Brontë’s, William Wordsworth and more, there’s something for everyone on your list.
My Voice – A Collection of Poems – by Oscar Wilde
This book contains a brand-new collection of some of Wilde’s best poetry, including the titular “My Voice”. A fantastic collection of poetry by one of the nineteenth century’s most notable poets.
Ode to Joy – Poetry Dedicated to the Great Composer Beethoven
This book contains a fantastic collection of classic poetry related or dedicated to Beethoven by various poets, including Maurice Baring, Sidney Lanier, and others. Highly recommended for lovers of poetry and classical music alike.
Poems – by Currer, Ellis & Acton Bell
A collection of fantastic poetry written by the literary sisters Emily, Charlotte, and Anne Brontë. Published in 1846 under the pseudonyms Currer (Charlotte), Ellis (Emily), and Acton (Anne) Bell, it only sold three copies when first published. After the success of their later works, the poems have since garnered more attention and acclaim.
Snow-Flakes – A Chapter from the Book of Nature – by Israel Perkins Warren
A wonderful collection of poems, reflections, and anecdotes connected by the common theme of the snowflake. These beautiful pieces explore it’s shape, structure, and beauty, punctuated by wonderful illustrations depicting snowflakes in various different forms.
The Collected Poems of Wordsworth
All the poems of “Lyrical Ballads” are presented in this volume together with his 1807 work “Poems, in Two Volumes” and other assorted poems. Wordsworth’s wonderful poesy is evocative of the sublime beauty of both nature and the everyday world, not to be missed by poetry lovers and fans of Romantic poetry in particular.
The Best of Rudyard Kipling – A Collection of Essential Poetry
A brand new collection of Kipling’s best poetry. Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English novelist, journalist, poet, and short-story writer most famous for his stories set in and related to colonial India. He innovated the art of short story writing and was one of the most popular writers in the U.K. during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Songs of Love – by Sarojini Naidu
A beautiful pocket-sized collection of some of Sarojini Naidu’s most moving poetry. Sarojini Naidu (1879–1949) was an Indian political activist and poet. She was a staunch proponent of women’s emancipation, civil rights, and anti-imperialistic ideas, playing an important role in India’s struggle for independence from colonial rule. Her work as a poet includes both children’s poems and others with more mature themes including patriotism, romance, and tragedy, earning her the sobriquet “Nightingale of India”.
Shakespeare’s Sonnets – by William Shakespeare
Shakespeare’s collection of 154 sonnets beautifully explore the age-old human themes of love and beauty, time and mortality, and contain some of the most revered lines in poetry such as, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” from sonnet no. 18. Each poem is composed of 14 lines and their structure forms an ‘English’ sonnet. The first part of the collection is dedicated to a young man, the second to a ‘dark lady’, and whether the sonnets are autobiographical or based on characters of fantasy is still debated today.
Stray Birds – Rabindranath Tagore
Containing a collection of three hundred and twenty short poems by Rabindranath Tagore. Translated from Bengali into English by Tagore himself, these beautiful poems – somewhat reminiscent of Haiku – will appeal to any discerning lover of poetry. They constitute a beautiful compendium of poesy worthy of inclusion in any collection.
Many Voices – Poems by E. Nesbit
A collection of poetry by poet and author Edith Nesbit. Nesbit was a prolific and popular writer of children’s literature, publishing more than 60 such books under the name E. Nesbit. She was also a political activist and co-founded the Fabian Society, which had a significant influence on the Labour Party and British politics in general.
Poems from The Divan of Hafiz – by Gertrude Bell
“Poems from The Divan of Hafiz” is an 1897 collection of poems by Gertrude Bell – was an English writer, political officer, traveller, archaeologist, and administrator. She became an important policy-maker in the British Empire as a result of her extensive knowledge and contacts, which she built up through her numerous travels in Mesopotamia, Greater Syria, Asia Minor, and Arabia.
All These Things the Old Tales Tell – The Best of Alice Dunbar Nelson
A pocket-sized collection of poetry from American journalist, political activist, and poet, Alice Dunbar Nelson. She belonged to the first generation of black southerners born into freedom following the Civil War and gained acclaim for her poetry. This fantastic book contains a brand new collection of Nelson’s best and most famous poetry.
A Shropshire Lad – by A. E. Housman
A. E. Housman was an English poet and classical scholar considered to be one of the greatest scholars to have ever lived. He is most famous for this collection of lyrical poems which evoke the travails and disappointments of English youth in the countryside. First published in 1896, this book contains a fantastic collection of classic countryside poetry that will appeal to fans and collectors of Housman’s wonderful work.
Black Armour – by Elinor Wylie
Elinor Morton Wylie (1885–1928) was an American novelist and poet famous during the 1920s and 1930s. Her life was one of scandal, gaining notoriety for her numerous marriages and affairs. “Black Armour” is a 1923 collection of lyrical and sensuous poetry not to be missed.
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