The Art of Reading Poetry - Softcover

“Our most valuable critic . . . Harold Bloom reminds us what matters.”--Boston Globe

“One feels about Bloom's focus, every serious reader of poetry really must begin with the works he so ardently loves and champions...this comprehensive anthology is an ideal starting place.”--Booklist

“A poetry anthology of and for the ages.”-- Los Angeles Times

“Whether you love poetry or you want to know more about the art form over the centuries, this is the book you will want.”--Albuquerque Journal

“A colossus among critics. . . . His enthusiasm for literature is a joyous intoxicant.”--New York Times Magazine

“Uncommonly valuable to all who appreciate poetry. . . . This superb anthology will ensure Bloom's role in the process for a long time and will, I hope, inspire others to walk in his formidable footsteps.”--San Francisco Chronicle

A paperback original, Bloom's stand-alone introduction to The Best Poems of the English Language. A notable feature of Harold Bloom's poetry anthology The Best Poems English Language is his lengthy introductory essay, here reprinted as a separate book. For the first time Bloom gives his readers an elegant guide to reading poetry--a master critic's distillation of a lifetime of teaching and criticism. He tackles such subjects as poetic voice, the nature of metaphor and allusion, and the nature of poetic value itself. Bloom writes -the work of great poetry is to aid us to become free artists of ourselves.- This essay is an invaluable guide to poetry. This edition will also include a recommended reading list of poems.