Poetry Friday

Poetry Friday is hosted today by Gotta Book.

My selection is "William Butler Yeats" edited by Jonathan Allison and illustrated by Glenn Harrington.

 

Allison, who specializes in Twentieth Century British and Irish Literature, has collected some of the most lovely and thought-provoking poetry of William Butler Yeats, the first Irishman to receive the Noble Prize in Literature, in this volume which is part of the Poetry for Young People Series.

The work is scholarly, but appropriate for the target audience of readers in grades five through eight.  There is a biography about Yeats, introductions to his verses, and notes to explain unfamiliar vocabulary.  The poetry evokes the mystery and beauty of Ireland and its people. 

Harrinton's paintings include both landscapes and portraits, but each is a beautiful expression of the verse -whether figurative or literal.