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Buy Soulful Poems and Poetry Books Online to Evoke Your Emotions

 

Though hard to define, the famous poet Carl Sandburg to define poetry as “an echo asking a shadow to dance.” Poems and poetry books are written to arrange words in rhyme and rhythm to bring about an emotional response in the reader. Whether you consider a classic verse, free verses or even haikus, you will love to pick up poetry books on Bookscape.com that will soothe your lyrical heart.

Let’s understand the different aspects of verse and forms of poetry that find expression through poems.

 

What are Poems and Poetry Books

Poetry is a form of literature that uses verse to share ideas, stir emotions and paint a picture for the reader. A poetry book can be in the voice of a single poet or feature a collection of poems by different authors, that explore diverse, difficult and delicate topics which may be tough to express in other forms of writing.

The five parts of a poem include: Meter, rhyme, form, sound and rhythm/timing. Poems can be structured with rhyme and meter, with syllabic beats that help build out the arrangement. There are also poems that don’t follow formal structure that are aptly called freeform poetry.

The basic building block of a poem is a verse called stanza. A stanza is a composition of lines that have a common theme or topic woven through them, just like paragraphs in prose. A stanza can be further classified based on the number of lines it contains like monostitch (one line), couplet (two lines), tercet (three lines), quatrain (four lines) and more.

William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, Christina Rossetti, Sylvia Plath, John Keats, Robert Louis Stevenson and Emily Dickinson are some famous poets through history.

 

Types of Poems in Poetry Books

Poetry differs on the basis of the rhyme, meter, symbolism and style. Here are the popular types of poetry that are beloved over time:

 

Blank verse and Free verse

In the case of poetry, a single line of poetry is called a verse. In blank verse poems, the verses may not rhyme and almost always use the iambic pentameter. For example, Paradise Lost by John Milton. On the other hand, free verse may or may not rhyme, as with the classic Langston Hughes’, Mother to Son.

 

Sonnets

With sonnets being primarily well-known because of Shakespeare’s classic poetry books, there is another revered form called the Petrarchan sonnet named after the Italian poet Petrarch, which divides 14 lines into an eight-line stanza with ABBAABBA rhyme scheme, and a six-line stanza (sestet) rhyming CDCDCD or CDECDE. For example, Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s How Do I Love Thee employs this form.

 

Epics and Narratives

Both tell long stories like we see in the longest epic poem the Mahabharata and grief poetry like The Raven, Edgar Allen Poe, where all stanzas of have a musicality contributed by the word ‘more, ‘evermore; and ‘nevermore’ that rhyme with the name of the speaker’s lost love, Lenore.

 

Lyrics and Ballads

Similar to epics and narratives, ballads and lyrics also tell stories in a far stricter rhythm and rhyme scheme. Most of Emily Dickinson’s body of work is lyrical in style, using the structure of church hymns as their base. You might also wish to explore songwriter Bob Dylan has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his lyrics.

 

Limericks and Haikus

Limericks are continued of five lines of poetry and are often comedic. There Was an Old Man with a Beard by Edward Lear, the British poet who is often credited as the father of the limerick. Haikus are a form of Japanese poetry usually evoking nature themes. They have 3 lines of poetry constructed of 17 syllables arranged in a 5-7-5 pattern. Matsuo Bashō (1644-94) is known as the Shakespeare of the haiku form.

 

Pastorals, Elegies, Villanelles and Odes

Pastoral poetry depicts the idyllic nature of rural life and landscapes. These poetry books for adults have persevered from Ancient Greece (in poetry by Hesiod) to Ancient Rome (Virgil) to the present day (The Passionate Shepherd to His Love by Christopher Marlowe and John Barleycorn by Robert Burns). Elegies and odes are based on the themes of loss, mourning and grief, as in John Keats’ Ode on a Grecian Urn. Villanelles started as a form of pastoral poetry but have since evolved to being based on intense subject matters, as exemplified by Dylan Thomas, author of villanelles like Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night.

 

Experimental

Experimental poetry is a visual style that captures the reader’s attention and imagination. A popular form of this poetry is Blackout Poetry (or Erasure Poetry) where a person uses an existing page of text and blacks out or covers words with a marker to leave words that reveal the poem.

 

FAQs about Poetry Titles

If you have questions about great poetry collections, Bookscape has you covered. With over a million titles from 700+ publishers and an ever-growing catalogue, you’re sure to find your next favourite poetry book here. Bookscape is home to the greatest poems and poetry books ever written and it should be your one-stop shop for buying books online at best prices. We can help you navigate through the wide world of poets and poems, be it experimental, epics, elegies and more. Let us answer some popular questions in choosing the best poetry books:

 

What is a book full of poems called?

An anthology is a collection of literary works like plays, poems, short stories and more. The word ''anthology'' derives from the Greek word anthologia, which literally means "gathering of flowers". There can be thematic anthologies like love poetry books, classic poetry books, poetry books by Indian poets and more. The most common type is curated by an editor and then compiled into a book. Therefore, an anthology can contain works by different authors but also different works (time periods or themes) by the same author and is often called a single-author collection.

Another example of poetry collection books is a chapbook. Chapbooks are small collections, generally ranging up to 40 pages, that is tied in with a theme. These books are usually saddle-stitched (much like a magazine or pamphlet) and the format is well-suited for smaller print runs.

 

Who is the father of poetry and why?

Geoffrey Chaucer is known as the Father of English Poetry, Literature and Language. Before him, the language of literature was Latin or French. Chaucer is also regarded as the first national poet of England because he liberated himself from non-native languages by writing in his national language. He was also known for his narrative technique that was based in realism. For example, instead of battles, heroes and royals, he chose to write the 29 pilgrim characters each of a different group, occupation, and class. These characters were true to life from the socio-economic and political scene of 14th century England.

 

Who is the father of Indian poetry?

Nissim Ezekiel is given the honour of the title ‘Father of Indian English Poetry.’ His works are considered as standouts in postcolonial Indian poetry and South East Asian poetry that breaks away from the content and style of colonial poetry. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1983 for his collection, "Latter-Day Psalms” and the Padma-Shri, India's highest civilian honour, in 1988. This most famous works include The Night of the Scorpion, Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T.S., In India, Poet, Lover, Birdwatcher, The Railway Clerk and A Time to Change.

 

Who is the mother of Indian English poetry?

Kamala Das was the first Indian woman to write in English. A feminist writer from postcolonial India, she wrote in her mother tongue Malayalam and in English exploring the subjects of female sexuality, non-existent until then. Known as Madhavi Kutty to her Malayali readers and Kamala Das to her English patrons, this literary icon was often considered a contemporary to greats like Sylvia Plath due to her confessional writing style. Her valuable contribution to Indian poetry has earned her the label ‘The Mother of Modern Indian English Poetry.’

 

Best Poetry Books of All Time

In a world where we are constantly staring at screens, the depth of meaningful poetry is perhaps even more important now. When our lives have shrunk considerably to screens, reading lengthy books may demand too much leisure time, reading poetry can be an easy access to expansiveness. Here is a short list of the best modern and classic poetry books that you must read if you want to some wholesome food for thought buy poetry books online:

You can find these books and more on Bookscape.com

 

Greatest Poets with Iconic Poems in the English Language

Poetry is a vibrant genre which is capable of expressing complex figures of speech, evoking diverse emotions, and constantly pushing the boundaries of awareness. Poetry can be meaningful, rhythmic and has a certain quality to it that should be preserved for generations to come. here’s some of the best poets whose works have made huge cultural contributions to society and have been immortalized due to their great craftsmanship:

 

Best Poetry Collections by Indian Poets

India has a long history of classical poets who have been intrinsically sewn into the literary fabric of the nation. Indian poets have a wealth of voices that speak the diverse tongues of this nation. Whether it’s contemporary Indian poets who write about modern cultural and communal contexts in a fast-changing state or the venerable bards that offered fifth-dimensional perspectives through their lyrical expressions, here are some must-read poetry books and collections by talented Indian poets whose works have marked their unique influences on the Indian poetic landscape to consider adding to your reading list:

You can find these books and more on Bookscape.com

You can also check out Bookscape’s poetry bestsellers here

  

What are some of the new books in the poetry category?

You can find the latest books in our New Arrivals section. Click here to find out.