Collected Poems
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Hardcover
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Written by Henry Reed and Jon Stallworthy.
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Editorial Review (from Amazon.com)
Henry Reed, best-known perhaps for his much anthologized Second-World-War poem, "Naming of Parts," published only one book of poems in his lifetime--A Map of Verona. Writer of numerous radio plays and a fine translator, he never collected his many poems for a second book. This is the first collected edition of Reed's poems, including "Lessons of the War", A Map of Verona, and many works never before published. It includes an introduction giving biographical information and critical commentary on the poems, and notes on sources, as well as some of Reed's own handwritten manuscript comments.User Reviews (1) Login or create an account to write a review.
Nic Sebastian thinks this book is Good.
I don't know why I have The Collected Poems of Henry Reed on my shelves.
Possibly because of its five Lessons of War, of which you are certainly familiar with Naming of Parts and possibly also with Judging of Distances and Movement of Bodies and Unarmed Combat and Returning of Issue. All of these pieces combine military technicalities of language with emotional sensual commentary in intriguing/attractive style.
Not completely sure why Naming of Parts is so much more famous than the other four parts, but for my part, I blame the japonica. Look at it. How could one not.
Apart from a fascination with Verona, a great deal about houses and fields, woods, gardens and walls and encounters with overwrought exhausting literary figures such as Tristan & Iseult, Antigone and Philoctetes, we have The Auction Sale in this collection from Henry Reed. His reviewer calls it his “most ambitious exploration of the landscape of desire.†For my part, I call it one of those things that stick to your heart.