$70.31
- Hardcover
488 pages
- Release Date
12 November 2023
Summary
Poetry is the language of Catholicism. From the songs of Scripture to the hymns of St. Thomas Aquinas, the Church has always used metaphor and image, meter and rhyme, and the music of language to illuminate and inculcate the faith.
Yet, when it comes to Catholic poetry itself, the song too often remains unsung. Many devout believers recoil from poetry, even when it is deeply Catholic. Many poetry lovers overlook Catholic poetry, even when it is truly great. And passionate readers are …
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781685780746 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1685780741 |
| Author: | Sally Read |
| Publisher: | Word on Fire |
| Imprint: | Word on Fire |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 488 |
| Release Date: | 12 November 2023 |
| Weight: | 798g |
| Dimensions: | 44mm x 154mm x 230mm |
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Critics Review
“In this superb anthology, Sally Read has somehow taken the vast sweep of Catholic wisdom and civilization and distilled it as a single volume. With poems spanning the centuries, from Mary’s Magnificat to the stuttering prophetic joy of David Jones and beyond, 100 Great Catholic Poems will make not only a fine initiation into the Catholic literary tradition for many readers but also a portal into the profound vision and mystery of the Church. Read’s helpful commentaries illuminate the poems and draw even the most wary reader into the sacramental imagination.”–James Matthew Wilson
“The current Catholic literary revival takes a huge leap forward with this essential new book. 100 Great Catholic Poems not only lives up to its ambitious title but exceeds it. Editor Sally Read presents an arresting cross section of the best poems from antiquity to the modern age; then she adds a useful and engaging note for each selection. This anthology helps restore a lost legacy to the Church. Whether you are a student, a teacher, or a cardinal, you will want this book on your shelf.” –Dana Gioia
“What an extraordinary gift Sally Read’s 100 Great Catholic Poems is! Even with poems many of us may already know–the Magnificat, Dante, Shakespeare, Crashaw, Hopkins, and, yes, Wallace Stevens–her commentaries on each of these blessed one hundred are so vivid and insightful that we find ourselves wrapped again and again in an aura of stunning, grace-filled light. And then there are those poems we may never have come across before, shining here like the hidden diamonds they are. What a treasure this book is! Read it. I promise you will indeed be changed by the encounter.”–Paul Mariani
Sally Read
Sally Read is an award-winning poet whose first collection since her conversion from atheism to Catholicism, Dawn of this Hunger, was the fruit of her ten-year tenure as poet in residence at the Hermitage of the Three Holy Hierarchs. Sally’s poetry has been recorded for the UK’s Poetry Archive, and her writing, in both poetry and prose, has appeared in numerous publications and anthologies, including The Times Literary Supplement, The Picador Book of Love Poems, and Forward’s Poems of the Decade. Her poetry has also been featured on BBC Radio, and episodes of her Radio Maria England show, “Poetry for the Season,” are available on Spotify.
Since her conversion, Sally has written lyrics for the sacred music of Paul Flynn, and their songs have been performed by The Palestrina and Trinity College Chapel Choirs in Dublin. Sally has also written two books of nonfiction, Night’s Bright Darkness and Annunciation: A Call to Faith in a Broken World, the latter of which was the subject of a short film by Norman Servais for EWTN Great Britain. Sally’s work has been translated in five languages. Her literary memoir, The Mary Pages, is forthcoming from Word on Fire.
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