This book is a compilation of the poems written over a 25 year time period. The topics are varied as is the abilities of the author. Some of the poems are very good, while others were a waste of paper. Inspiration is a funny thing and one never knows what idea might strike next. This project was merely an attempt to get all the scraps of paper and blog entries in one place so family and friends could read his attempts at poetry if they felt a need to punish themselves.

The #1 New York Times bestselling children's book Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld have combined their extraordinary talents to create an inspirational book that's full of endless good wishes. Wishes for curiosity and wonder, for friendship and strength, laughter and peace. Whether celebrating life's joyous milestones, sharing words of encouragement, or observing the wonder of everyday moments, this sweet book is for wishers of all ages! I Wish You More is the perfect graduation gift as well as a must-have, uplifting read sure to bring positivity to all who read it.

Towards the close of the First French Revolution, Joseph Leopold Sigisbert Hugo, son of a joiner at Nancy, and an officer risen from the ranks in the Republican army, married Sophie Trébuchet, daughter of a Nantes fitter-out of privateers, a Vendean royalist and devotee. Victor Marie Hugo, their second son, was born on the 26th of February, 1802, at Besançon, France. Though a weakling, he was carried, with his boy-brothers, in the train of their father through the south of France, in pursuit of Fra Diavolo, the Italian brigand, and finally into Spain. Colonel Hugo had become General, and there, besides being governor over three provinces, was Lord High Steward at King Joseph's court, where his eldest son Abel was installed as page. The other two were educated for similar posts among hostile young Spaniards under stern priestly tutors in the Nobles' College at Madrid, a palace become a monastery. Upon the English advance to free Spain of the invaders, the general and Abel remained at bay, whilst the mother and children hastened to Paris.

"Thanatopsis" is a renowned poem written by William Cullen Bryant, an American poet and editor of the 19th century. First published in 1817 when Bryant was just 17 years old, the poem is considered one of the early masterpieces of American literature. In "Thanatopsis," Bryant explores themes related to death and nature, contemplating the idea of mortality and the interconnectedness of life and death. The title, derived from the Greek words "thanatos" (death) and "opsis" (view), suggests a meditation on the contemplation of death. The poem begins with an invocation to nature, portraying it as a grand and eternal force. Bryant expresses the idea that death is a natural part of the cycle of life, and all living things ultimately return to the earth. He emphasizes the consoling and unifying aspects of death, encouraging readers to view it as a peaceful and harmonious process. "Thanatopsis" reflects the Romantic literary movement's appreciation for nature and its role in shaping human perspectives. Bryant's eloquent language and profound reflections on mortality contribute to the enduring appeal of the poem.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Grammy Award–nominated, platinum-selling musician Halsey is heralded as one of the most compelling voices of her generation. In I Would Leave Me If I Could, she reveals never-before-seen poetry of longing, love, and the nuances of bipolar disorder. In this debut collection, Halsey bares her soul. Bringing the same artistry found in her lyrics, Halsey’s poems delve into the highs and lows of doomed relationships, family ties, sexuality, and mental illness. More hand grenades than confessions, these autobiographical poems explore and dismantle conventional notions of what it means to be a feminist in search of power. Masterful as it is raw, passionate, and profound, I Would Leave Me If I Could signals the arrival of an essential voice. Book cover painting, American Woman, by the author.

An impassioned call for a return to reading poetry and an incisive argument for poetry’s accessibility to all readers, by critically acclaimed poet Matthew Zapruder In Why Poetry, award-winning poet Matthew Zapruder takes on what it is that poetry—and poetry alone—can do. Zapruder argues that the way we have been taught to read poetry is the very thing that prevents us from enjoying it. In lively, lilting prose, he shows us how that misunderstanding interferes with our direct experience of poetry and creates the sense of confusion or inadequacy that many of us feel when faced with it. Zapruder explores what poems are, and how we can read them, so that we can, as Whitman wrote, “possess the origin of all poems,” without the aid of any teacher or expert. Most important, he asks how reading poetry can help us to lead our lives with greater meaning and purpose. Anchored in poetic analysis and steered through Zapruder’s personal experience of coming to the form, Why Poetry is engaging and conversational, even as it makes a passionate argument for the necessity of poetry in an age when information is constantly being mistaken for knowledge. While he provides a simple reading method for approaching poems and illuminates concepts like associative movement, metaphor, and negative capability, Zapruder explicitly confronts the obstacles that readers face when they encounter poetry to show us that poetry can be read, and enjoyed, by anyone.