The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry

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Wendell Berry is, for me, a newly discovered treasure. I saw half of one of his poems quoted, and it seemed necessary to find the rest. I bought this book on faith that the mind that moved my imagination would have a lot more to offer. I haven't been disappointed. It's good to pick up the book in a quiet moment and find something new, something to dwell on and mull over. I feel like we both share something that's increasingly rare: a deep connection to the rich earth that comes of spending your childhood communing with it. Read for yourself and he'll tell you all about it.

I first encountered Berry's poetry as an epigraph in Cornelia Funke's "Inkheart" series and was captivated by "The Peace of Wild Things." Intrigued, I bought a volume of his verse and was not disappointed.He sets the tone of the collection with the bucolic "The Apple Trees." Throughout this poem and the rest of the book, he weaves the threads of his writing into lush tapestries that delight the mind's eye.In reading his poetry, I was struck once again by the thought that language is one of the true enchantments of this world, able through the simple means of symbols on paper to conjure a universe of images or invoke an emotive response.Although not every offering in "The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry" attains the same level of beautiful imagery that "The Peace of Wild Things" did, as a whole the author achieves his goal of providing a representation of his work. From the starkness of war to the joy and sorrows of love and loss, Berry proves that he is adept with the evocative phrase.

Book as advertised. Well packed; shipped quickly.

I've heard of Wendell Berry for the longest, but this is the first of his works I've read. Poems he culled from 8 previous books of poetry written from 1964 to 1997 seem to dwell largely on "dark" and "light." From Openings (1968), are 20 "Window Poems" covering 26 pages. I circled several titles to refer to later: "Prayer After Eating," "Ripening," "Grief," "Throwing Away the Mail," "Elegy," "Song," "A Marriage Song," and "Remembering My Father." Wendell Berry's poems read so easily. They seem so fluid, so full of wonder. I'm glad I finally can say I've read some of his works. And I shall search for more.

I can't seem to help it, but ... I really have liked & enjoyed every book of Berry's that I've read (I believe the total is now 4 books of his). Maybe part of it's because I'm getting to be a bit of a doddering old man myself, at this point. Also, he sorta/kinda lives just up the road ... he's in KY and I live in mid-TN, not too far from him. I love the way he seems to have done deep thinking on nature and spiritual matters ... 2 of my personal favorites.

The warm, masculine sensitivity of these poems, deeply rooted in the rhythms of earth and relationship, are a wonderful antidote to the modern fractured world. His writing, simple and accessible, belies a depth of wonder and reflection on daily experience and an openness to growing old. I have traveled almost daily with these poems for over two years now. I return to that voice which fathers me, surrounds me with strong arms of wisdom and comfort, and in the end sets me back down on my feet able to believe again, love again.

Wendell Berry is a national treasure

Many years ago, I became associated with the work of Wendell Berry. I had left him behind long ago, and now, I have loved rediscovering him. He is a mixture of Oliver and Frost with a Southern Appalachian independence thrown into the fray. At times, I even feel Richard Braugtigan stirring in the background.

Amazing words from an insightful man. Wonderful!

...an essayist and a poet. A wonderful discovery.

I bought it for my Wife and she reads it avidly.

lovely