Product Description

Denise Levertov's Selected Poems delivers in a single accessible volume "one of the essential poets of our time" (Poetry Flash).

Culled from two dozen poetry books, and drawing from six decades of her writing life, The Selected Poems of Denise Levertov offers a chronological overview of her great body of work. It is splendid and impressive to have at last a clear, unobstructed view of her ground-breaking poetry—the work of a poet who, as Kenneth Rexroth put it, "more than anyone, led the redirection of American poetry...to the mainstream of world literature."

Described by Publishers Weekly as "at once as intimate as Creeley and as visionary as Duncan," Levertov was lauded as "one of the indispensable poets of our language, one of those few writers to whom it is necessary to pay attention" by The Malahat Review. No poet is more overdue for a single accessible volume; no career could be better to have within easy reach.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #743030 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Review
A blessing from the vast world of American poetry....Denise Levertov provided a sacred voice in each of her poems. -- Bloomsbury Review, March/April 2004

A fine introduction to the work of one of the twentieth century's most impassioned metaphysically, environmentally, and politically engaged poets. -- Oyster Boy Review, Winter 2003/04

Her work was, and is, a brave gift to us all. -- Mary Oliver

About the Author
Born in England and educated at home, as a child Denise Levertov (1923-1997) sent her poems to T.S. Eliot who admired and encouraged her. She emigrated to the United States in 1948 and became one of the most important American poets of the second half of the 20th century. She was a staunch anti-war activist and environmentalist, and winner of the Robert Frost Medal and the Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize.

Customer Reviews

Excellent overview
This is the most important collection of Levertov's poetry. It takes a sampling from every collection she published, showing the growth and versatility of her poetic line. If there is no Collected Poems, where one can have everything, then this gives an acceptable one-volume representation that is quite worthwhile.

Pretty poor
New Directions kind of tanked on this one. A nicely typeset book, good size and introduction by Creeley, but horrible errata (incorrect titles of poems). Fine for an introduction to Levertov, but not for serious study. I feel "selected poems" are always this way though.