The Book of Bird Poems

by Ana Sampson

The wonder of birds has charmed and inspired poets down the centuries and across the globe. From Shakespeare's 'feathr'd king' to Ted Hughes 'butterfly lightness', of swifts, this is a collection to stir the soul of any nature lover. Our emotional and cultural connection to the bird world is captured in 60 of the best-loved poems, which include the work of Percy Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, Longfellow and Keats. All of them accompanied by the beautiful bird illustrations of Ryuto Miyake. From the common robin to the soaring eagle, from the chattering parrot to the sinister crow.This anthology will help us see our flighted cousins in a new light and confirm why they feature so much in our art, folklore and literature. They are indeed, poetry in motion.

Genres: Poetry

128 pages, Hardcover

Published November 12, 2024

About the author

Ana grew up in Kent. She studied English Literature at the University of Sheffield and gained a BA and MA before starting a career in publishing PR. Ana has contributed articles to various publications including Writers’ Market UK, The Book Club Bible (Michael O’Mara, 2007), Cringe and The Bookseller. I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud: And Other Poems You Half-Remember From School, her first anthology of well-loved poems, was the third bestselling poetry book of 2009. This was followed by Tyger Tyger Burning Bright: Much-Loved Poems You Half-Remember, Poems to Learn by Heart, Green and Pleasant Land: Best-Loved Poems of the British Countryside and Best-Loved Poems: A Treasury of Verse. She has appeared on television and radio discussing books, book clubs, teenage diaries and poetry. Ana lives in Surrey with her husband, two daughters and two demanding cats.

Reviews

[Kaylen Dinsmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautiful collection of Poems. I especially enjoyed The Hummingbird, Something Told the Wild Geese, In the Fields, From the Rine of Ancient Mariner, and Lines Written in Early Spring.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

HUGE missed opportunity to include Mary Oliver's "Wild Geese" or "Storage". Still good though, especially the latter half of the collection.

[Maja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really varied and inspired anthology of bird poems, many of which I did not know previously (disclaimer: I have read bird anthologies before) but nevertheless really enjoyed.

[Josh Laws · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really excellent collection of poems about birds.

[Deb Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend who knows me well sent this book to me last Christmas along with a little handwritten note—"I saw this book, and it reminded me of you." It’s such a gift to have friends who see me and know my heart.

I remember reading several of these poems with our kids during our homeschool years—poems like “The Eagle” by Alfred Lord Tennyson, “Sunset Wings” by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and “A Bird Song”, by Christina Rossetti. The cover of this little book is lovely: a flock of snow geese flying over a mountain range, set against the book’s bright orange binding. An illustration accompanies nearly every poem. I know several of you reading love birds as much as I do—this beautiful book would be a great addition to your bookshelves.

Words I’m remembering: “Round and cheerful like the robin or graceful and balletic like the flamingo, infinitely varied and forever engaged in their urgent secret pursuits, it is no wonder that we are so fascinated by them. And perhaps there is a special relationship between the avian world and writers: who else, after all, will have spent so many hours gazing out of their windows?”

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very nice collection of poems about birds.