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Edith Wharton: Selected Poems:
From first to last, poetry was part of Edith Wharton’s writing life. While rarely (after early youth) her primary focus, it always served her as a medium for recording the most vivid impressions and emotions, an intimate journal of longings and regrets. “Poetry was important to Wharton,” writes editor Louis Auchincloss, “because it enabled her to express the deeply emotional side of her nature that she kept under such tight control, not only in her life but in the ordered sweep of her fiction.”
In later years her poetry also engaged with the public passions of wartime, as she found herself involved with the plight of Allied soldiers in France. Her first models were Romantic, but in the course of her life she absorbed the influences of Symbolism and Modernism; and throughout her poetic career she showed a care for form even in her most private utterances, as in the erotic ode “Terminus,” never published in her lifetime. This volume collects the bulk of Wharton’s significant poetry, including much work previously uncollected or unpublished.
About the American Poets Project
Elegantly designed in compact editions, printed on acid-free paper, and textually authoritative, the American Poets Project makes available the full range of the American poetic accomplishment, selected and introduced by today’s most discerning poets and critics.
In later years her poetry also engaged with the public passions of wartime, as she found herself involved with the plight of Allied soldiers in France. Her first models were Romantic, but in the course of her life she absorbed the influences of Symbolism and Modernism; and throughout her poetic career she showed a care for form even in her most private utterances, as in the erotic ode “Terminus,” never published in her lifetime. This volume collects the bulk of Wharton’s significant poetry, including much work previously uncollected or unpublished.
About the American Poets Project
Elegantly designed in compact editions, printed on acid-free paper, and textually authoritative, the American Poets Project makes available the full range of the American poetic accomplishment, selected and introduced by today’s most discerning poets and critics.
200 pages, Hardcover
First published October 6, 2005
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About the author
Edith Wharton
1,430 books5,247 followersEdith Wharton emerged as one of America’s most insightful novelists, deftly exposing the tensions between societal expectation and personal desire through her vivid portrayals of upper-class life. Drawing from her deep familiarity with New York’s privileged “aristocracy,” she offered readers a keenly observed and piercingly honest vision of Gilded Age society.
Her work reached a milestone when she became the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, awarded for The Age of Innocence. This novel highlights the constraining rituals of 1870s New York society and remains a defining portrait of elegance laced with regret.
Wharton’s literary achievements span a wide canvas. The House of Mirth presents a tragic, vividly drawn character study of Lily Bart, navigating social expectations and the perils of genteel poverty in 1890s New York. In Ethan Frome, she explores rural hardship and emotional repression, contrasting sharply with her urban social dramas.
Her novella collection Old New York revisits the moral terrain of upper-class society, spanning decades and combining character studies with social commentary. Through these stories, she inevitably points back to themes and settings familiar from The Age of Innocence. Continuing her exploration of class and desire, The Glimpses of the Moon addresses marriage and social mobility in early 20th-century America. And in Summer, Wharton challenges societal norms with its rural setting and themes of sexual awakening and social inequality.
Beyond fiction, Wharton contributed compelling nonfiction and travel writing. The Decoration of Houses reflects her eye for design and architecture; Fighting France: From Dunkerque to Belfort presents a compelling account of her wartime observations. As editor of The Book of the Homeless, she curated a moving, international collaboration in support of war refugees.
Wharton’s influence extended beyond writing. She designed her own country estate, The Mount, a testament to her architectural sensibility and aesthetic vision. The Mount now stands as an educational museum celebrating her legacy.
Throughout her career, Wharton maintained friendships and artistic exchanges with luminaries such as Henry James, Sinclair Lewis, Jean Cocteau, André Gide, and Theodore Roosevelt—reflecting her status as a respected and connected cultural figure.
Her literary legacy also includes multiple Nobel Prize nominations, underscoring her international recognition. She was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature more than once.
In sum, Edith Wharton remains celebrated for her unflinching, elegant prose, her psychological acuity, and her capacity to illuminate the unspoken constraints of society—from the glittering ballrooms of New York to quieter, more remote settings. Her wide-ranging work—novels, novellas, short stories, poetry, travel writing, essays—offers cultural insight, enduring emotional depth, and a piercing critique of the customs she both inhabited and dissected.
Her work reached a milestone when she became the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, awarded for The Age of Innocence. This novel highlights the constraining rituals of 1870s New York society and remains a defining portrait of elegance laced with regret.
Wharton’s literary achievements span a wide canvas. The House of Mirth presents a tragic, vividly drawn character study of Lily Bart, navigating social expectations and the perils of genteel poverty in 1890s New York. In Ethan Frome, she explores rural hardship and emotional repression, contrasting sharply with her urban social dramas.
Her novella collection Old New York revisits the moral terrain of upper-class society, spanning decades and combining character studies with social commentary. Through these stories, she inevitably points back to themes and settings familiar from The Age of Innocence. Continuing her exploration of class and desire, The Glimpses of the Moon addresses marriage and social mobility in early 20th-century America. And in Summer, Wharton challenges societal norms with its rural setting and themes of sexual awakening and social inequality.
Beyond fiction, Wharton contributed compelling nonfiction and travel writing. The Decoration of Houses reflects her eye for design and architecture; Fighting France: From Dunkerque to Belfort presents a compelling account of her wartime observations. As editor of The Book of the Homeless, she curated a moving, international collaboration in support of war refugees.
Wharton’s influence extended beyond writing. She designed her own country estate, The Mount, a testament to her architectural sensibility and aesthetic vision. The Mount now stands as an educational museum celebrating her legacy.
Throughout her career, Wharton maintained friendships and artistic exchanges with luminaries such as Henry James, Sinclair Lewis, Jean Cocteau, André Gide, and Theodore Roosevelt—reflecting her status as a respected and connected cultural figure.
Her literary legacy also includes multiple Nobel Prize nominations, underscoring her international recognition. She was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature more than once.
In sum, Edith Wharton remains celebrated for her unflinching, elegant prose, her psychological acuity, and her capacity to illuminate the unspoken constraints of society—from the glittering ballrooms of New York to quieter, more remote settings. Her wide-ranging work—novels, novellas, short stories, poetry, travel writing, essays—offers cultural insight, enduring emotional depth, and a piercing critique of the customs she both inhabited and dissected.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
July 12, 2020
4/5
This collection includes Wharton's poetry that she wrote throughout her life.
Like all poetry collections, some are better than others depending on your interests. While I do prefer Wharton's novels, I'm glad we have access to these poems.
My main issue with this book is its publication. The editor, Irene Goldman-Price, chose to organize this collection in arbitrary themes of her own interpretation. While these themes can make the poems more accessible to readers, it's also restricting for readers to experience these poems with these pre-determined themes rather than engaging with Wharton's poems on our own. Each poem has a mini "context" section at the top of the page. Some of these are helpful (I appreciate the historical and mythological explanations), but others were just unnecessary. She either writes obvious statements ("This wry little meditation on older age is undated" (315)), or she lists themes that can be found in the poem. A stronger introduction could have covered these connections between poems and allowed her to actually analyze/interpret the poems rather than just listing out basic observations. I do not disagree with Goldman-Price's observations, but I believe these poems are more complex than being reduced to these arbitrary themes. Most of the sections already overlap, so the distinction seemed unnecessary. For example, by the end of the "Life Philosophy Sections," she includes poetry discussing death that could've been placed in the previous sections.
Of course, we do not have the exact publication date of these poems. However, I found myself getting frustrated with the themes and how arbitrarily they were grouped together. I would have preferred the Verses collection (that Wharton's parents published of her childhood poetry) and the Artemis and Actaeon collection to have their own sections, and other miscellaneous poems with no known date to be put together.
Overall, I recommend this collection to fans of Wharton who want to engage with her poetry. Of course, be critical of the order/"context" with this Scribner edition and don't let these arbitrary themes restrict your interpretation.
This collection includes Wharton's poetry that she wrote throughout her life.
Like all poetry collections, some are better than others depending on your interests. While I do prefer Wharton's novels, I'm glad we have access to these poems.
My main issue with this book is its publication. The editor, Irene Goldman-Price, chose to organize this collection in arbitrary themes of her own interpretation. While these themes can make the poems more accessible to readers, it's also restricting for readers to experience these poems with these pre-determined themes rather than engaging with Wharton's poems on our own. Each poem has a mini "context" section at the top of the page. Some of these are helpful (I appreciate the historical and mythological explanations), but others were just unnecessary. She either writes obvious statements ("This wry little meditation on older age is undated" (315)), or she lists themes that can be found in the poem. A stronger introduction could have covered these connections between poems and allowed her to actually analyze/interpret the poems rather than just listing out basic observations. I do not disagree with Goldman-Price's observations, but I believe these poems are more complex than being reduced to these arbitrary themes. Most of the sections already overlap, so the distinction seemed unnecessary. For example, by the end of the "Life Philosophy Sections," she includes poetry discussing death that could've been placed in the previous sections.
Of course, we do not have the exact publication date of these poems. However, I found myself getting frustrated with the themes and how arbitrarily they were grouped together. I would have preferred the Verses collection (that Wharton's parents published of her childhood poetry) and the Artemis and Actaeon collection to have their own sections, and other miscellaneous poems with no known date to be put together.
Overall, I recommend this collection to fans of Wharton who want to engage with her poetry. Of course, be critical of the order/"context" with this Scribner edition and don't let these arbitrary themes restrict your interpretation.
July 8, 2019
Selected Poems of Edith Wharton is an excellent collection. She was born in a time when women were discouraged from achieving anything beyond a proper marriage. Wharton broke through these strictures to become one of America’s greatest writers. She wrote over 40 books in 40 years, including authoritative works on architecture, gardens, interior design, and travel. She was the first woman awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Yale University, and a full membership in the American Academy of Arts and Letters. So, with each poem providing biographical information was a pleasant surprise. This was an excellent quick read I would recommend.
February 17, 2022
I was so distracted by the giant white blob on the cover the whole time - only to find out the book jacket designer had taken an 'a' and a 'w' and kinda pushed them together and then filled it in?
The 'w' is for Wharton and the 'a' is for Auchincloss, the editor, who is weirdly pictured on the back flap instead of Edith. Sir...I do not think you wrote these poems?
(also the poems were fine)
The 'w' is for Wharton and the 'a' is for Auchincloss, the editor, who is weirdly pictured on the back flap instead of Edith. Sir...I do not think you wrote these poems?
(also the poems were fine)
August 23, 2019
I tried but I just do not like this kind of poetry. Probably skillful, bit too boring for me to read on. In addition, I am not much into rhyming poetry.
December 29, 2015
Amazing poems, some verses about losing loved ones in war or going to war and having children. Sad, tragic, happiness, joy and I found myself crying while read some of those poems. Beautiful!
Read
July 9, 2019I should probably start off this review by mentioning that I don’t know anything about poetry. Some of it is good and some of it is bad, but the bad poetry tends never to get published and popular, so I think it’s safe to assume that most of the poetry I’ve read, aside from Milk and Honey and Ernest Cline’s “Nerd Porn Auteur,” is good poetry.
Of course, if you’re picking up a copy of Selected Poems of Edith Wharton (Scribner), assembled by editor and Wharton scholar Irene Goldman-Price, you’re likely here out of appreciation for the poet rather than the poems.
Edith Wharton, known in her youth as “Pussy Jones,” began writing poetry as a teenager and continued through her lifetime. The early poems, collected in her 1878 collection Verses (published when she was just sixteen) and republished here, demonstrate a surprising awareness for the complex decisions and emotions faced by adults.
In “Some Woman to Some Man” she laments “We might have loved each other after all, / Have lived and learned together! Yet I doubt it; / You asked, I think, too great a sacrifice.” Wharton, deprived of many universal experiences such as true companionship due to an unlucky marital match, nevertheless shows remarkable insight here into the pangs of unrequited love.
The rest of the review: https://booktrib.com/2019/07/edith-wh...
Of course, if you’re picking up a copy of Selected Poems of Edith Wharton (Scribner), assembled by editor and Wharton scholar Irene Goldman-Price, you’re likely here out of appreciation for the poet rather than the poems.
Edith Wharton, known in her youth as “Pussy Jones,” began writing poetry as a teenager and continued through her lifetime. The early poems, collected in her 1878 collection Verses (published when she was just sixteen) and republished here, demonstrate a surprising awareness for the complex decisions and emotions faced by adults.
In “Some Woman to Some Man” she laments “We might have loved each other after all, / Have lived and learned together! Yet I doubt it; / You asked, I think, too great a sacrifice.” Wharton, deprived of many universal experiences such as true companionship due to an unlucky marital match, nevertheless shows remarkable insight here into the pangs of unrequited love.
The rest of the review: https://booktrib.com/2019/07/edith-wh...
January 17, 2023
2.5 stars. I picked up a copy of this at the Edith Wharton house back in 2019, and just finally got around to reading it.
Though I’ve enjoyed Wharton’s fiction, her poetry fell flat for me. Bogged down by diction that was heavy on the tongue in an attempt to sound “like poetry,” it felt like Wharton was trying so hard to sound poetic that she never really found her voice.
To no fault of Wharton’s, I also didn’t like the way this collection was organized (by subject, rather than chronological). Though, it did show me that most of the Wharton poems I liked were about love/heartbreak. Additionally, the context given before each poem really slowed the reading down. By the end I was just waiting for the collection to be over.
Overall, Wharton was an alright poet, not one that I’ll be likely to revisit.
Though I’ve enjoyed Wharton’s fiction, her poetry fell flat for me. Bogged down by diction that was heavy on the tongue in an attempt to sound “like poetry,” it felt like Wharton was trying so hard to sound poetic that she never really found her voice.
To no fault of Wharton’s, I also didn’t like the way this collection was organized (by subject, rather than chronological). Though, it did show me that most of the Wharton poems I liked were about love/heartbreak. Additionally, the context given before each poem really slowed the reading down. By the end I was just waiting for the collection to be over.
Overall, Wharton was an alright poet, not one that I’ll be likely to revisit.
July 19, 2021
Skimmed through this. Not my bag.
May 15, 2020
Selected Poems of Edith Wharton
1 star
Whimsical Writing Scale: 1.25
Plotastic Scale: 1
Cover Thoughts: I love this cover. I think it’s beautiful.
Thank you, Netgalley and Scribner, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
1 star
Edith Wharton is a well-known writer and classic poet. She is someone who many people read, admire, love, and recommend. I don’t know why I requested this collection for review. I think I was under the impression that I liked poetry from this century which is confusing because I hate most romantic poets. I gave this collection a shot, but I loathed it. There was not a lot to love for me. I think at first, I loved this collection, but the more I read, the less I enjoyed. I gave Edith Wharton’s poetry a shot and I think I’ll pass on the rest. However, I am interested in reading The House of Mirth. Classic poetry is just not for me. Correction. Romantic class poetry is not for me. 
Whimsical Writing Scale: 1.25
Plotastic Scale: 1
Cover Thoughts: I love this cover. I think it’s beautiful.
Thank you, Netgalley and Scribner, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
July 4, 2019
Selected Poems of Edith Wharton
by Edith Wharton; Irene Goldman-Price
Scribner
Poetry
Pub Date 09 Jul 2019
I am reviewing a copy of Selected Poems Of Edith Wharton through Scribner and Netgalley:
Despite Poetry being one of the most difficult genres Review, because poetry is such a personal experience, everyone can read the same poem and come up with a different interpretation.
Edith Wharton is well known for her fiction but over her career she wrote many poems as well, in various forms dealing with everything from love and loss to life and nature! The poems were written over many decades including several in her youth.
Of the 134 poems that were selected for this volume 50 have never been published before. The poetry in this collection is arranged by theme. The poems in this collection show a richer sometimes even darker side of Wharton.
The poems showcased in this selection vividly share Wharton’s personal experiences. Relatively overlooked until now, her poetry and its importance in her life provide an enlightening lens through which to view one of the finest writers of the twentieth century.
I give Selected Poems Of Edith Wharton five out of five stars because it shares a bit of the background of each poem and was obviously well researched!
Happy Reading!
October 8, 2020
Edith Wharton is best known for her novels, and her poetry is not mentioned often. The Age of Innocence earned the Pulitzer Prize in 1921 and made her the first woman to hold that honor. From a young age, she wrote poetry and mastered the sonnet as a young teen. Her early style reflects the Romantic Era, although more in tune with the works of man than nature. Her travels in Europe and especially Greece inspired spectacular verse. Like the Romantics, she was also intrigued by the supernatural, death, and Christianity. These themes also play a role in her writing. Her poetry does take a sharp turn after experiencing the First World War. Like many who fought, she is first taken in by the need ”to save civilization.” Soon, however, the death and loss of loved ones takes a toll on her and her writing. A reader following along chronologically instead on by topics as this book is arranged will notice the change of tone. The vividness and innocence of the world have faded or is lost. One often reads of the loss of innocence the war brought on, but to witness it in writing is moving. An excellent collection from a well-known writer and unfortunately a lesser known poet.
This collection is edited by Irene Goldman-Price and will be available July 9, 2019, from Scribner.
This collection is edited by Irene Goldman-Price and will be available July 9, 2019, from Scribner.
October 12, 2025
I bought this book when I went to Edith Wharton's Lenox home, The Mount. I hadn't known she wrote poetry, but it turns out that it was a vital form of expression for her throughout her life. Most of her poems rhyme and many are Petrarchan Sonnets. Because I was reading a large number of her poems all at once, rather than the lesser number that would be in one of the few collections she put together, or even just one now and then as they were sometimes published, I got a bit tired after a while of all the formal "thee's" "thou's," and "nay's" she used liberally, especially in the sonnets. My favorite poems were those that told a story in a fresh perspective by a particular character and which were often in free verse. She did also write many with a more naturally modern vocabulary and syntax.
A great feature of this collection is that there were informative, helpful notes to each poem by the editor, who arranged the selections (some previously unpublished) by subject rather than chronologically. This is a volume I will come back to again. Wharton's long life full of rich experiences, combined with her love of language and her desire to observe, ponder, and question results in some excellent work.
A great feature of this collection is that there were informative, helpful notes to each poem by the editor, who arranged the selections (some previously unpublished) by subject rather than chronologically. This is a volume I will come back to again. Wharton's long life full of rich experiences, combined with her love of language and her desire to observe, ponder, and question results in some excellent work.
August 31, 2020
Edith Wharton's book of poetry left me with goosebumps right from the first poem. It felt as if the poet was sitting right across you and reading you their poetry.
The poetic style of each poem is quite different, I am no literature student so I can't comment much on the style and metre. All I can say is enjoyed reading the book. Like any poem, unless you are reading some 21st century instagram poetry, you have to read almost every poem at least twice to understand the deeper meaning.
One poem about an old man telling in detail how is life is was quite sad. "I have lost my passion; why should I need to keep it", these two simple lines from the poem were very profound and telling.
Honestly, the poem right after it titled "Bleistein with a Cigar", I couldn't understand it at all. It's very short but the meaning was confusing for me.
My favourite from this collection is "The Burial of the Dead". Maybe because it's one of the easier poems.
The poetic style of each poem is quite different, I am no literature student so I can't comment much on the style and metre. All I can say is enjoyed reading the book. Like any poem, unless you are reading some 21st century instagram poetry, you have to read almost every poem at least twice to understand the deeper meaning.
One poem about an old man telling in detail how is life is was quite sad. "I have lost my passion; why should I need to keep it", these two simple lines from the poem were very profound and telling.
Honestly, the poem right after it titled "Bleistein with a Cigar", I couldn't understand it at all. It's very short but the meaning was confusing for me.
My favourite from this collection is "The Burial of the Dead". Maybe because it's one of the easier poems.
August 14, 2019
I appreciate that Edith (Jones) Wharton’s works are preserved in this collection. The descriptions before each poem are extremely helpful to understand her point of view. However, I felt disconnected from her high class living and descriptions of this era. I’m sure plenty of others will adore this collection—especially those who are historical students of WW1.
Thanks to #NetGalley, I had an advanced PDF to read and review.
*All opinions are my own and I was not required to post a positive review. *
Thanks to #NetGalley, I had an advanced PDF to read and review.
*All opinions are my own and I was not required to post a positive review. *
June 4, 2019
I've not ready Edith Wharton since high school, and if I'm honest, I didn't love Ethan Frome. Wharton's poetry leans heavily on classical and historical references, but the notes provided by the editor give enough context for them to be easily understood. Many of the poems are written in language that seems foreign to modern ears, but I appreciated them for their elegance and adherence to classic forms. Some of the lines were stunningly beautiful, and I learned a lot by reading them.
May 13, 2019
Edith Wharton is one of the greats. To be able to read her poetry in one collection is priceless. The poems are arranged by theme, which, for this English teacher is perfectly crafted. We know her as a brilliant novelist and seeing her transcend genres is wonderful. Edith writes poems with imagery, care and sophistication. This is a must read/buy for anyone who is a fan of a classic writer!
June 29, 2022
There is a handful of good poems here, a few great ones, and one ima print and hang above my desk and on my fridge. But poetry not my favorite genre, and Wharton's novels and short stories are SOOOO much better.
January 1, 2023
Incredibly underrated poetry. Not sure why it doesn’t get the same attention as her fiction!
January 22, 2024
This collection of poems was wonderful. Edith imagination and writing skills were fantastic.
June 12, 2019
I have adored Edith Wharton's writing since my high school years although that was her fiction. This was my first time reading anything outside of that genre and it did not disappoint. There were several things about this collection that stand out. One is the artwork accompanying the poems, as well as the photos of personal writings from Wharton herself. Several of the poems were personal favorites in this collection. I especially enjoyed the poem: "Heaven" and "Life" and "Grief". I think seeing a finished edition will be fantastic and that many of these will resonate at different times as I reread this collection.
Thank you to #SimonandSchuster for this early edition. What a treat!
#SelectedPoemsOfEdithWharton #NetGalley
Thank you to #SimonandSchuster for this early edition. What a treat!
#SelectedPoemsOfEdithWharton #NetGalley
January 27, 2022
Better known for her novels, Edith Wharton also published three volumes of poetry in her lifetime:
Verses
,
Artemis to Actaeon and Other Verses
, and
Twelve Poems
. This selection includes poems from these three volumes, along with a number of Uncollected Poems...
From Verses (1878)...
From Artemis to Actaeon and Other Verses (1909)...
From Twelve Poems (1926)...
From Uncollected Poems...
From Verses (1878)...
A cold grey sea, a cold grey sky
And leafless swaying boughs.
A wind that wanders sadly by,
And moans about the house.
And in my lonely heart a cry
For days that went before;
For joys that fly, and hopes that die,
And the past that comes no more.- October, pg. 18
From Artemis to Actaeon and Other Verses (1909)...
I
Leaguered in fire
The wild black promontories of the coast extend
Their savage silhouettes;
The sun in universal carnage sets,
And, halting higher,
The motionless storm-clouds mass their sullen threats,
Like an advancing mob in sword-points penned,
That, balked, yet stands at bay.
Mid-zenith hangs the fascinated day
In wind-lustrated hollows crystalline,
A wan Valkyrie whose wide pinions shine
Across the ensanguined ruins of the fray,
And in her hand swings high o’erhead,
Above the waster of war,
The silver torch-light of the evening star
Wherewith to search the faces of the dead.
II
Lagooned in gold,
Seem not those jetty promontories rather
The outposts of some ancient land forlorn,
Uncomforted of morn,
Where old oblivions gather,
The melancholy unconsoling fold
Of all things that go utterly to death
And mix no more, no more
With life’s perpetually awakening breath?
Shall Time not ferry me to such a shore,
Over such sailless seas,
To walk with hope’s slain importunities
In miserable marriage? Nay, shall not
All things be there forgot,
Save the sea’s golden barrier and the black
Close-crouching promontories?
Dead to all shames, forgotten of all glories,
Shall I not wander there, a shadow’s shade,
A spectre self-destroyed,
So purged of all remembrance and sucked back
Into the primal void,
That should we on the shore phantasmal meet
I should not know the coming of your feet?- An Autumn Sunset, pg. 68-69
From Twelve Poems (1926)...
Beauty hath two great wings
That lift me to her height,
Though steep her secret dwelling clings
'Twixt earth and light
Thither my startled soul she brings
In a murmur and stir of plumes,
And blue air cloven,
And in aerial rooms
Windowed on starry springs
Shows me the singing looms
Whereon her worlds are woven;
Then, in her awful breast,
Those heights descending,
Bears me, a child at rest,
At the day's ending,
Till earth, familiar as a nest,
Again receives me,
And Beauty veiled in night,
Benignly bending,
Drops from the sinking west
One feather of our flight,
And on faint sandals leaves me.- Dieu D'Amour, pg. 91
From Uncollected Poems...
Life, like a marble block, is given to all,
A blank, inchoate mass of years and days,
Whence one with ardent chisel swift essays
Some shape of strength or symmetry to call;
One shatters it in bits to mend a wall;
One in a craftier hand the chisel lays,
And one, to wake the mirth in Lesbia’s gaze,
Carves it apace in toys fantastical.
But least is he who, with enchanted eyes
Filled with high visions of fair shapes to be,
Muses which god he shall immortalize
In the proud Parian’s perpetuity,
Till twilight warns him from the punctual skies
That the night cometh wherein none shall see.- Life, pg. 119
December 11, 2012
Lingered too long with this splendid book of Wharton magic. The slow savoring of her love poems, in particular, quite intoxicating.
There are a group of poems here aimed at a select group of readers. I am not one of the literati or scholarly set, but still, worth a go, the masterful and evocative use of language worthy of your time.
But my oh my, when it comes to love, not sure I've ever been so drawn in, so aroused, enlivened and inspired by a poet. Ms. Wharton so captures it, the Keatsian dual joy/suffering, embracing all of what it means to be in the place called love. And "place" is indeed the essence of it, not simply who you're loving, but where you've strolled with them, where you've touched and caressed them, and conversed, and caroused, every element in the relationship, every locale, everywhere you've seen, heard, felt and been with them, Ms. Wharton erotically and painfully describes it in the language of whole- and warm-hearted remembrance. Such joy, both a suffering and a bliss.
If you do nothing else, you must engage her poem "Terminus." Have read and re-read, over and over again. It's available separately, online, here:
http://www.wcusd15.org/morrissey/term...
Love, love, love.
There are a group of poems here aimed at a select group of readers. I am not one of the literati or scholarly set, but still, worth a go, the masterful and evocative use of language worthy of your time.
But my oh my, when it comes to love, not sure I've ever been so drawn in, so aroused, enlivened and inspired by a poet. Ms. Wharton so captures it, the Keatsian dual joy/suffering, embracing all of what it means to be in the place called love. And "place" is indeed the essence of it, not simply who you're loving, but where you've strolled with them, where you've touched and caressed them, and conversed, and caroused, every element in the relationship, every locale, everywhere you've seen, heard, felt and been with them, Ms. Wharton erotically and painfully describes it in the language of whole- and warm-hearted remembrance. Such joy, both a suffering and a bliss.
If you do nothing else, you must engage her poem "Terminus." Have read and re-read, over and over again. It's available separately, online, here:
http://www.wcusd15.org/morrissey/term...
Love, love, love.
July 30, 2018
It is not surprising that Edith Wharton, who is a great novelist, is also a formidable poet, although she never managed that career in the ways she did her novelistic one. She begins as a derivative follower of Robert Browning but matures into a sonneteer and a strong poet, particularly around the All Saints/All Souls liturgical time. She is a remarkable writer.
November 5, 2014
There are some poems that stood out - some haunting verses about losing loved ones in war or going to war and having children and those poems were beautiful. For the most part it's structured poetry typical of its time with a handful that seem to have the same relevance today.
October 22, 2017
A few hidden gems lurking in the rough here. Loved Cynthia (more of a short story, and a good one at that, than a poem) and loved Life, which produced my new slogan "Nay, lift me to thy lips, life, and once more pour the wild music through me." A pleasant passage of time, no more, no less.
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April 23, 2022Don't read much poetry so I'm in no position to judge the quality. However All Souls was delightfully creepy and can be found at this link.
https://allpoetry.com/poem/8529727-Al...
https://allpoetry.com/poem/8529727-Al...
July 6, 2023
“There are two ways of spreading light; to be
The candle or the mirror that reflects it.”
And so this collection, like its master, is a kind light that still yet glows.
The candle or the mirror that reflects it.”
And so this collection, like its master, is a kind light that still yet glows.
April 21, 2019
This is beautiful collection of poems by Edith Wharton. I enjoyed reading a bit of the background that came with each poem. If your a fan of poetry you will enjoy this book.
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.
May 2, 2019
Edith Wharton showed herself to be master of prose and poetry. I admit with some embarrassment that this was my first visit to her work in verse. It was worth the trip. This is an arrangement of classic and inspired poems to be considered and savored.
May 9, 2019
I received a digital ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
These poems showcase an introspective side of Wharton, observant and attuned to her surroundings. All of the innocence and candor found in her novels is evident here, but accentuated by a hint of vulnerability often shrouded in her prose. The editor's explanation of each poem's setting enhanced the understanding of Wharton's voice and intent. This is a wonderful selection that is going on my keeper shelf as the perfect capstone to one of America's greatest literary treasures. This was a 5 star read for me.
These poems showcase an introspective side of Wharton, observant and attuned to her surroundings. All of the innocence and candor found in her novels is evident here, but accentuated by a hint of vulnerability often shrouded in her prose. The editor's explanation of each poem's setting enhanced the understanding of Wharton's voice and intent. This is a wonderful selection that is going on my keeper shelf as the perfect capstone to one of America's greatest literary treasures. This was a 5 star read for me.
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