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Dog-eared: Poems About Humanity's Best Friend
From Homer to Wordsworth to Gwendolyn Brooks, learn about history's greatest writers and the furry best friends that inspired them.
Dogs are at once among the most ordinary of animals and the most beloved by mankind. But what we may not realize is that for as long as we have loved dogs, our poets have been seriously engaged with them as well.
In this collection, English professor Duncan Wu digs into the wealth of poetry about our furry friends to show how varied and intimate our relationships with them have been over the centuries. Homer recounts how Odysseus's loyal dog recognizes his master even after his long absence. Thomas Hardy wrote poems from a pooch's perspective, conveying a powerful sense of dogs' innocent and trusting nature. And a multitude of writers, from Lord Byron to Emily Dickinson, have turned to poetry to mourn the loss of beloved dogs. Rich and inviting, Dog-eared is a spellbinding collection of poetic musings about humans and dogs and what they mean to each other.
Dogs are at once among the most ordinary of animals and the most beloved by mankind. But what we may not realize is that for as long as we have loved dogs, our poets have been seriously engaged with them as well.
In this collection, English professor Duncan Wu digs into the wealth of poetry about our furry friends to show how varied and intimate our relationships with them have been over the centuries. Homer recounts how Odysseus's loyal dog recognizes his master even after his long absence. Thomas Hardy wrote poems from a pooch's perspective, conveying a powerful sense of dogs' innocent and trusting nature. And a multitude of writers, from Lord Byron to Emily Dickinson, have turned to poetry to mourn the loss of beloved dogs. Rich and inviting, Dog-eared is a spellbinding collection of poetic musings about humans and dogs and what they mean to each other.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published October 27, 2020
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1467 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
July 13, 2020
Not entirely what I expected but based off the description, you basically get what it says. I guess I had expected some talk of dogs through the ages and maybe some more modern poems about dogs from the author. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed this. I love that the love for dogs can date back from so long ago. The relationship between dogs and humans has always been lovely! This is great for anyone who loves poetry, history, and dogs.
Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the advanced copy!
Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the advanced copy!
November 22, 2020
Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy of this book via netgalley!
A sweet recount of the relationship between human and dog since the ancient times. The author takes the time to explain context before having the reader read the actual passages/ poems. A heartwarming read for any dog lovers :)
A sweet recount of the relationship between human and dog since the ancient times. The author takes the time to explain context before having the reader read the actual passages/ poems. A heartwarming read for any dog lovers :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2020
In the Introduction to this collection, Duncan Wu says Understanding dogs as they really are is crucial to our understanding of ourselves; after all, what else are we looking at, when we reflect on our relations with dogs? and shortly after, in discussing Byron, whose ’purest relationships…were with animals, especially dogs…The important point for Byron is that dogs are better than humans. They love where humans merely lust; they are faithful where humans are capable only of betrayal.’ This idea, where ’dogs are better than people – angels with four furry legs and a tail – goes back to at least the seventeenth century’
By the second poem in this collection, MARTIAL (MARCUS VALERIUS MARTIALIS) was written between AD 38/41 and ca. 104, the ‘tone’ has added another … perspective, and some humour.
Epigram 1.83
Your cute little pup licks your face and lips;
Oh what a surprise! – he loves to eat shit.
By the late 1500’s, playwright John Heywood writes, in Of Loving a Dog the first instance of the phrase “Love me, love my dog,”
Love me, love my dog: by love to agree,
I love thy dog as well as I love thee.
In a poem by William Cowper, On a Spaniel Called Beau, Killing a Young bird which begins with a chastising of the dog for killing a bird, the ‘owner’s’ ending stanza –
My dog, what remedy remains
Since, teach you all I can,
I see you, after all my pains,
So much resemble man.
Beau’s Reply
Sir, when I flew to seize the bird
In spite of your command,
A louder voice than yours I heard
And harder to withstand.
You cried, “Forbear!,“ but in my breast
A mightier cried “Proceed!”
‘Twas Nature, sir, whose strong behest
Impelled me to the deed.
And ending with
If killing birds be such a crime
(Which I can hardly see),
What think you, sir, of killing Time
With verse addressed to me?
As the years pass, poetry addressing animal rights becomes de rigeur, and this topic begins to show up in poetry and writing, including Charles Baudelaire – who generally preferred cats. And some poems even ended up on dog collars. Victor Hugo wrote a couplet for his dog's collar, Sénat, which read:
I wish that someone would take me home.
Profession: dog. Master: Hugo. Name Sénat
Many of these I’d read previously, such as Emily Dickinson’s ’They say that “time assuages”’ and ’By the Sea. Thomas Hardy’s ’”Ah, Are You Digging on my Grave?,”’ Kipling’s ”Four-Feet” as well as Robert Frost’s ”The Span of Life”
The old dog barks backward without getting up.
I can remember when he was a pup.
For those who love poetry and dogs, and find the thought of life without either unbearable, this might be a must read.
Of Note:
The Fox Terrier Network of North America, along with the ASPCA will benefit from sales of this book.
Published: 27 Oct 2020
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Perseus Books, Basic Books / Basic Books
By the second poem in this collection, MARTIAL (MARCUS VALERIUS MARTIALIS) was written between AD 38/41 and ca. 104, the ‘tone’ has added another … perspective, and some humour.
Epigram 1.83
Your cute little pup licks your face and lips;
Oh what a surprise! – he loves to eat shit.
By the late 1500’s, playwright John Heywood writes, in Of Loving a Dog the first instance of the phrase “Love me, love my dog,”
Love me, love my dog: by love to agree,
I love thy dog as well as I love thee.
In a poem by William Cowper, On a Spaniel Called Beau, Killing a Young bird which begins with a chastising of the dog for killing a bird, the ‘owner’s’ ending stanza –
My dog, what remedy remains
Since, teach you all I can,
I see you, after all my pains,
So much resemble man.
Beau’s Reply
Sir, when I flew to seize the bird
In spite of your command,
A louder voice than yours I heard
And harder to withstand.
You cried, “Forbear!,“ but in my breast
A mightier cried “Proceed!”
‘Twas Nature, sir, whose strong behest
Impelled me to the deed.
And ending with
If killing birds be such a crime
(Which I can hardly see),
What think you, sir, of killing Time
With verse addressed to me?
As the years pass, poetry addressing animal rights becomes de rigeur, and this topic begins to show up in poetry and writing, including Charles Baudelaire – who generally preferred cats. And some poems even ended up on dog collars. Victor Hugo wrote a couplet for his dog's collar, Sénat, which read:
I wish that someone would take me home.
Profession: dog. Master: Hugo. Name Sénat
Many of these I’d read previously, such as Emily Dickinson’s ’They say that “time assuages”’ and ’By the Sea. Thomas Hardy’s ’”Ah, Are You Digging on my Grave?,”’ Kipling’s ”Four-Feet” as well as Robert Frost’s ”The Span of Life”
The old dog barks backward without getting up.
I can remember when he was a pup.
For those who love poetry and dogs, and find the thought of life without either unbearable, this might be a must read.
Of Note:
The Fox Terrier Network of North America, along with the ASPCA will benefit from sales of this book.
Published: 27 Oct 2020
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Perseus Books, Basic Books / Basic Books
August 12, 2020
Actual rating: 2.5
This book has an interesting premise, but fails to fully identity itself for what it is.
Dog-eared is a poetry compilation with the center focus being dogs. That is completely fine and generally, enjoyable. However, this book goes through a few tonal shifts that make it hard to say that it is a must-read or must-have. The introduction spends a lot of time engaging in academic discussion about the poems it will include. It talks about and quotes a couple of the included poems in a bit more depth. On some of the poems there is commentary on what the authors may have intended, or tidbits of what they thought about animals. Other times, there isn't anything additional added at all.
This book is organized chronologically, so the first few poems are excerpts from longer works. These poems are often accompanied by a little bit of commentary. Sometimes it is enlightenting and sometimes it feels kind of forced. This was probably my least favorite section, because some of these poems are also the most accessible and are included as excerpts. I am not a fan of excerpts, because I'd rather just read the entire work to see the full context. I understand many people like to just have relevant bits or won't take the time to read the entire thing, but that's my preference. Reading an excerpt with very little context makes me feel like I've been dropped in the middle of nowhere without a map.
Now, as a person who did study English & American Literature academically, as well as poetry (within English and creative writing), I genuinely see what the author was trying to do and I appreciate it. However, I don't feel like the execution was done that well. I like the effort, I like the concept, and I wish that this had been a stronger volume. At times this volume felt like it wanted to be an academic dive into canine poetry. At other times it felt like a poetry survey presentation done by a new undergraduate student, that falls flat. It has all the research, material, and beginning insight to be worth paying attention to, but it fails to really provide a solid thesis statement or consistent product. When I think of poetry and literature anthologies, I think of collections of work that I just HAVE to have, because they combine things I need or love, in an effective way or they are needed in order to complete an assignment for a course. Some anthologies you buy just to have the works, some you buy for the insights they provide, and some you buy because you're basically forced to. I have an anthology of short fiction that just gives quick author bios and then has the story or stories included for them. I also have a Norton anthology of Shakespeare that provides more commentary and historical context before each play. Both anthologies serve different purposes, but are highly effective. This anthology of poetry doesn't feel like either, and doesn't feel necessary. It feels like somebody said "I like dogs! Do you like dogs? Look at all these poems I found that include the word dog or that talk about dogs in them!" It is also too academic in tone at times to really be an anthology that an average person would buy just for fun. It doesn't always feel entertaining and it doesn't always feel informative. It teeters back and forth.
As far as consistency, some of the authors get more bios than others, some works are excerpted and mentioned, but not fully included. The bios and commentary are inconsistent in style and presentation, which is what really bothered me. If there was more attention to this aspect of the book, I think I would have enjoyed it better. Also, there is inclusion of what some poets thoughts were on dogs, dogs they owned, or things that they were against (ex: vivisections). These were really insightful inclusions, but I would really like to know where this information comes from. What are the sources? Some excerpts from letters expressing such details are included, but there is no bibliography showing where these views and stances come from. This is why I say that this book does not appear to know what it wants to be. There is some analysis at times. There is no analysis at others. There is some background info for authors at times. There is no background info at others. There are permission citations provided for necessary works. There are no citations for some of the other information that would appear to need citation. This just reads of inconsistency and I feel like if I produced a work similar to this for an in-class presentation, my professors would have some major critiques for not having been consistent, not providing proper citations, and for failing to polish the end product to make it effectively presentable.
The only other thing that really bothered me, was the intensive discussion of poems within the introduction. This was because once I actually got to some of the poems, the additional paragraph seemed to say the exact same thing as the intro and by included quotes from the poems, I felt like I was re-reading a poem that was already done. It felt repetitious, even though I know that I didn't actually read the full thing to begin with. This made it very hard for me to focus as I was reading and it led me to be confused momentarily and pause. I had to think, "didn't I read this already? Wait, which poem about Tray was discussed? Are there multiple dogs named Tray and it's all bleeding over? Or is it only one and I'm remembering it from the Introduction?" That was rather jarring.
Academic criticism aside, I thought this was a good compilation. I liked the range of poems over time and how thoughts on dogs appeared to largely remain the same, even though the poetry style and diction changed per major era. I liked the chronological progression and I love the subject matter. My only suggestion would be to clean up the inconsistency with a few quick edits, trim up the introduction, and add citations to additional biographical information since an academic tone is taken very early on. This is a great concept with a lack luster execution, that has the potential to be a great volume. I'm not going to run out and buy it, but if I ever decided to do some research on portrayal of animals over time, I might locate a copy to use as a directory of sorts. That's moreso what this book feels like. A directory of canine poetry, or a sampler of sorts.
This book has an interesting premise, but fails to fully identity itself for what it is.
Dog-eared is a poetry compilation with the center focus being dogs. That is completely fine and generally, enjoyable. However, this book goes through a few tonal shifts that make it hard to say that it is a must-read or must-have. The introduction spends a lot of time engaging in academic discussion about the poems it will include. It talks about and quotes a couple of the included poems in a bit more depth. On some of the poems there is commentary on what the authors may have intended, or tidbits of what they thought about animals. Other times, there isn't anything additional added at all.
This book is organized chronologically, so the first few poems are excerpts from longer works. These poems are often accompanied by a little bit of commentary. Sometimes it is enlightenting and sometimes it feels kind of forced. This was probably my least favorite section, because some of these poems are also the most accessible and are included as excerpts. I am not a fan of excerpts, because I'd rather just read the entire work to see the full context. I understand many people like to just have relevant bits or won't take the time to read the entire thing, but that's my preference. Reading an excerpt with very little context makes me feel like I've been dropped in the middle of nowhere without a map.
Now, as a person who did study English & American Literature academically, as well as poetry (within English and creative writing), I genuinely see what the author was trying to do and I appreciate it. However, I don't feel like the execution was done that well. I like the effort, I like the concept, and I wish that this had been a stronger volume. At times this volume felt like it wanted to be an academic dive into canine poetry. At other times it felt like a poetry survey presentation done by a new undergraduate student, that falls flat. It has all the research, material, and beginning insight to be worth paying attention to, but it fails to really provide a solid thesis statement or consistent product. When I think of poetry and literature anthologies, I think of collections of work that I just HAVE to have, because they combine things I need or love, in an effective way or they are needed in order to complete an assignment for a course. Some anthologies you buy just to have the works, some you buy for the insights they provide, and some you buy because you're basically forced to. I have an anthology of short fiction that just gives quick author bios and then has the story or stories included for them. I also have a Norton anthology of Shakespeare that provides more commentary and historical context before each play. Both anthologies serve different purposes, but are highly effective. This anthology of poetry doesn't feel like either, and doesn't feel necessary. It feels like somebody said "I like dogs! Do you like dogs? Look at all these poems I found that include the word dog or that talk about dogs in them!" It is also too academic in tone at times to really be an anthology that an average person would buy just for fun. It doesn't always feel entertaining and it doesn't always feel informative. It teeters back and forth.
As far as consistency, some of the authors get more bios than others, some works are excerpted and mentioned, but not fully included. The bios and commentary are inconsistent in style and presentation, which is what really bothered me. If there was more attention to this aspect of the book, I think I would have enjoyed it better. Also, there is inclusion of what some poets thoughts were on dogs, dogs they owned, or things that they were against (ex: vivisections). These were really insightful inclusions, but I would really like to know where this information comes from. What are the sources? Some excerpts from letters expressing such details are included, but there is no bibliography showing where these views and stances come from. This is why I say that this book does not appear to know what it wants to be. There is some analysis at times. There is no analysis at others. There is some background info for authors at times. There is no background info at others. There are permission citations provided for necessary works. There are no citations for some of the other information that would appear to need citation. This just reads of inconsistency and I feel like if I produced a work similar to this for an in-class presentation, my professors would have some major critiques for not having been consistent, not providing proper citations, and for failing to polish the end product to make it effectively presentable.
The only other thing that really bothered me, was the intensive discussion of poems within the introduction. This was because once I actually got to some of the poems, the additional paragraph seemed to say the exact same thing as the intro and by included quotes from the poems, I felt like I was re-reading a poem that was already done. It felt repetitious, even though I know that I didn't actually read the full thing to begin with. This made it very hard for me to focus as I was reading and it led me to be confused momentarily and pause. I had to think, "didn't I read this already? Wait, which poem about Tray was discussed? Are there multiple dogs named Tray and it's all bleeding over? Or is it only one and I'm remembering it from the Introduction?" That was rather jarring.
Academic criticism aside, I thought this was a good compilation. I liked the range of poems over time and how thoughts on dogs appeared to largely remain the same, even though the poetry style and diction changed per major era. I liked the chronological progression and I love the subject matter. My only suggestion would be to clean up the inconsistency with a few quick edits, trim up the introduction, and add citations to additional biographical information since an academic tone is taken very early on. This is a great concept with a lack luster execution, that has the potential to be a great volume. I'm not going to run out and buy it, but if I ever decided to do some research on portrayal of animals over time, I might locate a copy to use as a directory of sorts. That's moreso what this book feels like. A directory of canine poetry, or a sampler of sorts.
October 19, 2020
The problem with this book is the gap between what it is and how it's being marketed. The dust jacket describes it as a “charming collection” of "poetic musings about humans and dogs and what they mean to each other," and to be fair, there is a good bit of that. Some of the included works stunned me with their sensitivity and poignancy (such as Rudyard Kipling's The Power of a Dog).
The editor argues that no fair compilation can leave out the uglier side of our canine companions. Fine—I have no problem with the poems about dogs behaving badly or even the sad ones about how they are overlooked or mistreated. But dog lovers are less likely to enjoy, for example, a poem about finding a dog's skin nailed to a door, or a poem rejoicing over a dream that all the dogs in the world were taken out and shot. Yes, they're technically about dogs, but only in the coldest and most academic sense.
Dog-Eared is a pretty good representation of how poets have portrayed canines throughout the ages, with lots of authorial asides to aid contextual understanding. Just remember, should you choose to pick up this book, that there is a big difference between “poems about dogs” and “poems for people who like dogs.”
(I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.)
The editor argues that no fair compilation can leave out the uglier side of our canine companions. Fine—I have no problem with the poems about dogs behaving badly or even the sad ones about how they are overlooked or mistreated. But dog lovers are less likely to enjoy, for example, a poem about finding a dog's skin nailed to a door, or a poem rejoicing over a dream that all the dogs in the world were taken out and shot. Yes, they're technically about dogs, but only in the coldest and most academic sense.
Dog-Eared is a pretty good representation of how poets have portrayed canines throughout the ages, with lots of authorial asides to aid contextual understanding. Just remember, should you choose to pick up this book, that there is a big difference between “poems about dogs” and “poems for people who like dogs.”
(I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.)
July 23, 2020
Dog-eared by Duncan Wu, one of the books I went in to blindly, I usually grab a book after I have learnt every single thing about it, yes, that includes spoilers too! But with this one, I was like “I’m a simple person, I see dog, I go all in”. So what I expected was a few poems about dogs, but what I got was so much more, it was brief, yet comprehensive, it was poetic and it was a dog lovers heaven.
Mr Duncan introduces us to the concept of “good dogs” and “bad dogs” (I’m still not sold on the idea that there could even be such a thing as a bad dog) through out the history, as told in poems by famous poets and influencers from years past. I was amazed to find out some very familiar names I didn’t know were dog lovers, people like Walter Scott, Dorothy Parker, and Robert Browning, though most of the classic literature addicts know about Emily’s obsession with Flush, her spaniel. Another thing that I usually do not get to read about, when I am devouring the work of these great authors, is the fact that many of them were staunch advocates of animal rights, hard pressed against vivisection (likes of Robert Browning, Christina Rossetti, William Cowper), and dog lovers to the core. And that’s one of the many things that impressed me about this book, the author has driven in to the world of these famous people, the world that has been kept sheltered from us for far too long.
All in all, a wonderful read, with such a complete and diverse collection of poems about the man’s best friend, the “goodest boy”, and the fiercest companion.
Couldn’t leave without sharing these master pieces from the book:
By John Heywood
Love me, love my dog: by love to agree,
I love thy dog as well as I love thee.
And my favorite by Martial, a satirist
Your cute little pup licks your face and lips;
Oh what a surprise!—he loves to eat shit.
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Mr Duncan introduces us to the concept of “good dogs” and “bad dogs” (I’m still not sold on the idea that there could even be such a thing as a bad dog) through out the history, as told in poems by famous poets and influencers from years past. I was amazed to find out some very familiar names I didn’t know were dog lovers, people like Walter Scott, Dorothy Parker, and Robert Browning, though most of the classic literature addicts know about Emily’s obsession with Flush, her spaniel. Another thing that I usually do not get to read about, when I am devouring the work of these great authors, is the fact that many of them were staunch advocates of animal rights, hard pressed against vivisection (likes of Robert Browning, Christina Rossetti, William Cowper), and dog lovers to the core. And that’s one of the many things that impressed me about this book, the author has driven in to the world of these famous people, the world that has been kept sheltered from us for far too long.
All in all, a wonderful read, with such a complete and diverse collection of poems about the man’s best friend, the “goodest boy”, and the fiercest companion.
Couldn’t leave without sharing these master pieces from the book:
By John Heywood
Love me, love my dog: by love to agree,
I love thy dog as well as I love thee.
And my favorite by Martial, a satirist
Your cute little pup licks your face and lips;
Oh what a surprise!—he loves to eat shit.
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 15, 2020
Dog-eared is an enjoyable collection of canine reflection. I enjoyed this wide range of titles and reflections.
November 18, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of this book. My opinions are my own.
This book is not what I was expecting from the cover and that may be my own fault, but I fear the potential reader may misunderstand what this book is about as well...
What I was expecting was exactly what this author indicates this book is NOT in their introduction, a heartfelt book filled with poetry about our canine companions. While this book is dedicated to poetry about our four-legged friends, it is basically a history lesson of how we have always held a deep relationship with doggo-kind. It is a look at historical literature/poetry and how humanity has interacted with dogs through time.
Overall, this book was interesting but not what I was expecting initially as it was more of a history lesson then a fun homage to dogs through poetry and I wonder if its marketing could be a bit clearer to the customer (at least as far as the cover's presentation goes). For what it is, the author does a great job of compiling documents from countless sources and breaking them down into an approachable, unique, and revealing message about one of the most recognizable connections humanity has with our animal-friends.
This book is not what I was expecting from the cover and that may be my own fault, but I fear the potential reader may misunderstand what this book is about as well...
What I was expecting was exactly what this author indicates this book is NOT in their introduction, a heartfelt book filled with poetry about our canine companions. While this book is dedicated to poetry about our four-legged friends, it is basically a history lesson of how we have always held a deep relationship with doggo-kind. It is a look at historical literature/poetry and how humanity has interacted with dogs through time.
Overall, this book was interesting but not what I was expecting initially as it was more of a history lesson then a fun homage to dogs through poetry and I wonder if its marketing could be a bit clearer to the customer (at least as far as the cover's presentation goes). For what it is, the author does a great job of compiling documents from countless sources and breaking them down into an approachable, unique, and revealing message about one of the most recognizable connections humanity has with our animal-friends.
July 22, 2020
[4] This is my honest review after receiving and reading the ARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley
Poetry + Dogs?? SIGN ME IN!
I always wanted to read an Anthology of all dog poetry by famous or renowned people in literature. I’ve already read one similar to this but it was about cats.
This was a different format from the other one that I read because in this one there were explanations for who the authors were and their relation to dogs with their life experiences. This is interesting because I only expected a compilation of literary works about dogs. That additional touch is greatly appreciated and enhanced my reading experience since I understood the collection more deeply. Additionally, most of the excerpts/poetry included were excellent choices in my opinion. They tackled different perspectives on how dogs can be used in various symbolisms for societal issues.
This is definitely worth the read if you’re into literary poetry and dogs/animals.
Poetry + Dogs?? SIGN ME IN!
I always wanted to read an Anthology of all dog poetry by famous or renowned people in literature. I’ve already read one similar to this but it was about cats.
This was a different format from the other one that I read because in this one there were explanations for who the authors were and their relation to dogs with their life experiences. This is interesting because I only expected a compilation of literary works about dogs. That additional touch is greatly appreciated and enhanced my reading experience since I understood the collection more deeply. Additionally, most of the excerpts/poetry included were excellent choices in my opinion. They tackled different perspectives on how dogs can be used in various symbolisms for societal issues.
This is definitely worth the read if you’re into literary poetry and dogs/animals.
September 20, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of this book. My opinions are my own.
I was expecting a nice little book with sweet little poems on the loyal, funny and endearing creatures that are dogs. This book, however, is not that. My mistake - I just didn't read the description of this book well enough. I just read the word 'dog' and that made me pick up this book :)
This book is a collection of poems through the ages, starting with the ancient Greeks all the way to more recent poets.
While there are a lot of beautiful poems in this book out of different time periods, what I missed was more emotion. I missed the link between the different poems and between the different times. It could have been more than just a collection of poems, but to me, it wasn't.
I was expecting a nice little book with sweet little poems on the loyal, funny and endearing creatures that are dogs. This book, however, is not that. My mistake - I just didn't read the description of this book well enough. I just read the word 'dog' and that made me pick up this book :)
This book is a collection of poems through the ages, starting with the ancient Greeks all the way to more recent poets.
While there are a lot of beautiful poems in this book out of different time periods, what I missed was more emotion. I missed the link between the different poems and between the different times. It could have been more than just a collection of poems, but to me, it wasn't.
October 20, 2020
Generally well-selected poems, and generally good writing in between. The problem is that although Wu states early on that we 'should not forget' human atrocities against dogs, he fails to make any convincing argument that poems highlighting that should be included in a general dog poetry anthology (with a cute title and subtitle, no less). I think it could have been possible to gracefully include material with a less-than-cheerful tone, of course, but as it is, some of the darker poems feel out of place and don't really serve any purpose except to let Wu pat himself on the back for being different from 'kitschier' dog poetry anthologists.
December 4, 2020
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
I always enjoy poems about animals and had previously enjoyed other collections I found, so I was excited to see this one pop up. I really enjoyed the biographical information about each author and the animals that they had in their lives, but I was somewhat disappointed when a good number of the poems weren't necessarily about dogs, and maybe had only a few lines or a mention of dogs. I was really hoping all of them would have dogs as the central subject, but I did enjoy the variance between styles and subjects overall.
I always enjoy poems about animals and had previously enjoyed other collections I found, so I was excited to see this one pop up. I really enjoyed the biographical information about each author and the animals that they had in their lives, but I was somewhat disappointed when a good number of the poems weren't necessarily about dogs, and maybe had only a few lines or a mention of dogs. I was really hoping all of them would have dogs as the central subject, but I did enjoy the variance between styles and subjects overall.
February 26, 2021
This is about the strangest premise for a book of poetry that I have ever encountered. But, because I love dogs so much, and am a fan of prose and poetry no matter the premise, I decided to give it a go. Once I commit to reading each poem with an open mind, I was amazed by the book's beauty, insight and even humor. Dogs truly are man's best friend, having been for generations, and Duncan Wu's fascinating book certainly reminds the reader of the love between man and canine.
July 15, 2020
trigger warning
This anthology contains various poems in rhyme and even one in prose centering around dogs. Dogs as hunter, dogs as friends, dogs as wild beings greeted in passing, dogs as lamented family members that passed.
Most poems follow a short intriduction of the author and since I read a review copy, I am going to assume that before publication, all poets will get this treatment. What I liked is a vocab section, because looking up certain words and phrases from times past can get time consuming and nobody knows all the words.
What this collection lacks is diversity. Most poems are by men, and even those that are not were written by white people. I understand that this is about the classics, but how about a follow-up book with contemporary poems by people from all over the world?
Some poems I'll most likely forgotten already tomorrow, some make me want to look up their authors and read more of their work.
You certainly need to like dogs to find this fun.
I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
This anthology contains various poems in rhyme and even one in prose centering around dogs. Dogs as hunter, dogs as friends, dogs as wild beings greeted in passing, dogs as lamented family members that passed.
Most poems follow a short intriduction of the author and since I read a review copy, I am going to assume that before publication, all poets will get this treatment. What I liked is a vocab section, because looking up certain words and phrases from times past can get time consuming and nobody knows all the words.
What this collection lacks is diversity. Most poems are by men, and even those that are not were written by white people. I understand that this is about the classics, but how about a follow-up book with contemporary poems by people from all over the world?
Some poems I'll most likely forgotten already tomorrow, some make me want to look up their authors and read more of their work.
You certainly need to like dogs to find this fun.
I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
May 30, 2021
I was more academic than I'd anticipated. While it contained an interesting, historical look at poems including dogs throughout the ages, some of the poems seemed like they were included based on a very superficial mention of a canine, but to me they didn't inspire the awe of a fierce wild animal or adoration of man's best friend.
There were some I enjoyed, and others I enjoyed for the interesting things I learned, but I generally pick up poetry in order to connect emotionally, and I was not particularly enthused with this collection.
There were some I enjoyed, and others I enjoyed for the interesting things I learned, but I generally pick up poetry in order to connect emotionally, and I was not particularly enthused with this collection.
November 5, 2020
This is a book of selected poetry about man's best friend. The poems are from various time periods through history. It was interesting to see how far back the poems went, and that dogs have always had a significant impact on humans.
It wasn't necessarily what I was expecting it to be, but I enjoyed it for wat it was. If you have an interest in dogs and/or poetry, you might like this one!
Thank you to Duncan Wu, Basic Books, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
It wasn't necessarily what I was expecting it to be, but I enjoyed it for wat it was. If you have an interest in dogs and/or poetry, you might like this one!
Thank you to Duncan Wu, Basic Books, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 17, 2020
I wasn’t too sure on this book, it wasn’t really what I was expecting. It contained a lot of older poems and I think I would have liked a few more modern poems included. There was also a lot of information about the poets which I wasn’t really interested in. There were some lovely poems in but I just expected something a bit different. I would give this book 2.5 stars.
October 3, 2020
2/5 stars!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The premise is very interesting and intriguing, but sadly, this isn't what I expected from this book. I liked the introduction more than most of the entries. I'm disappointed and a bit sad because I wanted to like this book a lot.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The premise is very interesting and intriguing, but sadly, this isn't what I expected from this book. I liked the introduction more than most of the entries. I'm disappointed and a bit sad because I wanted to like this book a lot.
October 26, 2020
This is not exactly what I was expecting but I still enjoyed it as both a dog lover and a dog owner. I honestly enjoyed the intro and bits of history and info more than the poems but that is just my own personal feelings. I really enjoyed seeing how far back our love for dogs goes. I would say if you love dogs, history, or poetry this is the book for you.
June 21, 2021
I read a few of these to my dogs and while neither seemed too enthused, I found this to be a lovely collection. Poetry is so good at nailing down things things that prose can't quite reach sometimes, and there were a few shorter pieces that utterly captured the nature of these treasured creatures. A perfect collection to read on a rainy day while hanging out with your favorite four-legged friend.
December 25, 2020
A bit textbook-like for the first half, with some poems containing only one line referencing a canine. Then the dullness of minor Victorian and Edwardian verse. With William Carlos Williams things began to perk up. Not really the right book for me.
April 27, 2022
This collection of poems about human's best friend is beautiful. Right after I finished the last poem I ran to my 3 little mutts and hugged them. Dogs are amazing an the poems in this collection were skillfully selected to hit the heartstrings. I loved this.
January 21, 2024
I enjoyed that this was not only an anthology of poetry but an analysis of it as well. The editor compiled and gave us background to each poets state of mind and circumstances at birth.
Don’t skip the preface/forward. Parts of the profits of this book goes towards the ASPCA.
Don’t skip the preface/forward. Parts of the profits of this book goes towards the ASPCA.
September 1, 2025
I was very excited for the topic of this poetry collection, but so many of the poems were really, really old, and the language was difficult to understand. Overall, I enjoyed reading about the love of dogs throughout the centuries, but wish the selections were more readily accessible.
Want to read
July 20, 2020Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
September 13, 2020
A very well researched collection of poems about mans best friend.
My first book of this type, and wasn’t disappointed.
I was able to read an advanced copy thanks to the website NetGalley
My first book of this type, and wasn’t disappointed.
I was able to read an advanced copy thanks to the website NetGalley
October 6, 2020
I like this book though I would have liked if the author kept the bio part before the poems for all the authors.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy!
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy!
February 6, 2021
Dogs are man’s best friend - no truer words have ever been spoken! Duncan Wu has compiled such a great book that will touch the heart of any dog lover.
June 14, 2021
#Dog-eared by # Duncan Wu is a wonderful. If you are a dog lover or know one this is perfect. The poems have such depth.
Thank you for the advance copy,
#Netgalley, #Duncan Wu, and # Basic Books
Thank you for the advance copy,
#Netgalley, #Duncan Wu, and # Basic Books
February 14, 2025
Honestly 3.5 stars but a round up for an interesting thought process throughout the book.
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