Poems of Healing

by Karl Kirchwey (Editor)

A remarkable Pocket Poets anthology of poems from around the world and across the centuries about illness and healing, both physical and spiritual.

From ancient Greece and Rome up to the present moment, poets have responded with sensitivity and insight to the troubles of the human body and mind. Poems of Healing gathers a treasury of such poems, tracing the many possible journeys of physical and spiritual illness, injury, and recovery, from John Donne’s “Hymne to God My God, In My Sicknesse” and Emily Dickinson’s “The Soul has Bandaged moments” to Eavan Boland’s “Anorexic,” from W.H. Auden’s “Miss Gee” to Lucille Clifton’s “Cancer,” and from D.H. Lawrence’s “The Ship of Death” to Rafael Campo’s “Antidote” and Seamus Heaney’s “Miracle.” Here are poems from around the world, by Sappho, Milton, Baudelaire, Longfellow, Cavafy, and Omar Khayyam; by Stevens, Lowell, and Plath; by Zbigniew Herbert, Louise Bogan, Yehuda Amichai, Mark Strand, and Natalia Toledo. Messages of hope in the midst of pain—in such moving poems as Adam Zagajewski’s “Try to Praise the Mutilated World,” George Herbert’s “The Flower,” Wisława Szymborska’s “The End and the Beginning,” Gwendolyn Brooks’ “when you have forgotten the love story” and Stevie Smith’s “Away, Melancholy”—make this the perfect gift to accompany anyone on a journey of healing.

Everyman's Library pursues the highest production standards, printing on acid-free cream-colored paper, with full-cloth cases with two-color foil stamping, decorative endpapers, silk ribbon markers, European-style half-round spines, and a full-color illustrated jacket.

Genres: Poetry, Anthologies

240 pages, Hardcover

Published March 30, 2021

Reviews

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite reading the forewords, and acknowledging the point that is being made, I still believe that this collection has the wrong title.

What I had in mind was soothing poems with which to fill the soul but ended up having it shattered page after page.
Not only did it trampoline from numerous diseases, death and sorrow to mourning and grieving, but it was a rollercoaster of traumatic themes and images.

So, why the five stars then? I absolutely loved this anthology even if the feelings I was expecting didn’t emerge while reading, it made me ache, and reminded me of the preciousness of life.
Lesson learnt!

On another note, I wouldn’t recommend to give this book to someone attempting healing.

[Fleur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, Karl, pop off king! Though I can’t say I FULLY understand your categorisation I do so deeply appreciate the death poems (but in the healing chapter? Do you know something I don’t?). I love seeing some of my favourites but not too many, because that just makes all the sense, right? It’s about balance and this collection HAS IT. The final quarter of my copy is just one giant annotation now. I even used different pens, so desperate was I. And I don’t just mean two black pens like it’s no big deal—no, I mean black AND BLUE. A BLUE PEN. Anyway, great anthology. I’m done now.

[Madalina Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. A lot of poems were full of metaphors and really inspired me to ask deep questions and see the bright side of life. However, sometimes it can be depressing due to many references in regards to illness, death and grief.
As a person who processes her emotions in a healthy way, it was a wonderful journey and I do believe this book can open up your heart to some sad aspects of life. I do think some people might need to read the poems slower or take breaks if they feel it's too much for them.
But overall, I did enjoy it very much, especially because it helped me process feelings of sadness and grief and see a reality of medical issues from an emotional point of view, which is an entirely different world for me. Highly recommend!

[Cindy Neighbors · Rating 5 out of 5]

ADORE this book. Especially the ABRACADABRA poem!!!! And the ABC poem. Those 2 are my favorites. There is another. Will update if I can come back to do this. What sold me on this was I opened the book straight to the page about the woman dying (I think, memory is foggy) and just needing the truth. Is that what life and healing and knowing too much is all about. Anyway, I come from a background of mental health issues and being a retired physician. This is so perfect. <3 love all the poems and poets in this work. I think I'm going to try to get all the pocket poet series for my collection :)

[Mollie Connelly-MacNeill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't recommend this collection more. I unintentionally developed a nightly routine of leaving this by my bed and reading a few poems every night before bed. Before long, I was craving it. The edition is so beautiful and well curated.

[Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good poems with lots of emotion but also some I couldn't relate to at all (as always is with poetry collections), but overall I think this is a solid collection. Interestingly, most of the poems I bookmarked were in the same section (The Diagnosis).

[Jovana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only liked the darker first half, about illness. the part focused on ”the healing” wasnt for me

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

These were poems of humanity's propensity to get ill and die, more than they were poems about healing.

[Ruth Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

This poetry anthology needs a different title. It is misleading. I was hoping for soothing poems. They are not here.

[Charles Ellenoire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bought it as a gift but read it before gifting it. Sadly the poems have nothing to do with healing.