A Nature Poem for Every Winter Evening

by Jane McMorland Hunter

A wonderful bedside companion on a winter's evening to enjoy our place in nature, even on a cold wintery night, in a collection of poems taken from the Nature Poem for Every Night of the Year anthology.


From Shakespeare to Keats to Ted Hughes, this is the perfect book to immerse yourself in the season and find joy and comfort in nature. The finest poets that ever put pen to paper describe this beautiful and terrible season.
In December 'Gaunt in gloom' begins James Joyce's 'Nightpiece'. In January, 'the dull dead wind is out of tune' for Oscar Wilde, and in February, the last month of meteorological winter, William Morris muses 'From this chill thaw to dream of blossomed May.'
The ideal book to take you through the dark months of winter.

Genres: Poetry, Nature

256 pages, Hardcover

Published October 13, 2022

Reviews

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this beautiful book for a gift at Christmas and I have enjoyed reading through it over the winter months. I must admit to be a little disappointed at the range of poetry within it though. There is very little, if any, contemporary poetry. Most of it seems to be rather old and well-known - and mostly by men. Not a bad thing necessarily but it would have been nice if there was a broader range of poetry and poets included.

[John Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

When first I spied upon the shelf
This book I said unto myself,
"Why here's a volume perfect for
Cold nights ahead. I'll search no more
for literary works to keep
Me warm on winter nights so deep."

Envisioned I a warm tableau
Of sitting by the fire's glow,
A whisky neat upon the stand
And this fair tome within my hand.
The winter's chill would reach me not
Ensconced were I just so, methought.

The truth, I fear, far more prosaic:
The fire un-lit, the booze un-drank.
A warmer winter? Hard to find.
(Tomorrow's high is 69?!)
And yet these poems gave delight
On each and ev'ry winter night.

[Courtney Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this little book of poems. The cover is beautiful and sat on the end table by my couch every day this winter. I always looked forward to the quiet of the night with a few moments to read and absorb a nature poem. I’m happy to have picked up a copy of the spring version. This one shall be returning to the shelf for a rest until December, then I look forward to picking it up again.

[Torrie Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

“That wrathful winter, ‘proaching on apace,…”

A Nature Poem for Every Winter Evening was such a treat. I was gifted this poetry advent calendar book months ago, and I spent a majority of the winter reading a poem a day from December until the end of February. There were a few poems I’d read before, but a majority were new to me and tailored to the season, which made this a fun read during the long and coldest months.

“How shall we open the door of Spring
That Winter is holding wearily shut?” 4/5

[Julia Granni · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beautifully designed poetry book has created wonderful winter evening moments for me. I really enjoyed many of the poems—winter landscapes and natural processes are described so vividly that I felt more immersed in the season. Some poems also conveyed meaningful messages. I'll definitely take this book out again in December. ❄️

However, as others have mentioned, I think the selection of poets could have been more diverse, as most are from the 19th century. Images or more illustrations would also have been a nice addition.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I didn’t love every poem in this anthology, the concept of reading a poem every night was very calming. As a winter person, each one captured the progress of winter throughout the months and I was surprised to see how many different authors have poems for this season.❄️

[Valentine Locket · Rating 4 out of 5]

A range of poems, definitely something I can re-read each winter. now I've gotta find the other seasons

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in one sitting because I waited for over three months to get it from the library and we are now in spring. I still loved the poems. My favorite was Robert Frost and the one about the cat.

[Horatian (amy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve really treasured this being part of my night time routine. (The pages also smell exactly like a pamphlet I got when I went to the Venice Biennale so that was a nice form of time travel)

[Elizabeth Schwertfuehrer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully designed and illustrated.

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A visual collection of the beauty of winter. Many written by poets over time. A treat for a cold winter’s night.

[Chanel Chapters]

Was ok - almost all the poems were from the 1600-1800s - was hoping for some more modern ones too

[Kristina Nichols · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely adore these nightly poems, but some are just insufferable and not my taste. I try to let them teach me something and while some do, others are just ehh.