Asbury University English Professor Dr. Devin Brown recently published a poetry anthology titled “Twenty Timeless Poems.” Featuring such favorites as “The Road Not Taken,” “In the Bleak Mid-Winter,” and Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 73,” the book includes a paraphrase and a thorough discussion of each poem, as well as interesting information about its author and a number of fun facts.
The opening essay begins: “It’s been said that the role of the poet is to help us see, understand, and celebrate the world and the people around us. Poets do these things by choosing words and images that are moving, memorable, and beautiful. So why don’t more people enjoy reading poetry? Maybe they find it too difficult.”
“Twenty Timeless Poems” sets out to make twenty time-honored poems easier to understand, appreciate, and enjoy. “I teach these poems every year in my Intro to Literature class,” Brown noted. “So, I have spent a good deal of time thinking about them and what they might say to us today.”
One reviewer wrote: “Page after page, I learned something new. This is an incredibly valuable resource for anyone looking to explore poetry, and especially for homeschoolers, teachers, and librarians. The conversational tone makes this book accessible to a wide range of ages.”
“These poems, written over the past 400 years, cover a broad range of topics – from death and old age, to making decisions, to watching the snow fall,” Brown observed. “They reflect on our restlessness and our interconnectedness and take us to distant lands, real and imaginary. They allow us to feel the cold of winter and hear the bells on Christmas Day without leaving the comfort of our favorite chair.”
“Twenty Timeless Poems” is available in paperback, hardcover, and Kindle editions on Amazon and wherever books are sold.
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