Familiar poems, annotated

Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson, FRS, much better known as "Alfred, Lord Tennyson," was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom during much of Queen Victoria's reign and remains one of the most popular poets in the English language. Tennyson excelled at penning short lyrics, "In the valley of Cauteretz", "Break, Break, Break", "The Charge of the Light Brigade", "Tears, Idle Tears" and "Crossing the Bar". Much of his verse was based on classical mythological themes, such as Ulysses, although In...

Clement Clarke Moore is credited and is most widely known as the author of the Christmas poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas", first published anonymously in 1823. It later became widely known as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" and has been published in numerous illustrated versions in various languages. Scholars debate the identity of the author, calling on textual and handwriting analysis as well as other historical sources.

Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective-fiction genre. He is further credited with contributing to the emerging genre of science fiction.[1] He was the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in...

Edgar Lee Masters is the author of Prentice Hall Literature--Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes--The American Experience. This collection offers a deep dive into American literature.

Edmund H. Sears is the author behind the collection of familiar poems you'll find here. He's known for his thoughtful annotations, bringing new life to well-loved verses.

Edwin Arlington Robinson is the author behind Prentice Hall Literature--Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes--The American Experience. This collection explores classic American literature.

Emma Lazarus is the author of Prentice Hall Literature--Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes--Reader's Companion--Silver. Her work focuses on literature and educational resources.

Felicia Dorothea Browne Hemans was a celebrated poet whose familiar verses continue to resonate. Her work, often touching on themes of home, country, and faith, is a wonderful starting point for anyone exploring 19th-century poetry. We're pleased to offer an annotated collection of her most beloved poems.

Francis Scott Key is best known for his familiar poems, which have been carefully annotated for this collection. He was a gifted writer whose work continues to resonate with readers.

Gilbert Keith Chesterton was an English writer, lay theologian, poet, philosopher, dramatist, journalist, orator, literary and art critic, biographer, and Christian apologist.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator. His original works include the poems "Paul Revere's Ride", "The Song of Hiawatha", and "Evangeline". He was the first American to completely translate Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy and was one of the fireside poets from New England.

Asimov was born sometime between October 4, 1919 and January 2, 1920 in Petrovichi in Smolensk Oblast, RSFSR (now Russia), the son of a Jewish family of millers. Although his exact date of birth is uncertain, Asimov himself celebrated it on January 2. His family emigrated to Brooklyn, New York and opened a candy store when he was three years old. He taught himself to read at the age of five. He began reading the science fiction pulp magazines that his family's store carried. Around the age of...

James Ryder Randall penned many well-loved poems, often exploring themes of home and country. His collected works offer a glimpse into the heart of a writer who found his voice in familiar verse.

Influential English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright.

An American Quaker poet and advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States. Frequently listed as one of the Fireside Poets, he was influenced by the Scottish poet Robert Burns (Wikipedia).

John Keats was the latest born of the great Romantic poets. Along with Byron and Shelley, he was one of the key figures in the second generation of the movement, despite publishing his work over only a four year period. During his short life, his work was not well received by critics, but his posthumous influence on poets such as Alfred Tennyson and Wilfred Owen was significant. The poetry of Keats was characterised by sensual imagery, most notably in the series of odes which remain among the mo...

English poet, novelist, dramatist and journalist.

John McCrae is the author behind the Prentice Hall Literature series. His work focuses on educational texts for literature studies.

John Milton was an English poet, author, polemicist and civil servant for the Commonwealth of England. He is best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost. ([Source][1].) [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Milton

Julia Ward Howe is the author of familiar poems that have been carefully annotated. Her work offers a direct look into classic verse.

Lord Byron was an English poet known as much for his life of scandals, exile and excess as for his elegant and well-crafted poetry. Known by his peers as dark, seductive and romantic, his legacy, the brooding Byronic hero still influences modern audiences two hundred years on.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. was a physician and writer whose work often explored the American experience. He's known for his contributions to literature collections like Prentice Hall Literature--Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes--The American Experience.

Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the major English Romantic poets and is critically regarded among the finest lyric poets in the English language. He is most famous for such classic anthology verse works as Ozymandias, Ode to the West Wind, To a Skylark, and The Masque of Anarchy, which are among the most popular and critically acclaimed poems in the English language. His major works, however, are long visionary poems which included Prometheus Unbound, Alastor, Adonaïs, The Revolt of Islam, and t...

Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American philosopher, essayist, and poet, best remembered for leading the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. His teachings directly influenced the growing New Thought movement of the mid-1800s. He was seen as a champion of individualism and a prescient critic of the countervailing pressures of society. Emerson gradually moved away from the religious and social beliefs of his contemporaries, formulating and expressing the philosophy of Transcendental...

Robert Browning is the author behind Prentice Hall Literature, a trusted resource for exploring classic and contemporary writing. His work focuses on making literature accessible and understandable for readers.

Robert Burns (also known as Rabbie Burns, Scotland's favourite son, the Ploughman Poet, the Bard of Ayrshire and in Scotland as simply The Bard) was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who have written in the Scots language, although much of his writing is also in English and a "light" Scots dialect, accessible to an audience beyond Scotland. He also wrote in standard English, and i...

Robert Lee Frost was an American poet. His work was initially published in England before it was published in the United States. Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech, Frost frequently wrote about settings from rural life in New England in the early 20th century, using them to examine complex social and philosophical themes.

Rudyard Kipling was a British author and poet. Born in Bombay, in British India, he is best known for his works of fiction "[The Jungle Book][1]" (1894). He is regarded as a major "innovator in the art of the short story"; his children's books are enduring classics of children's literature. ([Source][2]) [1]: /works/OL15400121W/ [2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudyard_Kipling

Walt Whitman was an American poet, essayist, journalist, and humanist. He was a part of the transition between Transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse.[1] His work was very controversial in its time, particularly his poetry collection Leaves of Grass, which was described as obscene for its overt sexuality. ([Source][1].) [1]:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wal...

William Cowper is the author of familiar poems, many of which you'll find helpfully annotated here. His work offers a clear and accessible look at everyday life and thought.

William Ernest Henley penned some truly memorable poems that many readers will recognize. This collection offers a chance to revisit those familiar verses with helpful annotations.

William Haines Lytle is the author of "Familiar Poems, Annotated." This collection offers a fresh look at well-loved verses. It's a great find for anyone who enjoys poetry.

William Wordsworth was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with the 1798 joint publication Lyrical Ballads. ([Source][1].) [1]:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wordsworth

W. S. Gilbert penned many familiar poems, and this collection offers a fresh look at his work. You'll find his witty verses here, complete with helpful annotations.