Ideas and Inspiration for National Poetry Day
This week sees National Poetry Day fall on October 6th, and whether you’re already a poetry lover or want to seek solace in the pages of some classic verse after some time away from literature, the online world has much to offer in the way of the classics, the contemporary and poetry and rhymes for children. Here are some suggestions for your own enjoyment or as potential gifts for a literary lover in your life…
Classic Collections
There’s nothing quite as beautiful as a collection of poems wrapped up in an exquisite hardback cover and thankfully there are plenty to choose from as well as low prices when you use The Book People voucher codes to order them. The hardback edition of Songs of Innocence and of Experience by William Blake (was £9.99, now £9.89) could make an excellent gift for someone, or even a literary treat for yourself, because this classic work recreates Blake’s own lettering from his original work, making it even more beautiful. The Collected Poems of Dylan Thomas (was £25, now £19.89) gets you a tome from one of the nation’s favourite poets who counted The Beatles, Richard Burton and Patti Smith among his many fans, or if you want a classic poetry box set, the Faber War Poets Collection is exceptionally good value, getting you 6 volumes for just £8.99 (recommended retail price: £53.94).
Children’s Verse
One thing the children’s market isn’t short of is a rhyme or two, and a buying a collection of comical verse is a great way to introduce your kids to the wonders of poetry. The Works discount vouchers offer a large selection of discounted children’s titles as well as additional savings on your order, and their range of children’s poetry does not disappoint. Start with the daddy of them all, Rhyme Stew by Roald Dahl (£5.99), then move onto another children’s classic by a much-loved author and poet, Heard it in the Playground by Allen Ahlberg (£5.99). There are also plenty of picture books that incorporate rhyme for younger children such as Seaside Poems, compiled by Jill Bennet and illustrated by Nick Sharratt (£5.99).
Contemporary Works
The current world of poetry publications is in good health and there are a fine number of poets with a wide variety of different volumes to choose from. Using Hive Books, you can save on a large range of titles from our current Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy including The World’s Wife (was £9.99, now £7.49), and if you want to give someone a collection of modern classics by one of America’s most highly-regarded contemporary writers, they have And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou (was £8.99, now £6.99). Kate Tempest may be more well-known as a rapper following the release of her Mercury Award nominated album Everybody Down, but she is also an award-winning poet and novelist, and her collection of poems, Hold Your Own, is now available for just £7.49 (was £9.99).
Of course, you can enjoy poetry at any time of the year, by why not make the most of National Poetry Day in 2016 and reward yourself with the gift of some verse to dip in and out of? It might be just the thing to take you away from the stresses and strains of modern life.
By Anna Scott, 4th October 2016