Bark: Selected Poems about Dogs [Hardcover]

Ferris Cook (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2000

Anyone who has known a canine companion should find a portrait of his or her friend somewhere in this book. The volume is an anthology of verse which touches on love, loss, friendship, ageing, death and the beyond - the entire scope of the human condition. It features poetry by Elizabeth Bishop, Emily Dickinson, T.S. Eliot, Robert Frost, Louise Gluck, Langston Hughes, Denise Levertov, Philip Levine, James Merrill, W.S. Merwin, Pablo Neruda, Mary Oliver, Dorothy Parker, Adrienne Rich, Rainer Maria Rilke, Charles Simic, Miguel de Unamumo, John Updike, Richard Wilbur, William Carlos Williams, William Wordsworth and others. The 30 poems are presented with charcoal illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ferris Cook is an artist and writer/editor/illustrator of ten previous books. She lives in New York.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 72 pages
• Publisher: Bulfinch Press; 1st edition (September 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821226649
• ISBN-13: 978-0821226643
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 6.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,614,730 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book for everyone who loves dogs!, February 24, 2005

By 

Jazzbrat (Bebop City, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bark: Selected Poems about Dogs (Hardcover)

I absolutely LOVE this book! The collection of poems are as diverse as the canines they describe. My favorite poem in the book is "Another Reason Why I Don't Keep a Gun in the House" (Billy Collins). Despite its title, the actual poem has NOTHING to do with shooting the neighbor's dog. I think the author named it that to set the tone as to how angry a person can get with the sound of incessant barking.

But the good news is how he tries to cope. He puts on a Beethoven symphony to try and drown out the dog but suddenly, in his mind's eye, he imagines the dog as part of the orchestra. It just gets funnier and funnier and in the end he attributes Beethoven's success to his famous "barking dog" solo! Hilarious!

The hardest poem to read because it is truly heartbreaking and it is about a puppy, is "Dog's Death" (John Updike). And yet, despite the devastating content, it is a beautiful and moving piece.

This collection of poems includes many famous writers: John Updike (as mentioned), Robert Frost, Pablo Neruda, Mary Oliver, William Wordsworth - the list is quite impressive.

A truly wonderful and beautiful book! The illustrations alone are worth the price!!!

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A mixed - but delightful - bag of poems about dogs, September 10, 2003

By 

Kelly A. Garbato "www.easyvegan.info" (Kearney, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bark: Selected Poems about Dogs (Hardcover)

"Bark" is a small collection of poems about dogs (there are 26 pieces, to be exact). While some of the poems are of the cute and cuddly variety that you'd find in gift books, others are more serious, tackling issues such as death, loss and grieving. All are beautiful, except for a few that are a bit disturbing; for instance, in "Another Reason Why I Don't Keep a Gun in the House", Billy Collins entertains thoughts of shooting his neighbor's noisy dog. Such vignettes are the exception, though, and the only reason I gave "Bark" 4 stars instead of 5. There are also very vivid and lifelike sketches throughout the book, adding to the poetry's allure.

My favorite poem? "Dachshund", by William Jay Smith - since my first dog was (and still is) a Doxie (and the sketch looks uncannily like him, wrinkles and all!):

The Dachshund leads a quiet life
Not far above the ground;
He takes an elongated wife,
They travel all around.

5.0 out of 5 stars beautiful, December 25, 2011

By 

Ruth Sack - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bark: Selected Poems about Dogs (Hardcover)

I bought this book at an exhibition of Mr. Cook's paintings. I would have bought a painting if I could afford one, instead I bought the book. The selection of poems is matched with Ferris Cook's fantastic illustrations. It is lovely gift to any dog lover even if it's for yourself.