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Joyful Noise: An Anthology of American Spiritual Poetry

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Joyful Noise: An Anthology of American Spiritual Poetry fills a distinct need. The introduction's opening line, "all poetry is spiritual", sets the tone. With minimal initial definition of the "spiritual," the book opens up to a wide range of moments of "extra-ordinary perception" that show the construction, over more than four centuries, of "a national conscience and consciousness." The claim is large but exact. Joyful Noise is a pleasure to read and a help to anyone looking for a deeper personal path. Teachers of American literature, history, religion, psychology or culture can make good use of it, too. An excellent and unusual collection.

This anthology of over 300 poems showcases America's diverse spiritual traditions in one handy volume. The book is almost overwhelming in its scope and content. It's all here, from ancient Native songs to Traditional Spirituals and Hymns of the Nineteenth Century; from Edgar Allan Poe and Mark Twain; from Langston Hughes to Shaker Hymns and just about everything and everyone in-between. This is a must have volume for any reader interested in the centuries old search for the spiritual in poetry.