Adapted from Michael Meyer's best-selling Bedford Introduction to Literature, this anthology responds to the needs of all kinds of poetry courses. Instructors across the country report that especially at schools where there is a decreased emphasis on literature and the humanities, students do not necessarily see literature as relevant to their lives. They are sometimes totally new to poetry and are often intimidated by it; they sometimes have difficulty approaching and reading a poem and lack confidence in their critical and interpretive abilities. With these factors and students in mind, Meyer has put together an enticing collection of poems from many time periods, cultures, and themes, with voices ranging from the traditional to the hottest contemporary poets, always mixing in plenty of quirky and humorous selections that students will enjoy. Editorial features such as the author's new sample close readings and thematic case studies offer students real help with reading, appreciating, and writing about literature. Poetry is a book designed to make students life-long readers of poetry.
MICHAEL MEYER (Ph.D., University of Connecticut) has taught introductory writing and literature courses for almost 30 years -- since 1981 at the University of Connecticut and earlier at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and The College of William and Mary. Meyer's scholarly articles have appeared in American Literature, Studies in the American Renaissance, and Virginia Quarterly Review. An internationally recognized authority on Henry David Thoreau, he is a former president of the Thoreau Society and the co-author (with Walter Harding) of The New Thoreau Handbook, a standard reference source. His first book, Several More Lives to Live: Thoreau's Political Reputation in America, was awarded the Ralph Henry Gabriel Prize by the American Studies Association. In addition to several introductory literature texts for Bedford/St. Martin's, Meyer is also editor of Frederick Douglass: The Narrative and Selected Writings and the author of The Little, Brown Guide to Writing Research Papers.
