Selected Poems of Ivor Gurney

by Ivor Gurney, P. J. Kavanagh (Editor)

Overview

Ivor Gurney (1890-1937), considered one of the finest World War I poets, now takes his rightful place alongside the greats of English poetry. His range is wide, including the First World War, in which he served as an infantry private; passionate celebration of his native Gloucestershire; and fears of the mental imbalance which led to his eventual confinement in a mental hospital. Out of these experiences, he created poetry that is entirely unique, vigorous, musical, and direct. This selection of over 150 of his best poems, has been compiled by the poet P.J. Kavanagh from his edition of the Collected Poems of Ivor Gurney. This reissued edition offers , a few corrected readings, as well as a useful Chronology and Introduction to Gurney's life by P. J. Kavanagh.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780192880659
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	11/06/1997
Series:	The Oxford Poets
Pages:	166
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

About the Author:
The late Ivor Gurney was a poet and composer known for the work he wrote during and immediately following World War I.
About the Editor:
P.J. Kavanagh is a poet and novelist. He is the editor of the Collected Poems of Ivor Gurney and, with James Michie, The Oxford Book of Short Poems.

Table of Contents

Introduction, Chronology, Poems

Editorial Reviews

Praise for the Collected Poems of Ivor Gurney:
"A splendid selection...It is in his poems of the war—its scenes kept returning to him until he ceased to write—that Gurney is unique."—D.J. Enright, Observer

"A body of work which is extremely powerful...a significant landmark in literary history."—Times Literary Supplement

"These are poems that tell us we are in the presence of a great poet....An exemplary edition."—Donald Davie, The London Review of Books

"Excellent....These poems are a revelation. This book should at least establish that strange, uncomfortable, and neglected poet to rank with his contemporaries Wilfred Owens and Edward Thomas."—David Wright, Sunday Telegraph

From the Publisher