The Heavy Bear Who Goes With Me
100 classic poems with commentary
Brendan Kennelly editor Neil Astley editor
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Bloodaxe Books Ltd
Published:17th Apr '22
Should be back in stock very soon
This anthology features 100 classic poems with engaging commentary, exploring the burdens of creativity and the complexities of self in The Heavy Bear Who Goes With Me.
In The Heavy Bear Who Goes With Me, readers are treated to a carefully curated selection of 100 classic poems spanning five centuries. Each poem is accompanied by insightful commentary that enhances the reading experience, illuminating the themes and emotions embedded within the verses. The anthology features a diverse range of poets, from the likes of Wyatt and Shakespeare in the 16th century to the Romantic voices of Blake and Keats, culminating in the modern reflections of Delmore Schwartz, who inspired the anthology's title poem.
The title, The Heavy Bear Who Goes With Me, symbolizes the complex relationship between the self and the burdens we carry, whether they be artistic, emotional, or existential. The editors explore this metaphor through their selection of poems, which engage in a thematic dialogue that resonates with readers on multiple levels. The heavy bear represents not only the weight of creativity but also the inner struggles that accompany the pursuit of art and self-identity.
Brendan Kennelly and Neil Astley, the editors, are both esteemed figures in the world of poetry. Their expertise and passion for the craft shine through in this anthology, as they guide readers through the rich tapestry of poetic expression. By blending classic works with modern insights, The Heavy Bear Who Goes With Me serves as both a companion and a challenge, inviting readers to reflect on the nature of poetry and its role in our lives.
We have chosen the title of Delmore Schwartz's poem as the anthology’s title, The Heavy Bear Who Goes with Me, for several reasons. Poems are written because of various kinds of "withness"; the sense of mortality, failure in love, the challenge of history, the nature of consciousness, dreams, loneliness, prejudice, inexplicable hatreds, the urge to make sense of confusion, the seething need to protest against forms of injustice, to talk to somebody about things only partly grasped or understood, or not grasped or understood at all but hurtful and pressing, violating sleep, miscolouring daylight’s encounters and images, the sense of suffering an appetite that can never really be fed… Every poem is an act of faith in that imaginative momentum; every poem longs to connect with that energy whether it be pressingly immediate or blatently ignored. This is the connecting power that enables Schwartz, for example, to bring the heavy bear lumbering into our lives. Our dialogue with the gross, barging presence follows that moment of admission. Our hope, as editors, is that we have provided an anthology of poems marked by dialogue and connection, although these poems may be, usually are, born of the awareness of mortality, failure, inadequacy, loss, absurd or gross caricatures or perversions of what we take to be reality. Why not have it out, once and for all, with the heavy bear who goes with us? -- Brendan Kennelly
ISBN: 9781852244408
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
352 pages