Art & Wonder: An Illustrated Anthology of Visionary Poetry

by Kate Farrell (Editor), Metropolitan Museum of Art

Pairs visionary poetry by such writers as William Blake, Sappho, William Shakespeare, Walt Whitman, and Langston Hughes with works of art by such artists as Paul Klee, Henri Matisse, and Johannes Vermeer

Genres: Poetry, Art

144 pages, Hardcover

Published September 1, 1996

About the author

I grew up in Southern Pines, NC and began writing poetry seriously when I was 26, after my 2 children were born. A scholarship enabled me to move with my kids to New York to pursue a degree in literature at Columbia University. There I studied with the poet Kenneth Koch and we soon became friends and collaborators. My first two books were written with Koch and five solo books followed.

My latest book is Visiting Night at the Academy of Longing, a collection of my poems published by Lavender Ink January 1, 2016.

I've taught writing at Columbia and with the NY State Poets in the School Program and have published my poetry in many journals, including Poetry, Partisan Review, Manhattan Review, Harvard Review, Hudson Review, Mississippi Review and Image. My work has also been chosen for several editions of the the Best Spiritual Writing Series. I live with my husband in Brooklyn, NY.

Reviews

[Anne Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked looking at the selections of art paired with the poems. Most of the poems and art pieces i wasn't familiar with so this anthology seemed fresh and new to me, even though it has been around for years. Next time I am at the MET, I will look around for some of the art highlighted in this book.

[Kevin Dufresne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi,

I hope all is progressing well.

Art & Wonder: An Illustrated Anthology of Visionary Poetry is an intriguing compilation of art and poetry selected by Kate Farrell. I like the format of the anthology which offers for a multifaceted appreciation. Here are some of the poems I appreciate: "The Child Is Introduced to the Cosmos at Birth" by an anonymous Omaha Indian, "The Song Turning Back Into Itself 7" by Al Young, "A Message from the Crane" by Pak Fu-Jin, "Sometimes" by Thomas McGrath, "Sailing to Byzantium" by William Butler Yeats, "Invisible Particles of Air" by Gustavo Adolf Bécquer, "Elevation" by Charles Baudelaire, "When, With You Asleep" by Juan Ramón Jiménez, "Sonnet XLIII" by William Shakespeare, "Emergence" by Robert Francis, "Day-Blind" by Chana Bloch, "An Altogether Different Language" by Anne Porter, " Vermeer" by Stephen Mitchell, "The Master" by Frederick Morgan, "A Noiseless Patient Spider" by Walt Whitman, "Explosion" by Delmira Agustini, "The Secret Land" by Robert Graves, "The Paradise Within: Adam Speaks with the Angel" by John Milton (from Paradise Lost), and "However Far You Go" by Heraclitus (deep and exhilarating).

Onward and Upward,
Kevin Dufresne

[Earth&Silver · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this collection well enough over all, and thought the concept of the anthology was intriguing. But I did have a wide variety of how well the poem selection (and the choice of which art to use to illustrate them) fit my personal taste, so it didn't leave me completely enthused.

[Mark Foster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally very good; however, at least in the copy I have, the poem by Theodore Roethke is not The Waking, which begins "I wake to sleep and take my waking slow." I'm not sure what "I strolled across an open field" is.

[M.B. Bunnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great collection of poetic glory from a global perspective.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

An illustrated anthology of visionary poetry. More later.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 - Great concept.

[Tim Nason · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️ Great poems, beautiful art.

[Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and uplifting combination!

[C.B. Wentworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Art inspires art, right? In this beautiful collection, works of art are paired with poetry. Artwork from all different time periods, styles, and geographic regions are represented, giving the viewer a wonderful tour of both famous and lesser known masterpieces. Chilean poets are paired 20th century Expressionist paintings, while English poets are paired with Japanese ink paintings. It's a wonderful juxtaposition that reminds us all how universal art and the human experience truly are.

[Annabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

For lovers of poetry, this book is a delight. But for someone more inclined to be moved by prose, what an epiphany of sorts, to realize I wasn't that tone-deaf to poetry after all; I guess some of us never outgrew our affinity for picture books. I relished soaking in those sublime words and phrasings, as I took my time immersing myself into each painting. A trifling, but I was hoping to come across Yeats's The Second Coming, and anything by John Donne. But this was a novel idea, and wish other museums could do the same. And given our pool of local visual and literary talents, Dumaguete should emulate this.

Art complements Art!

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some gems in this collection of poems connected to art works. However, I was disappointed to see repetition in author/poet selection. For such a prestigious lineup I expected more variety, if a poet appears more than once it better be for an exceptional reason. Otherwise, I am not sure how I feel pairing art with poems if not the author's intention.