One Thousand Beautiful Things

by Majorie Barrows

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Reference, Short Stories, Classics, Romance

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1956

Reviews

[Rachel]

This book is very true to it's title. Filled with poetry and prose, letters and essays, quotes and observations, it is diverse and enjoyable every time you pick it up. I read out of it again and again. Whenever I am in the mood for some poetry this is the book I grab to read. There are works by Longfellow, Keats, Shakespeare, Abraham Lincoln, Tennyson, Mildred Bowers Armstrong, and G. K. Chesterton, just to name a very few. It contains some rather lengthy works as well as one-line quotes, and everything in between. I was first introduced this lovely book by a friend. After reading portions of her's, I decided that I should very much like to own a copy myself. There is something in it for every mood. I'm so glad that Marjorie Barrows decided to compile this collection! In fact, I am rather certain that it contains even MORE than one thousand beautiful things!

[Corbin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nationalistic claptrap, in the most hackneyed rhyming couplets imaginable. I'm certain the editor actually couldn't tell quality writing from the other sort.

I imagine this sort of thing is why all the kids in my elementary school learned to hate the concept of poetry.

Such a lovely concept behind this collection, but the execution is such fail.

Damn it, people. Do I need to do everything myself?

[Kathleen]

I have very fond memories of reading this book with my mother when I was a child. I found the book in the house after her death - I'm interested to see what adult me makes of it!

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great little collection to pick up and open to a random page and enjoy a little poem now and then, especially if you need a reminder of the beauty in the world.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was around 15, my grandmother gave me this book, which had seen much use even then. It was published in 1947, so a year before the edition listed here. Hardcover, blue, and the pages are well-worn, the binding for the cover is falling apart, but I have loved this book since I first got it. It's a thick volume full of poetry, stories, wisdom, quotes, all classic works from the greats. I read this the most when I was a teen. When I take it from the shelf, I find an old embossed leather bookmark and an early ticket to the top of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, from when the Arch was new. And this, a poem that I used to have pinned to a board at my desk when I worked:

We live in our won shells, our own worlds,
isolated from the world outside,
exposing our feelings only to the extend we dare.

Yet sometimes unsuspectingly
we cross paths with another being
who seems able to reach in and touch our very souls,
to stir our deepest emotions.

This happens so seldom in our lives
that it cannot be disregarded.

For it is the emotional touch
of one being to another,
it is the sharing one's world with another
that is life itself.

No author given

Within the book are the poems of Byron, Keats, Shelley, Millay, Kipling, Dresbach, Teasdale, Tennyson, Coffin, Dickinson, Wordsworth, Stevenson, Housman, Poe, Browning, Rosetti, Yeats, Welby, Frost, Longfellow -- well you get the idea. There is some Shakespeare, snippets, sonnets, all manner of quotes, short writings, even a Sioux prayer. It's been the most special volume of my life, and if I had to give up all my books, this is the one I would keep.

It's out of print now, or was last time I checked many years ago, but someone needs to reprint it. Within the pages I found a 4-leaf clover, which I gathered devotedly as a kid.

If you ever get a chance to find the long, long poem by Don Blanding entitled "Vagabond's Song", don't miss it. It's one of my favorites of all time, a rhymed poem that's splendid. It's in the book but I've never seen it elsewhere.

[Karen]

* 10 Mind-Blowing Books That People Who Love Thinking Can’t Miss

I inherited my grandmother’s copy of this book and the pages are worn thin and the spin is coming apart because I have returned to it time and time again. One Thousand Beautiful Things is a collection of poetry, prose, drama and quotation’s from all the world’s literature. It is drenched in thought provoking wisdom and breath-taking beauty. Every book shelf would be improved by the presence of this book.

[Bernie4444 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sublime collection of writings.

This is a fine collection of sayings and writings from many places. I buy this book periodically as it comes back in print.

The most interesting surprise was when I purchased the CD, "The Book of Secrets" by Loreena McKennitt; it had "The Highwayman" in it as a song. This is a poem by Alfred Noyes. This is but one of the thousand beautiful things.