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The Penguin Book of Love Poetry
A generous selection of poems, ranging from satires by Ovid to elegies by Berryman, commemorate and celebrate love and its variations, and its intimations, declarations, persuasions, aberrations, separations, and reverberations
- GenresPoetry
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1973
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About the author
Jon Stallworthy
91 books12 followersJon (Howie) Stallworthy (18 January 1935 – 19 November 2014) FBA FRSL was Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Oxford. He was also a Fellow (and was twice Acting President) of Wolfson College, a poet, and a literary critic. From 1977 to 1986, he was the John Wendell Anderson Professor of English at Cornell.
Stallworthy was born in London. His parents, Sir John Stallworthy and Margaret Stallworthy, were from New Zealand and moved to England in 1934. Stallworthy started writing poems when he was only seven years old. He was educated at the Dragon School, Rugby School and at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he won the Newdigate prize. His works include seven volumes of poetry, and biographies of Wilfred Owen and Louis MacNeice. He has edited several anthologies and is particularly known for his work on war poetry.
While researching the local history of New Zealand Stallworthy discovered an obscure volume entitled Early Northern Wairoa written by his great-grandfather, John Stallworthy (1854–1923), in 1916. From this book he learned that his great-great-grandfather, George Stallworthy (1809–1859), had left his birthplace of Preston Bissett in Buckinghamshire, England, for the Marquesas as a missionary. This discovery led in turn to him finding family-related letters in the archives of the London Missionary Society. Stallworthy's book A Familiar Tree (Oxford University Press, 1978) is a collection of poetry inspired by events depicted in these documents. Singing School is an autobiography which emphasises Stallworthy's development as a poet.
Stallworthy wrote a short summary of war poetry in the introductory chapter to the Oxford Book of War Poetry (Edited by Jon Stallworthy, Oxford University Press, 1984), as well as editing several anthologies of war poetry and writing a biography of Wilfred Owen. In 2010 he received the Wilfred Owen Poetry Award from the Wilfred Owen Association. In the course of his literary career, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the British Academy.
Stallworthy was born in London. His parents, Sir John Stallworthy and Margaret Stallworthy, were from New Zealand and moved to England in 1934. Stallworthy started writing poems when he was only seven years old. He was educated at the Dragon School, Rugby School and at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he won the Newdigate prize. His works include seven volumes of poetry, and biographies of Wilfred Owen and Louis MacNeice. He has edited several anthologies and is particularly known for his work on war poetry.
While researching the local history of New Zealand Stallworthy discovered an obscure volume entitled Early Northern Wairoa written by his great-grandfather, John Stallworthy (1854–1923), in 1916. From this book he learned that his great-great-grandfather, George Stallworthy (1809–1859), had left his birthplace of Preston Bissett in Buckinghamshire, England, for the Marquesas as a missionary. This discovery led in turn to him finding family-related letters in the archives of the London Missionary Society. Stallworthy's book A Familiar Tree (Oxford University Press, 1978) is a collection of poetry inspired by events depicted in these documents. Singing School is an autobiography which emphasises Stallworthy's development as a poet.
Stallworthy wrote a short summary of war poetry in the introductory chapter to the Oxford Book of War Poetry (Edited by Jon Stallworthy, Oxford University Press, 1984), as well as editing several anthologies of war poetry and writing a biography of Wilfred Owen. In 2010 he received the Wilfred Owen Poetry Award from the Wilfred Owen Association. In the course of his literary career, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the British Academy.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 31, 2024
the hottest thing a man can be is overcome with longing. just wrecked with yearning. pining his little heart away
January 2, 2025
what a delightful collection of poetry!
Stallworthy does a remarkable job in assembling such thoughtful anthologies! as someone who is still relatively new to poetry, i find collections like these incredibly helpful. ranging from Sappho to Cope, i have discovered numerous favourite poets.
it never fails to baffle me when something written by a Duke in the 17th century can bring me to tears today. love is humanity, love is ubiquitous; it is the most wonderful thing in the world, but it is also cruel. these poems reach the very essence of humanity, and i am grateful and humbled to have experienced this!
Stallworthy does a remarkable job in assembling such thoughtful anthologies! as someone who is still relatively new to poetry, i find collections like these incredibly helpful. ranging from Sappho to Cope, i have discovered numerous favourite poets.
it never fails to baffle me when something written by a Duke in the 17th century can bring me to tears today. love is humanity, love is ubiquitous; it is the most wonderful thing in the world, but it is also cruel. these poems reach the very essence of humanity, and i am grateful and humbled to have experienced this!
May 7, 2025
Yeats and Cummings made the hottest poems ever can't change my mind
March 6, 2014
Classic collection of love poetry
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews