What do you think?
Rate this book
Nature Poems
Over 100 poems about Britain's nature in a beautifully illustrated book to treasure forever
The poems include timeless classics by Shakespeare, Shelley, Wordsworth, Thomas Hardy and Ted Hughes. And there’s the best of today’s poets too, including Carol Anne Duffy, Simon Armitage and Jean Sprackland.
The poems are selected by Deborah Alma, a nature poet herself and the proprietor of The Poetry Pharmacy in Shropshire, where she prescribes perfect poems to suit people’s needs.
The poems include timeless classics by Shakespeare, Shelley, Wordsworth, Thomas Hardy and Ted Hughes. And there’s the best of today’s poets too, including Carol Anne Duffy, Simon Armitage and Jean Sprackland.
The poems are selected by Deborah Alma, a nature poet herself and the proprietor of The Poetry Pharmacy in Shropshire, where she prescribes perfect poems to suit people’s needs.
- GenresPoetry
176 pages, Paperback
Published July 18, 2023
3 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 29, 2023
A Collection of Old and New Friends
Thanks to a friend on Goodreads, I learned about this paperback poetry collection from the National Trust, which was founded in 1895 to promote the preservation of historic gems in much of the UK. (There is also a separate National Trust for Scotland, by the way, founded in 1931, which matters to my family because of Scottish roots that still shape one major branch of our tree.)
The National Trust produces a wide range of lovely products suitable for gift giving—or simply to give yourself a marvelous gift. If you visit their website, you'll find gorgeous woven blankets and throws, garden decor, outdoor accessories and furniture—in addition to the National Trust books. Before getting this particular collection of poetry, our favorite National Trust book is a collection of 50 scone recipes, which we keep in our kitchen cupboard of cookbooks. Why so many scone recipes? Because pretty much every household we've ever visited across the UK has its own variation on scones, so there are potentially thousands of slightly different scone recipes.
That's a long way around the world to praise a single book, but I wanted Goodreads friends to be aware of this remarkable resource, the National Trust. Christmas is just around the corner for those of us who plan our gift giving well in advance and the National Trust has a lot of gift ideas that you won't find in American stores or catalogues.
For any poetry lover on your list, this volume is a wonderful, reasonably priced gift idea. Although it is paperback, the cover is a sturdy construction with flaps that makes it feel a bit like a hardcover with a dust jacket. The artwork is a series of woodcuts (or perhaps faux woodcuts), many of them black and white, but some of them colored. It's a lovely book to hold as you read.
Here's one important qualifier for American readers: Keep in mind that this is entirely poetry from the UK—no American literature here. No Frost or Dickinson or Whitman or contemporary American poets. However, editor Deborah Alma did bend the rules a little bit in her favor. She includes Sylvia Plath, because of Plath's time in England, and she includes Plath's husband Ted Hughes, as well. And I'm so glad she did. I had never read Hughes' "Hawk Roosting" and, for a one-page poem, it's quite a startling little drama from the life of a hawk. I felt the same awe reading his "Pike," which I had never read before, even though I have fished for pike. To see the world from the pike's perspect is quite a jolt.
What I like about this volume is that it's also packed with old friends. I enjoyed finding Shelley's "Hail to thee, blithe Spirit!" I remember Wordsworth's "I wandered lonely as a cloud," because it was one of my mother's favorites as far back as I can remember. And one of my father's favorites is here, too, Gerard Manley Hopkins' melancholy "Binsey Poplars."
My wife and I, now that we are downsizing our home, have a rule that any new book that earns a place on our library shelves means that another book has to be given to someone who will appreciate it. I have decided that, rather than unseat one of our other books of poetry, I am giving this collection of poems to one of my adult "kids" who appreciates poetry. As I've enjoyed the book, I have added a few notes in the margins about the most beloved poems through the generations in our family. I think it's a nice way to pass along a bit of that beloved literary legacy.
Perhaps you'll enjoy this book yourself, and have room for it on your shelves, or you might enjoy getting a copy for a gift later this year.
Thanks to a friend on Goodreads, I learned about this paperback poetry collection from the National Trust, which was founded in 1895 to promote the preservation of historic gems in much of the UK. (There is also a separate National Trust for Scotland, by the way, founded in 1931, which matters to my family because of Scottish roots that still shape one major branch of our tree.)
The National Trust produces a wide range of lovely products suitable for gift giving—or simply to give yourself a marvelous gift. If you visit their website, you'll find gorgeous woven blankets and throws, garden decor, outdoor accessories and furniture—in addition to the National Trust books. Before getting this particular collection of poetry, our favorite National Trust book is a collection of 50 scone recipes, which we keep in our kitchen cupboard of cookbooks. Why so many scone recipes? Because pretty much every household we've ever visited across the UK has its own variation on scones, so there are potentially thousands of slightly different scone recipes.
That's a long way around the world to praise a single book, but I wanted Goodreads friends to be aware of this remarkable resource, the National Trust. Christmas is just around the corner for those of us who plan our gift giving well in advance and the National Trust has a lot of gift ideas that you won't find in American stores or catalogues.
For any poetry lover on your list, this volume is a wonderful, reasonably priced gift idea. Although it is paperback, the cover is a sturdy construction with flaps that makes it feel a bit like a hardcover with a dust jacket. The artwork is a series of woodcuts (or perhaps faux woodcuts), many of them black and white, but some of them colored. It's a lovely book to hold as you read.
Here's one important qualifier for American readers: Keep in mind that this is entirely poetry from the UK—no American literature here. No Frost or Dickinson or Whitman or contemporary American poets. However, editor Deborah Alma did bend the rules a little bit in her favor. She includes Sylvia Plath, because of Plath's time in England, and she includes Plath's husband Ted Hughes, as well. And I'm so glad she did. I had never read Hughes' "Hawk Roosting" and, for a one-page poem, it's quite a startling little drama from the life of a hawk. I felt the same awe reading his "Pike," which I had never read before, even though I have fished for pike. To see the world from the pike's perspect is quite a jolt.
What I like about this volume is that it's also packed with old friends. I enjoyed finding Shelley's "Hail to thee, blithe Spirit!" I remember Wordsworth's "I wandered lonely as a cloud," because it was one of my mother's favorites as far back as I can remember. And one of my father's favorites is here, too, Gerard Manley Hopkins' melancholy "Binsey Poplars."
My wife and I, now that we are downsizing our home, have a rule that any new book that earns a place on our library shelves means that another book has to be given to someone who will appreciate it. I have decided that, rather than unseat one of our other books of poetry, I am giving this collection of poems to one of my adult "kids" who appreciates poetry. As I've enjoyed the book, I have added a few notes in the margins about the most beloved poems through the generations in our family. I think it's a nice way to pass along a bit of that beloved literary legacy.
Perhaps you'll enjoy this book yourself, and have room for it on your shelves, or you might enjoy getting a copy for a gift later this year.
August 8, 2023
This is a really beautiful treasury of nature poems. Spanning from across the centuries with well known poets including Heaney, Bronte, Shakespeare, Plath, Burns and Tennyson to many newer poets I hadn’t yet heard of this really is a perfect example of how to put together an anthology well.
I found with the way the poems had been selected and put together was well suited for a book to dip in and out of (which I tend to think is the best way to read poetry anyway). While the selections are categorised by themes each one was worth reading in its own right making this very adaptable for different reading preferences. Not only are the poems brilliant but I loved the artwork dotted throughout too.
Definitely a great book for anyone who loves poetry or nature!
I found with the way the poems had been selected and put together was well suited for a book to dip in and out of (which I tend to think is the best way to read poetry anyway). While the selections are categorised by themes each one was worth reading in its own right making this very adaptable for different reading preferences. Not only are the poems brilliant but I loved the artwork dotted throughout too.
Definitely a great book for anyone who loves poetry or nature!
December 27, 2023
Over one hundred poems within seven chapters touch on different aspects of the British countryside, including seasons, birds and wildlife, woods, water, moors and mountains.
Poems by the greats – Keats, Yeats, Tennyson, Robert Browning, Christina Rossetti, Philip Larkin, Sylvia Plath, John Masefield, Robert Burns, Dylan Thomas – as well as contemporary poets including Carol Anne Duffy, Simon Armitage and Jean Sprackland.
Where poems have links to National Trust sites, footnotes are included to explain the connections.
A most wonderful collection. Such a variety of older poetry and contemporary. Everyone would find something to like here!.
Poems by the greats – Keats, Yeats, Tennyson, Robert Browning, Christina Rossetti, Philip Larkin, Sylvia Plath, John Masefield, Robert Burns, Dylan Thomas – as well as contemporary poets including Carol Anne Duffy, Simon Armitage and Jean Sprackland.
Where poems have links to National Trust sites, footnotes are included to explain the connections.
A most wonderful collection. Such a variety of older poetry and contemporary. Everyone would find something to like here!.
April 1, 2025
I got this book as a gift from Wife when she travelled abroad and - full disclosure - I actually started reading it mostly in the spirit of completism. But I absolutely loved it. Not every poem is equally great, but there are some true gems in there.
April 19, 2023
A great collection of nature poems ranging from old favourites such as Keats, Shelley and Tennyson to poets who were new to me, such as Alice Oswald, Polly Atkin and Deryn Rees-Jones. I enjoyed reading the poems in their themed chapters, such as changing seasons, animals, birds, woods, mountains. Reading them made me feel like going for a walk to enjoy nature at first hand. A great book to dip into - I like to spend time over each poem rather than read through lots all at once - and read in a garden, surrounded by some of the nature described. Recommended. Thanks to National Trust publications and NetGalley for an advance review copy.
September 19, 2024
Healing to the heart to spend time with these pages.
Here are a few glimpses that spoke to me...
EXCERPT FROM 'CANOPY', BY EMILY BERRY
'... I was crying and it felt like I was feeding.
Be my mother, I said to the trees, in the language of trees,
which can't be transcribed...
and they shook their hair back, and they bent low with their many arms, and they looked into my eyes as only trees can look into the eyes of a person,
they touched me with the rain on their fingers til I was all droplets, till I was mist... '
'CHARISMATIC ANIMALS', BY POLLY ATKIN
'Is it cheaper to weep for a sea otter - clutching
paws in the water - than a lake?
The scientist herself is moved by ospreys.
The poet is guilty of magical thinking,
reads each tip of the barn owl's head as a message,
each heron as a gift, each slow worm, each bee as a personal envoy.
Her neighbours.
But the lake is a grandmother.
She has her own charisma.
She hides galaxies in her core with her gilly heart
as huge and as heavy as a moon.'
THERE WILL COME SOFT RAINS, BY SARA TEASDALE
'There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground,
And swallows circling with their shimmering sound;
And frogs in the pools singing at night,
And wild plum trees in tremulous white,
Robins will wear their feathery fire,
Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire;
And not one will know of the war, not one
Will care at last when it is done.
Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree
If mankind perished utterly;
And Spring herself, when she awoke at dawn,
Would scarcely know that we were gone.'
Here are a few glimpses that spoke to me...
EXCERPT FROM 'CANOPY', BY EMILY BERRY
'... I was crying and it felt like I was feeding.
Be my mother, I said to the trees, in the language of trees,
which can't be transcribed...
and they shook their hair back, and they bent low with their many arms, and they looked into my eyes as only trees can look into the eyes of a person,
they touched me with the rain on their fingers til I was all droplets, till I was mist... '
'CHARISMATIC ANIMALS', BY POLLY ATKIN
'Is it cheaper to weep for a sea otter - clutching
paws in the water - than a lake?
The scientist herself is moved by ospreys.
The poet is guilty of magical thinking,
reads each tip of the barn owl's head as a message,
each heron as a gift, each slow worm, each bee as a personal envoy.
Her neighbours.
But the lake is a grandmother.
She has her own charisma.
She hides galaxies in her core with her gilly heart
as huge and as heavy as a moon.'
THERE WILL COME SOFT RAINS, BY SARA TEASDALE
'There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground,
And swallows circling with their shimmering sound;
And frogs in the pools singing at night,
And wild plum trees in tremulous white,
Robins will wear their feathery fire,
Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire;
And not one will know of the war, not one
Will care at last when it is done.
Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree
If mankind perished utterly;
And Spring herself, when she awoke at dawn,
Would scarcely know that we were gone.'
April 17, 2023
Another beautifully curated book of poems with which is now becoming somewhat of a tradition for the National Trust and it’s publications.
This book has poems themed around the different aspects of the natural world- most notably creatures and landscapes of the British Isles.
It has been subtly illustrated and some of these pictures look like linocut prints - which if I’m honest, I am a bit of a sucker for.
It’s a book that could be used as a coffee table read or simply something you divulge in whilst sat in the summerhouse at the bottom of your garden - these poems can take you away through alluring imagery and metaphor, it’s simply a joy to take a step into these poems.
My favourite poems ranged from contemporary poets philosophising about geese migration or the explosive personality of the wren to the steadfast work from, more famous poets ,such as Shelley and Housman, observing in detail, the behaviours of the Skylark or the recalling of such pleasures as to see the first cherry blossom of the year.
It is wistful and gorgeous and I highly recommend you read this book- for fans of Wordsworth & Bronte and everything in between.
*This review was made possible by Net Galley - always appreciated never a chore.
#naturepoems #netgalley #deborahalma #collinsreference #nationaltrust www.Instagram.com/thedeadrosesbookclub
This book has poems themed around the different aspects of the natural world- most notably creatures and landscapes of the British Isles.
It has been subtly illustrated and some of these pictures look like linocut prints - which if I’m honest, I am a bit of a sucker for.
It’s a book that could be used as a coffee table read or simply something you divulge in whilst sat in the summerhouse at the bottom of your garden - these poems can take you away through alluring imagery and metaphor, it’s simply a joy to take a step into these poems.
My favourite poems ranged from contemporary poets philosophising about geese migration or the explosive personality of the wren to the steadfast work from, more famous poets ,such as Shelley and Housman, observing in detail, the behaviours of the Skylark or the recalling of such pleasures as to see the first cherry blossom of the year.
It is wistful and gorgeous and I highly recommend you read this book- for fans of Wordsworth & Bronte and everything in between.
*This review was made possible by Net Galley - always appreciated never a chore.
#naturepoems #netgalley #deborahalma #collinsreference #nationaltrust www.Instagram.com/thedeadrosesbookclub
February 6, 2023
Inside are poems to cover the changing of the seasons, the animals, the birds, through the woods, water, mountains and our place in nature. A great broad depth and a wonderful representation of all the rich and beautiful poetry there is out there, brought together in one neat little book.
It was such a great compilation of carefully selected poems with a wide array of poets, authors and writers. Some you may know and some you will get to know, it was wonderful to read nature through poetry.
I found a few new favourites and got to reread a few old one, plus discovering some new authors and poets for the first time. I’m a huge fan of the natural world and love being out in nature, and the descriptive language of poetry can often take you out of your living room, into the pages and seeing the vivid words brought to life in poetry form.
I have huge respect for people that can write poems and invoke feeling in the reader, as I’m fairly new to reading poetry but I could definitely appreciate the artistry of this. It was a lovely read.
Thank you to the author and publishers for a copy from NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review.
It was such a great compilation of carefully selected poems with a wide array of poets, authors and writers. Some you may know and some you will get to know, it was wonderful to read nature through poetry.
I found a few new favourites and got to reread a few old one, plus discovering some new authors and poets for the first time. I’m a huge fan of the natural world and love being out in nature, and the descriptive language of poetry can often take you out of your living room, into the pages and seeing the vivid words brought to life in poetry form.
I have huge respect for people that can write poems and invoke feeling in the reader, as I’m fairly new to reading poetry but I could definitely appreciate the artistry of this. It was a lovely read.
Thank you to the author and publishers for a copy from NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review.
February 9, 2023
This is a wonderful collection of nature poems to dip in and out of as the mood takes you. It is full of a mixture of familiar poems by the likes of Robert Browning, William Wordsworth and John Keats plus a lot more modern poets who I have not read before.
The book is divided into sections of poetry about different aspects of nature. There are poems about seasons, animals, birds, woods, water, moors, heaths and mountains and our place in nature.
I love nature poetry and this book has some real old favorites to enjoy and it was lovely to explore poetry by other writers who I might not otherwise have come across. There is also a section giving the background to some of the poets and poetry which I found really interesting. The book also has some gorgeous illustrations throughout.
All in all it is a lovely book, one that I will be returning to again and again.
The book is divided into sections of poetry about different aspects of nature. There are poems about seasons, animals, birds, woods, water, moors, heaths and mountains and our place in nature.
I love nature poetry and this book has some real old favorites to enjoy and it was lovely to explore poetry by other writers who I might not otherwise have come across. There is also a section giving the background to some of the poets and poetry which I found really interesting. The book also has some gorgeous illustrations throughout.
All in all it is a lovely book, one that I will be returning to again and again.
June 26, 2023
A delightful mix of nature themed poems with charming illustrations.
The book is divided into seven chapters which cover the changing seasons, birds, animals, water, woods, moors and a final chapter (my favourite), 'Our Place in Nature'. Each chapter begins with a brief introduction and illustration.
I enjoyed revisiting some of the classics, such as "I Wondered Lonely as a Cloud' and 'The Lake Isle of Innisfree.' Many well known poets such as Browning, Keats, Yeats, Rossetti, Shakespeare just to name a few, all feature. It was such a joy to discover new poets and poems. Some new favourites include,, 'Naming' - Angela France, 'Where Birds Nest' - Wendy Pratt and 'Carne' - Lucy Newlyn.
A lovely book that would make a great gift. I would highly recommend.
The book is divided into seven chapters which cover the changing seasons, birds, animals, water, woods, moors and a final chapter (my favourite), 'Our Place in Nature'. Each chapter begins with a brief introduction and illustration.
I enjoyed revisiting some of the classics, such as "I Wondered Lonely as a Cloud' and 'The Lake Isle of Innisfree.' Many well known poets such as Browning, Keats, Yeats, Rossetti, Shakespeare just to name a few, all feature. It was such a joy to discover new poets and poems. Some new favourites include,, 'Naming' - Angela France, 'Where Birds Nest' - Wendy Pratt and 'Carne' - Lucy Newlyn.
A lovely book that would make a great gift. I would highly recommend.
July 5, 2023
This is a wonderful collection of nature poems from both classic and contemporary writers. There are a wide variety of poems, presented in 7 sections, including the changing seasons; animal life; the world of birds; the way through the woods; the other worlds of water; moors, heath and mountains; and finally our place in nature. Each section is as charming as the other. It is beautifully illustrated, although I can't find details of the artist unless they're in the notes. Highly recommended.
July 7, 2023
The poems in this selection are well-chosen and reflect a good mix of traditional favourites and contemporary poets. I adore the illustrations included in this book. For me they enhanced the poems and made me more engrossed. Both words and images have inspired me to get out there and write my own poems. This would make a lovely gift for a nature/poetry lover.
October 12, 2025
Some hits and some misses. Some old favourites and some less heralded poets. A lovely presented book.
October 15, 2025
A great selection of past and present poems. Thoughtful and stirs memories of British nature.
September 13, 2023
This poetry collection focuses on natural life in the UK and features a range of poets from different time periods, some very well known others not so much. It's divided into 7 sections - The Changing Seasons; Animal Life; The World of Birds; The Way Through the Woods; The Other World of Water; Moors, Heaths and Mountains and Our Place in Nature. The editor Deborah Alma did a brilliant job at curating the collection, ensuring a range of different poetry and organising it thematically. The illustrations by Emma Day were lovely and complimented the poems perfectly.
I generally don't read a lot of poetry but when I stumbled across this poetry collection at my local library, it seemed like the right time to make that change. And I have to say, I really enjoyed my time reading this collection. It was the perfect read when I had a short break during my working day or when I wanted a little pick me up. My relationship with nature has evolved a lot over the last few years and has become foundational to my well-being, so I was able to connect to much of the sentiment and emotion contained within these poems. It's definitely spurred me to want to read more poetry and it has given me a great starting off point to go and explore more of the poets featured here.
Some of my personal favourites from the collection include The Rainy Day (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow), Carne (Lucy Newlyn), Lines Written a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey (William Wordsworth) and There Will Come Soft Rains (Sara Teasdale).
I generally don't read a lot of poetry but when I stumbled across this poetry collection at my local library, it seemed like the right time to make that change. And I have to say, I really enjoyed my time reading this collection. It was the perfect read when I had a short break during my working day or when I wanted a little pick me up. My relationship with nature has evolved a lot over the last few years and has become foundational to my well-being, so I was able to connect to much of the sentiment and emotion contained within these poems. It's definitely spurred me to want to read more poetry and it has given me a great starting off point to go and explore more of the poets featured here.
Some of my personal favourites from the collection include The Rainy Day (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow), Carne (Lucy Newlyn), Lines Written a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey (William Wordsworth) and There Will Come Soft Rains (Sara Teasdale).
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews