Peace and War: A Collection of Poems

by Michael Harrison (Editor)

" The war poems of slaughter and loss in this anthology say as much about peace as do the few idyllic pastoral poems. Of the nearly 200 poems, a few are difficult, but most are dramatic and immediate. There's intense booktalk material here, terrifying action told with burning truth. " --
Booklist (starred review)
This comprehensive anthology, now in paperback, spans lands and cultures throughout the world from the time of Ancient Greece and Rome to the uneasiness of the present and the uncertainly of the future. Such poets as Aeschuylus, Milton, Blake, Shakespeare, Robert Frost, Rupert Brooke, Carl
Sandburg and others reflect the central place that feelings of peace and war occupy in our hearts and minds.

Genres: Poetry

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Michael Harrison has written four teenage novels and has edited many highly-acclaimed poetry anthologies.

Reviews

[ThePrill · Rating 2 out of 5]

War poetry:
1) It seems very rarely actually speaks about the heat of action
2) Has a repetitive nature, seems that veterans of all wars feel out of place upon their return
3) Anti-war sentiment is not new
4) Some is very good, and some is not very good at all, but I suppose articulating the horrors of war would be quite difficult to express for someone who lived them

An interesting compilation, complete with poetry from the Bible, Homeric-esque pieces, dynastic Chinese stuff, contemporary sources, etc.