American Primitive by Mary Oliver
This fine collection speaks to the heart of our relationship to nature as a source of inspiration, wonder, and profound mystery. The poet approaches life’s riddles with singular vision and energy, weaving an exhilarating tapestry of words that stir and, at times, stop the heart.
The Collected Poems of Kathleen Raine
Kathleen Raine is a poet whose work plumbs the depths of human experience. Her poems emanate a powerful, captivating atmosphere, and explore the most fundamental and urgent questions of existence.
New Collected Poems by Wendell Berry
This is a treasure trove of wonderful poems collected over a decades-long career. Wendell Berry’s deep and nuanced contemplations of life, human relationships, and the natural world fill the cup of this book to overflowing.
The Galllows Songs by Christian Morgenstern (translated by Max Knight)
Although his work is not so well-known in the English-speaking world, this poet is a rare gem. The poems in this book, quite popular in Germany, are brimming with light-hearted whimsy, while his more serious poetry (for example, in his collection Turning Inward) puts him on a level with Rilke and Hesse.
Markings by Dag Hammarskjöld
This brilliant little book consists of the diary entries of the former U.N. secretary general Dag Hammarskjöld, translated into English by W. H. Auden and Leif Sjöberg. It presents a profound journey, an inner spiritual quest embarked upon quietly and unseen during what was otherwise an active public life.
Clifford Venho is a poet, translator, and author. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Dewdrop, Modern Literature, La Piccioletta Barca, Chronogram Magazine and elsewhere. For more, visit is website: cliffordvenho.com or follow him on Twitter @cliffordvenho.