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A Book of Quaker Poems 1652-1900
£4.90
Quakers have been writing poetry about their extraordinary faith and way of life since the beginning of the Society of Friends, in the middle of the seventeenth century. This book brings together poems about Quakerism by Quakers and non-Quakers from the first 250 years of the Society. With introduction and notes.
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Additional information
| Publisher | CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (31 May 2016) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 70 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1533592349 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1533592347 |
| Dimensions | 13.97 x 0.46 x 21.59 cm |
by Heather Cawte
Although a slim volume, this collection more than repays slow reading and re-reading. Many of the poems included are, not surprisingly, by John Greenleaf Whittier, probably the best-known Quaker poet before the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, but there are others less well known represented here who write with as much simplicity and eloquence. I particularly enjoyed ‘The Quaker Poet’ by Bernard Barton, for example.
There is also a section of non-Quaker poets writing about Quakers and Quakerism, which I found extremely interesting. I had no idea that Byron had written so emotionally about a young Quaker of his acquaintance – he seems to me to be the least likely poet to have understood Quakerism!
The illustrations are of a period with the contents, and clearly show the simplicity of Quaker meeting houses.
I recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys pre-twentieth century poetry. It is unlikely that readers will have encountered the majority of the contents before, whether Quaker or not, so there will be new poems to explore for every reader.