Break Blow Burn: Camille Paglia Reads 43 of the World's Best Poems [Camille Paglia]

[Paglian] [Poetry] [Prosaic]

Break Blow Burn: Camille Paglia Reads 43 of the World's Best Poems

Camille Paglia

Random House, NY. 2005. First edition hardcover. Some pencil marks in the table of contents, clean otherwise. In mylar wrappers. An excellent copy.

From the publisher:

"America’s most provocative intellectual brings her blazing powers of analysis to the most famous poems of the Western tradition—and unearths some previously obscure verses worthy of a place in our canon. Combining close reading with a panoramic breadth of learning, Camille Paglia sharpens our understanding of poems we thought we knew, from Shakespeare to Dickinson to Plath, and makes a case for including in the canon works by Paul Blackburn, Wanda Coleman, Chuck Wachtel, Rochelle Kraut—and even Joni Mitchell. Daring, riveting, and beautifully written, Break, Blow, Burn is a modern classic that excites even seasoned poetry lovers—and continues to create generations of new ones."

This kind of poetic criticism is rare, and this book is a real treat if you have any interest in the works discussed within (peep the table of contents in the pictures). Another dense yet easily digestible work from Paglia.