The Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart: A Poetry Anthology

Poems dealing with masculinity. Easy, accessible. This was assigned in a playful poetry class I took in the fall of 1997, after having already completed requirements for the major—I was in a dog-ear corner phase of my relationship to books, and this being a paperback, I cornered whatever I liked. Apparently, I liked poetry that tried to be clever, and succeeded. They are like tiny science fiction stories—the world made real through a door painted in the surreal. It hasn’t gotten any clearer to me, in the intervening years, what maleness, masculinity, or gender overall is supposed to mean to me, or to our culture in general. But I still find these poems funny, clever, fun. Lots of direct, concise, rhythmic pacing... easy imagery, show more poems that show and then just sit and explain themselves—because why not? Hard Images, attempts to shock, but a fair dash of whimsy. I’ll keep this book and flip through it, and I’ll keep my dog-ears—but it isn’t what I really need from poetry. Henry and Mudge’s “Puddle Trouble”, particularly the Snow Glory chapter, are more my speed. show less

This is a decent source for "men's poetry." Lots of classical poets, far Eastern mystics, and some contemporary as well. Nice volume for women too, obviously.

Incredible and awesome collection of poetry to touch a man's (or a woman's) soul. There is something for everyone here.

My copy is all tattered and torn from over use. The book that is responsible for my love of poetry.

David Perrings