Title: Jacob Two-Two On the High Seas.
Author: Cary Fagan.
Genre: Fiction, children's lit, YA.
Country: Canada.
Language: English.
Publication Date: 2009.
Summary: After Jacob Two-Two's father writes a very important novel, the family makes plans to move to Canada. They board the SS Spring-a-Leak to journey across the ocean. Jacob Two-Two makes new acquaintances – the unbelievably handsome Captain Sparkletooth, the acrobatic Bubov Brothers, the failed toy inventor Mr. Peabody, the giant but gentle Morgenbesser, and most importantly, young Cindy Snootcastle, who keeps a secret treasure in her pocket. But something is wrong aboard the SS Spring-a-Leak. A series of clues – a black eye patch; a squawking parrot; and a sailing ship flying the Jolly Roger – can only mean trouble.

My rating: 6.5/10
My review:

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Title: Behind the Lines.
Author: A.A. Milne.
Genre: Poetry, WWII.
Country: England, U.K.
Language: English.
Publication Date: 1940.
Summary: A collection of 43 poems written as a diary of the first 9 months of WWII. Deliverance describes the impression upon the announcement of the beginning of WII. Adolf Hitler is a critical portrait of the German dictator. The Third String is a besmirching poem about Rudolf Hess. High Purpose is a poem about Hitler changing his mind and joining hands with Stalin. An Alphabet is an abecedarium in verse about the war. The Portrait Gallery is a parody of German citizens and characters. Black-Out is a poem about the black-outs that were so disturbing and annoying. Hausfrau Speaks is a poem about Mein Kampf and its meaning to the German people. The Sinking of The Winston Churchill is a poem in which Goebbels recounts the torpedoing and sinking of The Winston Churchill of the British Fleet. Song for a Soldier is from a point of view of a young, newly-enlisted soldier, who yearns to win the war for his mother. Unity is a poem about Hitler's meeting with his closest associates, of whom he is not a fan. In War Work, the author suggests how he would move around the local geography to help with the war. Information is a poem about how information and propaganda makes their way through the world. Farewell to Butter is an ode to butter, which was heavily rationed during the war. The Supermen is a mocking poem about the Germans being the Chosen Race. Safety is a humorous poem about safety pacts and their efficacy, the author taking as example recent pacts with Baltic States and the earlier one with Finland and Russia. Par Nobile Fratrum wonders who wold be better, Stalin or Hitler. In The British Communist, the author critiques Communism with the example of Soviet Union, where adherents were required to suddenly and drastically change their allegiances back and forth between vastly different "Communist" leaders. Travel is about the solitude and mystery of traveling with strangers, and not quite being sure when your station is. Class Distinction is a poem about class distinction, and how nothing actually changes after a workers' revolution when capitalism takes the stage. Hoares de Combât is a poem where the author reveals what he would do if he were Prime Minister and had to choose a Cabinet. Excelsior is the author's take on the famous Longfellow poem of the same name, in the context of the war, in which a young man travels through a mountain village at dusk, bearing the banner "Excelsior," and refuses to heed warning and take rest on his way up the mountain. Merry Christmas is a poem about the first Christmas of the war, and trying to keep it merry still. Obsession looks at Winston Churchill from Goebbels's and Germans' point of view, as the causer of all evils. Home Service is about the BBC Home Service, which is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 1st September 1939 and ended on the 29th September 1967. In The Bottle, the author, passing through a humble village, is surprised to stumble on a rare wine bottle only to find out people were saving it to celebrating Hitler's demise. In Weather Report, the author remarks how one of the things he misses most during the war are the weather reports and competing with other regions for worse weather. In Almost a Gentleman, the author mocks the phenomenon as a German "almost gentleman" addresses a typical British one. Sleep No More is the author's wish that Hitler is haunted by all those whose deaths he is responsible for, and is unable to sleep again. The Neutral is a poem about the dangers of political neutrality, and making others establish your values and beliefs for you. Talk is a poem about the author realizing every station on the radio is filled with political war talk and propaganda all over the world. Officers and Gentlemen is a humorous poem about three gentlemen and officers winning the war with the help of marmalade-making and financial finagling. Matilda, the author recalls his disappointment in Norway's occupation by recalling his meeting with an enchanting young lady named Matilda whilst sailing to Norway. Spring Offensive is an allegorical poem about a harsh spring. In Quid Pro Quo, the author defends war taxation, expressing pleasure to be able to contribute in some way, being too old to fight at the front whilst others die. Guests is a poem about refugees, wherein the author expresses they have been more pleasant and welcome company than most of his friends. The Patriot is about a German calmly proceeding to play golf and enjoying life as the war rages on. Old Soldier is a melancholy poem about an a veteran soldier struggling with yet another war, and finding he may not be a soldier any longer. Wishful Thinking is a humorous poem that criticizes those who criticize positive and wishful thinking. The Voice of Italy is a poem about Italy's threats and eventual entry into the war. To America critiques America's refusal to enter the war, and an urging to do so. The Conscientious Objector is a harsh critique of anyone who claims to be one, and an argument that even from a Christian point of view, the stance is not defendable. The Lost Generation praises the generation which was "raised by women" and made fun of during WWI, but went to war to the awe of WWI veterans during WWII.

My rating: 7.5/10
My review:

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Title: The Song of Mu Lan.
Author: Anonymous (translated and illustrated by Jeanne M. Lee).
Genre: Literature, fiction, mythology, poetry, children's books, picture books, feminism, war.
Country: China.
Language: Chinese.
Publication Date: ~400 A.D. (this translation/art 1995).
Summary: A folktale based on a poem from the Sung Dynasty in which a young girl disguises herself as a man and leads the army of China to victory over the enemy.

My rating: 7/10
My review:

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Title: Ballad of Mulan.
Author: Anonymous (translated and illustrated by Song Nan Zhang).
Genre: Literature, fiction, mythology, poetry, children's books, picture books, feminism, war.
Country: China.
Language: Chinese.
Publication Date: ~400 A.D. (this translation/art 1998).
Summary: A folktale based on a song/poem from the Sung Dynasty in which a young girl disguises herself as a man and leads the army of China to victory over the enemy.

My rating: 8/10
My review:

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Title: The Little White Horse.
Author: Elizabeth Goudge (illustrated by C. Walter Hodges).
Genre: Fiction, bildungsroman, children's lit, YA, fantasy, adventure, romance.
Country: English.
Language: English.
Publication Date: 1946.
Summary: When orphaned young Maria Merryweather arrives at Moonacre Manor, she feels as if she's entered Paradise. Her new guardian, her uncle Sir Benjamin, is kind and funny; the Manor itself feels like home right away; and every person and animal she meets is like an old friend. But there is something incredibly sad beneath all of this beauty and comfort--a tragedy that happened years ago, shadowing Moonacre Manor and the town around it--and Maria is determined to learn about it, change it, and give her own life story a happy ending. But what can one solitary girl do?

My rating: 8/10
My review:

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Title: Bilbo's Last Song.
Author: J.R.R. Tolkien (illustrated by Pauline Baynes).
Genre: Literature, fiction, poems, death.
Country: U.K.
Language: English.
Publication Date: 1973 (written ~1950s, picture book in 1990).
Summary: Bilbo Baggins, famous Hobbit adventurer and saviour of the One ring, arrives at the Grey Havens to board the White Ship on its journey west. It is here that he composes his last song, reflecting on the leaving of Middle-earth and the voyage that will take him to the Undying Lands at the end of the sunset. The song is both a longing to set forth on his ultimate journey and a tender farewell to friends left behind.

My rating: 8.5/10
My review:

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Title: 101 Famous Poems.
Author: William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, Mary Howitt, John Greenleaf Whittier, Clement Clarke Moore, Edgar A. Guest, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Edwin Markham, Vachel Lindsay, Robert Frost, Edward R. Sill, George Gordon Byron, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Robert Browning, and Rudyard Kipling. NON-FICTION: Abraham Lincoln,
Genre: Literature, poetry,
Country: U.S., England, U.K., and Canada.
Language: English.
Publication Date: 1215, 1603, 1775, 1776, 1803, 1812-18, 1818, 1823, 1829, 1856, 1863, 1864, 1879, 1886, 1890, 1900, 1909, 1912, 1914, 1922, and 1923 (this edition 1958).
Summary: A collections of 111 poems (of which 4 are play excerpts) and 6 pieces of prose (1 of which is a letter and 2 are speeches). (Poems 93-111 and non-fiction in this post, refer to PART 1 for poems 1-48 and PART 2 for poems 48-92). In Hamlet's Soliloquy (from Hamlet)** (1603) by William Shakespeare, Hamlet contemplates the ups and downs of taking one's own life. She Was a Phantom of Delight (1803) by William Wordsworth is a poem about a wonderful woman, said to be the poet's wife. The Spider and the Fly: A Fable (1829) by Mary Howitt tells of a cunning spider who entraps a fly into its web through the use of seduction and manipulation. Maud Muller (1856) by John Greenleaf Whittier is a poem about regret, in which a poor damsel and a rich judge cross paths and fall in love, but let socioeconomic considerations keep them apart. The Night Before Christmas** (1823) by Clement Clarke Moore is bout a man meeting Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. Home (1922) by Edgar A. Guest is about what makes a house a home. My Kate (?1800s) by Elizabeth Barrett Browning is a poem about and an elegy to a beautiful person and loyal friend. Lincoln, the Man of the People (1909) by Edwin Markham is a poem about and in praise of Abraham Lincoln. On the Building of Springfield (1923) by Vachel Lindsay is a poem about the building of the city of Springfield, Illinois. Mending Wall (1914) by Robert Frost is a poem about building fences, thus self-imposing barriers that prohibit human interaction. The Fool's Prayer (1879) by Edward R. Sill is a poem about human foolishness, as presented as a prayer by a jester to a king's court. To a Waterfowl (1818) by William Cullen Bryant is an ode to a waterfowl, ultimately about perseverance in the face of hardship, God, and Heaven. I Shall Not Pass This Way Again: A Symphony (1900) by Eva Rose York is made up of a speaker's goodbye to a place she loves and a declaration of her future intentions. Apostrophe to the Ocean (from Childe Harold's Pilgrimage) (1812-1818) by George Gordon Byron is an ode to the strength and beauty of the ocean. Renascence (1912) by Edna St. Vincent Millay broadly encompasses the relationship of an individual to humanity and nature, as the narrator contemplates a vista from a mountaintop and gets overwhelmed with empathy. Epilogue to Asolando (1890) by Robert Browning, translating to "desolation," is a eulogy for oneself. L'Envoi (1886) by Rudyard Kipling describes devotees who worship at an empty shrine, and an elegy for lost gods and lost beliefs. NON-FICTION: Gettysburg Address (1863) by Abraham Lincoln is a speech delivered at the dedication of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg to honor the glorious dead of the Civil War. A Letter to Mrs. Bixby (1864) by Abraham Lincoln is consoling message sent to Lydia Parker Bixby, a widow living in Boston, Massachusetts, who was thought to have lost five sons in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The Ten Commandments from The Holy Bible is the Christian law of conduct. Magna Carta (1215) is a royal charter of rights agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, first drafted by Archbishop of Canterbury Stephen Langton to make peace between the unpopular king and a group of rebel barons. The War Inevitable (1775) by Patrick Henry is a speech he delivered as a delegate to the Second Virginia Convention (which debated whether Virginia should adopt language from a petition by the planters of the Colony of Jamaica), in which he offered amendments to raise a militia independent of royal authority in terms that recognized that conflict with Britain was inevitable. The Declaration of Independence (1776) is the pronouncement adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia, and explains why the Thirteen Colonies at war with the Kingdom of Great Britain regarded themselves as thirteen independent sovereign states, no longer under British rule.

**Refer to entry for full quotes and information.

My rating: 8/10
My review:

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Title: 101 Famous Poems.
Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Ella Wheeler Wilcox, James Whitcomb Riley, John James Ingalls, John Burroughs, William Shakespeare, Lucy Larcom, James Henry Leigh Hunt, Edgar Allan Poe, Alexander Anderson, John Milton, William Cullen Bryant, William Ernest Henley, John Masefield, Thomas Babington Macaulay, John Greenleaf Whittier, Robert Browning, Rudyard Kipling, Sir Walter Scott, Alice Cary, Mary Mapes Dodge, George Gordon Byron, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Alfred Noyes, Robert Burns, Eugene Field, Josiah Gilbert Holland, Henry Holcomb Bennett, William Watson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Frank L. Stanton, George Washington Doane, George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans), John Keats, Henry Cuyler Bunner, and Alfred Tennyson.
Genre: Literature, poetry.
Country: U.S., England, Scotland, U.K..
Language: English.
Publication Date: 1603, 1609, 1673, 1750, 1795, 1805, 1806-08, 1812-18, 1819, 1820, 1834, 1838, 1842, 1844, 1845, 1849, 1855, 1860, 1863, 1865, 1869, 1872, 1875, 1879, 1881, 1883, 1884, 1886, 1889, 1893, 1895, 1898, 1902, 1906, 1910, and 1911 (this edition 1958).
Summary: A collections of 111 poems (of which 4 are play excerpts) and 6 pieces of prose (1 of which is a letter and 2 are speeches). (Poems 48-92 in this post, refer to PART 1 for poems 1-48 and PART 3 for poems 93-111 and non-fiction). The Building of the Ship (1869) by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow describes in detail the building and launching of a ship, and then makes the ship a symbol of the United States. Solitude (1883) by Ella Wheeler Wilcox is a poem about being ultimately alone in life, especially through life's toughest ordeals. Knee-Deep in June (1911) by James Whitcomb Riley is a poem about the beauty of relaxing in nature in June. Opportunity (1881) by John James Ingalls is a poem written from the perspective of opportunity, about its transient nature. Waiting (1863) by John Burroughs is a poem about trusting fate, and trusting that everything that belongs to you will be attracted to you regardless. Paul Revere's Ride (1860 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow liberally fictionalizes and commemorates the actions of American patriot Paul Revere on April 18, 1775, of his midnight ride to alert the colonial militia to the approach of British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord. That Time of Year (Sonnet 73) (1609) by William Shakespeare focuses on the theme of old age, and addresses "Fair Youth." In Plant a Tree (~1800s) by Lucy Larcom, the poet encourages people to plant trees to show love for the earth and their neighbourhood, and the potential every tree holds. Abou Ben Adhem (1834) by James Henry Leigh Hunt is a poem about the 7th century Sufi mystic Ibrahim ibn Adham, and his love for his fellow men. The Bells (posthumously 1849) by Edgar Allan Poe is about the sound of bells, and the feelings of horror and mystery the sound evokes. Elegy Written in a Country Church-Yard (1750) by Thomas Gray is an elegy and thoughts on death and mortality in a graveyard, following the death of the poet Richard West in 1742. Cuddle Doon (1895) by Alexander Anderson is a poem about a happy family hearth. In Sonnet on His Blindness (1673) by John Milton, the poet reflects on his blindness, and draws wisdom and faith from his condition. Thanatopsis (unknown, likely 1810s) is, as the the title translating from the Greek literally means, "a consideration of death." The Children's Hour (1860) by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow describes the poet's idyllic family life with his own three daughters, and the time he spends with them as evening approaches. Invictus (1888, written 1875) by William Ernest Henley is a poem about coming through great trials and tribulations fighting, with one's head raised high. Sea Fever (1902) by John Masefield is about the poet's thirst and love for the sea. Horatius (1842) by Thomas Babington Macaulay describes how Publius Horatius and two companions, Spurius Larcius and Titus Herminius, hold the Sublician bridge, the only span crossing the Tiber at Rome, against the Etruscan army of Lars Porsena, King of Clusium. Each in His Own Tongue (1895) by William Herbert Carruth highlights the difference of perspective on broad concepts. The Eternal Goodness (?~late 1800s) by John Greenleaf Whittier is a poem about the love of God and understanding of religion. Summum Bonum (1889) by Robert Browning directly translates to "means the highest good." If (1910, written 1895) by Rudyard Kipling was written as a tribute to Leander Starr Jameson, and is the paternal advice to the poet's son, John, about what it means to be a man. The Day is Done (1844) by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is about the melancholy, restless feeling at the end of a long day. Love of Country (excerpt from The Lay of the Last Minstrel) (1805) by Walter Scott is about the love and patriotic feeling one should feel for one's country. Nobility (1849) by Alice Cary describes Nobility as a human quality not derived from birth, but from innate actions and values. The Minuet (1879) by Mary Mapes Dodge is about a grandmother telling her granddaughter about a minuet she danced when she herself was young. In Childe Harold's Farewell to England (excerpt from Childe Harold's Pilgrimage (1812-18) by George Gordon Byron, the protagonist of the poem sets out to travel to discover the truth about the world, and about himself. God Save the Flag (1865) by Oliver Wendell Holmes is about the importance and glory of the American flag. The Raven (1845) by Edgar Allan Poe tells of a talking raven's mysterious visit to a distraught lover, tracing the man's slow descent into madness. The Highwayman (1906) by Alfred Noyes is a romantic ballad set in 18th-century rural England about an unnamed highwayman who is in love with a landlord's daughter, how he is betrayed, and his lover must make the ultimate sacrifice. A Psalm of Life (1838) by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is a poem written not long after the death of his first wife, while thinking about how to make the best of life. For A' That and A' This (1795) by Robert Burns is a song that is an expression of egalitarian ideas of society, which may be seen as expressing the ideas of republicanism. Jest 'Fore Christmas (?~1879-1895) by Eugene Field is a children's poem about being very good right before Christmas comes around. Gradatim (1872) by Josiah Gilbert Holland is a poem about slowly building one's way up to Heaven, step by deed. The Barefoot Boy (1855) by John Greenleaf Whittier is about a barefoot boy who is both innocent and connected to nature, in a world of adults in which adults have to engage in endless struggles to stand out. In Polonius' Advice to Laertes (from Hamlet)** (1603) by William Shakespeare, Polonius offers his son advice on what it means to succeed in life and be a good man. The Flag Goes By (1898) by Henry Holcomb Bennett is a poem that pays respects and presents the symbolism of the American flag. The Things That Are More Excellent (1895) by William Watson is an earnest plea to appreciate the higher things in life, and forego the material and shallow. Concord Hymn (1886) by Ralph Waldo Emerson was sung at the completion of the Battle Monument commemorating those fallen in the American Civil War. Keep a-Goin' (1910) by Frank L. Stanton is a poem that encourages one to keep going regardless of the difficulty or circumstance. Life Sculpture (1855) by George Washington Doane is a poem about carving one's life as a sculptor carves a sculpture out of stone. The Choir Invisible (1884) by George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) is the poets' description of Christianity and heaven. Marmion and Douglas (from Marmion) (1806-08) by Walter Scott is the part of the poem Douglas refuses Marmion entrance into his castle. Ode on a Grecian Urn (1819) by John Keats addresses an ancient Grecian urn, describing and discoursing upon the images depicted on it. The Heart of the Tree (1893) by Henry Cuyler Bunner is a message that the one who plants a tree not only contributes to the betterment of nature for all the other creatures, but he also helps in nation's growth. Crossing the Bar (1889) by Alfred Tennyson is an elegy wherein the poet uses an extended metaphor to compare death with crossing the "sandbar" between the river of life, and the ocean that lies beyond death, the "boundless deep", to which we return.

**Refer to entry for full quotes and information.

My rating: 8/10
My review:

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Title: Poems of Gratitude.
Author: George Gordon - Lord Byron, Rainer Mariak Rilke (translated by A. Poulin Jr.), William Wordsworth, Emily Brontë, Algernon Charles Swinburne, Horace (translated by Debora Greger), Henry Timrod, Ben Jonson, Robert Herrick, Ralph Waldo Emerson, William Shakespeare, Dinah Maria Craik, Om Ui-Gil (translated by Kim Jong-Gil), William Wordsworth, Charles Lamb, Primo Levi (translated by Ruth Feldman and Brian Swann), Po Chu-I (translated by Arthur Waley), Edward Hirsch, Franz Wright, Jane Kenyon, Czeslaw Milosz (translated by Renata Gorczynski and Robert Hass), John Milton, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Nicholas Christopher, Emily Fragos, Jane Hirshfield, John Dryden, Christopher Smart, Tall Kia Ahni (interpreted by Louis Watchman), Francis Jammes (translated by Richard Wilbur), J.D. McClatchy, Charles Wright, Joy Harjo, Wendell Berry, Matthew Arnold, Edwin Markham, Rudyard Kipling, Stephen Crane, Mary Oliver, Queen Lili'Uokalani of Hawaii, Gary Soto, Maya Angelou, John Newton, St. Francis of Assisi, Laozi (translated by Chungliang Al Huang), Venerable Dhammananda Bhikkhuni, King James Bible, Qur'an translated by Shaykha Halima Krausen, Jewish prayer translated by Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, Rabindranath Tagore, William Cowper, John Donne, Walt Whitman, James Weldon Johnson, Marina Tsvetaeva (translated by Elaine Feinstein), Langston Hughes, Henry Vaughan, Emily Dickinson, The Buddha, Taditional Iroquois translated by Harriet Maxwell Converse, X.J. Kennedy, Campbell McGrath, Paul Zimmer, Lydia Maria Child, Billy Collins, Shel Silverstein, Henry Alford, John Greenleaf Whittier, Carl Sandburg, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Robert Louis Stevenson, Robert Frost and John Keats (compiled and edited by Emily Fragos).
Genre: Poetry, literature, animals, religion, nature.
Country: England, Austria, Ancient Rome, Italy, France, India, Wales, Scotland.
Language: English, German, Ancient Roman, Italian, Navajo, Aztec, French, Iroquois.
Publication Date: 6th BC, 1609, 1610, 1616, 1640, 1650, 1673, 1772, 1779, 1798, 1806, 1807, 1820, 1831, 1833, 1844, 1845, 1846, 1847, 1856, 1859, 1865, 1875, 1877, 1880, 1885, 1891, 1894, 1898, 1899, 1910, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1923, 1968, 1974, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2015 (this collection 2017).
Summary: A collection of 168 poems (some being extracts from larger bodies of work), on the topic of gratitude, and divided into 9 sub-categories. (Poems 85-168 in this post, refer to PART 1 for 1-84). FOR FRIENDSHIP: L'Amitié est L'amour sans Ailes (1806) by George Gordon, Lord Byron is a poem describing friendship as being romantic love without wings. O My Friends (?~1885-1926) by Rainer Maria Rilke (translated by A. Poulin Jr.) is a pondering on the line between strangers and friends. Travelling (1807) by William Wordsworth recalls happy hours spent with a loved friend in nature. Love and Friendship (1846) by Emily Brontë compares love and friendship. From To a Cat (1894) by Algernon Charles Swinburne is an extract and an ode to a cat, a superior pet. Tradition (??) by Anonymous is a traditional Aztec poem about the beauty of friendship. Odes I.36 (23BC) by Horus is an ode of gratitude for a friend. Sonnet: I Thank You (1859) by Henry Timrod is a thanksgiving to a beloved friend. Inviting a Friend to Supper (1616) by Ben Jonson is an invitation to dinner and a jovial evening to a friend. Meat Without Mirth (1648) by Robert Herrick is a poem about a supper not really being enjoyable without friends to share it with. Forbearance (1847) by Ralph Waldo Emerson speaks of an ideal person and friend. Sonnet 30 (1609) by William Shakespeare is a sonnet of a remembrance of a dear friend, that takes away all sadness. Friendship (1859) by Dinah Maria Craik is an excerpt from a novel A Life for a Life, about feeling safe with a friend. Sitting at Night (?~17th century) by Om Ui-Gil (translated by Kim Jong-Gil) is a poem about a visit from a friend. "Rest and Be Thankful": At the Head of Glencoe (1831) by William Wordsworth is a poem inspired by a walk with friends at Glencoe Mountains in Scotland. The Old Familiar Faces (1798) by Charles Lamb is an elegy to a childhood and the phantoms that haunt the poet from it. To My Friends (1985) by Primo Levi is a poem about connections between human beings, regardless of their tenuousness. FOR HEALTH: Being Visited by a Friend During Illness (?~782-846) by Po Chu-I (translated by Arthur Waley is a poem of a slow recovery from illness. Recovery (1985) by Edward Hirsch is a subtle poem about recovering from a tragedy. One Heart (2003) by Franz Wright is a thanksgiving to God for a content and healthy life. Otherwise (1995) by Jane Kenyon is a poem that calls for gratitude for sound health and ability while one still possesses it, and until such time one does not. In A Mistake (1988) by Czeslaw Milosz (translated by Renata Gorczynski and Robert Hass), the poet contemplates the beauty of the world while watching the small pleasures a paraplegic gets out of being out in the sun. In On His Blindness (1673) by John Milton, the poet writes of his experience of blindness, and what greater purpose God intends for him through it. "My Own Heart Let Me More Have Pity On" (1885) by Gerard Manley Hopkins gestures toward a sense of relief from the mental and spiritual anguish that had been plaguing the poet. After a Long Illness (1995) by Nicholas Christopher is a poem about the feeling of well-being, lightness, and relief once feels after recovering from a long illness. After Dürer (2015) by Emily Fragos is a poem inspired by a famous engraved drawing by Albrecht Dürer, Melencolia I. Spell to Be Said After Illness (1994) by Jane Hirshfield is a prayer after illness. FOR NATURE: Pied Beauty (1877) by Gerard Manley Hopkins is a poem in which the poet praises God for the variety of "dappled things" in nature, but for remaining immutable himself. "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" (1807) by William Wordsworth was inspired by an event in which Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy came across a "long belt" of daffodils. Of Many Worlds in This World (?~1641-1700) by John Dryden is a poem about the possibility of worlds existing inside other worlds, and minuscule things like atoms in nature. From Jubilante Agno: A Poem from Bedlam (1759-63) by Christopher Smart is an excerpt from a longer religious poem the poet wrote while holding a "Commission of Lunacy" and committed to St. Luke's Hospital with no one for company but a cat. War God's Horse Song (?) by Anonymous (words by Tall Kia Ahni, interpreted by Louis Watchman) is a traditional Navajo poem is a praise of a horse and peace. A Prayer to Go to Paradise with the Donkeys: To Màire and Jack (1898) by Francis Jammes (translated by Richard Wilbur) is a prayer to be allowed to enter Paradise among the loyal and gentle donkeys. "See Yonder Leafless Trees Against the Sky" (1833) by Ralph Waldo Emerson marvels at the beauty of a leafless tree. Weeds (1990) by J.D. McClatchy marvels at the way weeds fight their way through the toughest surfaces to bring beauty to the world. The Evening is Tranquil, and Dawn is a Thousand Miles Away (2008) by Charles Wright is a poem of a beautiful evening in nature. Eagle Poem (1990) by Joy Harjo speaks about praying to the beauty and magnificence of nature. The Peace of Wild Things (1968) by Wendell Berry speaks of how the poet goes to rejuvenate his energy in nature when he feels overwhelmed by the world. Patience Taught by Nature (1845) by Elizabeth Barrett Browning is a poem that speaks of wishing to learn patience from nature, particularly a blade of grass that grows slowly. From Thyrsis (1865) by Matthew Arnold is an excerpt from a poem that commemorates his friend Arthur Hugh Clough, who had died at the age of 42. The Cricket (1899) by Edwin Markham describes a cricket and a slow coming of day. Seal Lullaby (1894) by Rudyard Kipling is a lullaby for a seal. Little Birds of the Night (?~1881-1900) by Stephen Crane is a poem about adorable nocturnal birds. Wild Geese (2004) by Mary Oliver is a poem that compares nature's condition to the human condition through wild geese. Ku'u Pua I Paoakalani (My Flower at Paoakalani) (?~1848-1917) by Queen Lili'Uokalani of Hawaii praises the native flowers of the poet. Ode to a Day in the Country (1992) by Gary Soto expresses love and joy for country scenes. REVERENCE: Father, We Thank Thee (?1813-1882) by Ralph Waldo Emerson is a thanksgiving to God for all of life's gifts. Prayer (2006) by Maya Angelou is a prayer to God for all the disenfranchised and the forgotten. Ghanaian Prayer (?20th century) by Anonymous is a traditional Ghanaian prayer for one's parents. Amazing Grace (1772) by John Newton is a poem written to a hymn about God's boundless love and grace. "Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace" (?1191-1226) by St. Francis of Assisi is a prayer that asks God to use one as a proponent of peace on earth. God's Grandeur (1877) by Gerard Manley Hopkins is a celebratory poem that suggests that God has imbued nature with an eternal freshness that is able to withstand the heavy burden of humanity. Psalm 23 (?~1000BC) by Anonymous (from The Holy Bible, King James Version) was used in worship by the ancient Hebrews and describes God as one's shepherd, in the role of protector and provider. From Tao Te Ching (?~531BC) (translated by Chungliang Al Huang) is an excerpt from the ancient Chinese text that encourages one to follow the way of the Tao and the Way of Nature. Buddhist Prayer (2012) by Venerable Dhammananda Bhikkhuni is a Buddhist prayer. The Qur'an 1:1-7 (~609-632) (translated by Shaykha Halima Krausen) is an excerpt that asks for guidance from God. Shema Koleinu (?) (translated by Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg) is an ancient Jewish prayer for a day of atonement. From The Vedas (?) is an extract that defines and prays for peace. From Gitanjali (1910) by Rabindranath Tagore is an excerpt that calls upon grace in difficult times. African Canticle (?) by Anonymous is an African prayer that calls to bless all things, large and small. Light Shining Out of Darkness (1779) by William Cowper is a hymn about the mysterious ways in which God works. From The Holy Sonnets: 5 (1609-1610) by John Donne is an excerpt that talks of redemption from sin. Miracles (1856) by Walt Whitman is a poem that professes that everything that surrounds one in the world is a miracle. Prayer at Sunrise (1917) by James Weldon Johnson is a prayer at sunrise that give thanks for the new day and all its fresh wonders. «Бог согнулся от заботы…» (Bent with Worry) (1916), Марина Ивановна Цветаева (Marina Tsvetaeva, translated by Elaine Feinstein) is a poem about loving God's angels more than God himself. Prayer (?1920-1967) by Langston Hughes encourages the compassion and pity for the poor, unfortunate, and downtrodden. A Vision (1650) by Henry Vaughan is a poem about a man who encounters eternity. "Ample Make This Bed" (1891) by Emily Dickinson is a eulogy that compares making a bed to blessing a grave. "Now May Every Living Thing (6th BC) by the Buddha blesses every living thing with bliss. THANKSGIVING: The Thanksgivings (?), translated by Harriet Maxwell Converse, is a traditional Iroquois poem about giving thanks to all around one, as well as the Great Spirit. At the First Thanksgiving: Plymouth, 1621 (1985) by X.J. Kennedy describes the thanks given at the first Thanksgiving, and the harsh environments in which it was celebrated. What They Ate (1989) by Campbell McGrath describes what was eaten at the first Thanksgiving. A Romance for the Wild Turkey (2007) by Paul Zimmer is an ode to the wild turkey. The New-England Boy's Song About Thanksgiving Day (1844) by Lydia Maria Child are a children's poem celebrating the beauty and fun of Thanksgiving day from a child's point of view. The Gathering from Two Thanksgiving Poems (2009) by Billy Collins is about a family gathering missing a loved one. Point of View (1974) by Shel Silverstein is a poem that asks people to view the holidays from a turkey's point of view. Harvest Home (1844) by Henry Alford is a harvest festival hymn. Harvest Hymn (?1820-1892) by John Greenleaf Whittier is an ode to Thanksgiving. Harvest Sunset (1918) by Carl Sandburg is a poem about a sunset after working on the fields. The Harvest Moon (1875) by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow praises the harvest moon and celebrates the nature of autumn. Farewell to the Farm (1885) by Robert Louis Stevenson is poem about kids leaving the farm (and childhood) behind for the big city. Spring and Fall, To a Young Child (1880) by Gerard Manley Hopkins likens a little girl’s sorrow at the waning of summer to the larger, tragic nature of human life. Nothing Gold Can Stay (1923) by Robert Frost is a poem about the transience and impermanence of everything. To Autumn (1820) by John Keats is a poem that describes the beauty of autumn and its nature.

My rating: 8/10.
My review:

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Title: Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones.
Author: Alvin Schwartz.
Artist: Stephen Gammell.
Genre: Fiction, literature, short stories, horror, picture books, YA, humour, death, ghost stories.
Country: U.S.
Language: English.
Publication Date: 1991.
Summary: A collection of 24 stories and 1 song, all adapted from folklore, retold for children, and illustrated. In The Appointment, a young man tries to escape his fate when he sees Death beckoning. In The Bus Stop, a man picks up a young woman at a bus stop, but she may have been there much longer than he could have ever imagined. In Faster and Faster, when two boys find an old drum in the forest and try to beat on it, they awaken something sinister. In Just Delicious, when a woman eats her bully of a husband's dinner, she chooses a horrifying replacement from the funeral home next door, and pays the price when darkness falls. In Hello, Kate!, Tom meets one of his classmates on the way to the dance, but then remembers a terrifying fact about her. The Black Dog is a tale of a man being haunted at the same time every night by a ghostly back dog. In Footsteps, a young girl is terrified to follow footsteps all throughout her house without an apparent source for them. In Like Cat's Eyes, a woman witnesses her dying husband's soul be claimed by a group of creatures in a hearse with cat-like eyes. In Bess, when it is foretold that John's favourite horse will kill him, he believes he's escaped the dark prophecy once the horse has to be put down. In Harold, two farmers make a scarecrow for the fields, but soon realize something horrible is happening with Harold when he seemingly begins to come to life. In The Dead Hand, a man pays a dire price when he refuses to abide by local superstition and goes out into the swampland after dark. In Such Things Happen, when a man comes to believe he's cursed by a local witch, he follows his superstitious father's advice about how to get rid of her. The Wolf Girl is a story about a newborn girl from a Pioneer family being adopted by wolves, and the brief attempts to introduce her back to society. In The Dream, a woman has a prophetic dream warning her away from a place she believes she's about to travel to. In Sam's New Pet, Sam's parents bring a dog for him as a gift from Mexico, but it's not quite what it seems. Maybe You Will Remember is a puzzle story in which a woman comes back to the hotel she's been staying in after being sent out for medicine for her ailing mother, only return to find everyone denying she had ever stayed there. The Red Spot is a horrifying story about a mysterious red boil that appears on Ruth's face after a spider walks across it during the night. In No, Thanks a man gets spooked when he believes a man to threaten his life with a knife in an empty parking lot. In The Trouble, a team of paranormal investigators in the 1950s investigate what appears to be a poltergeist haunting a family, with surprising conclusions. In Strangers, two strangers have a run-in at a bus stop, but one of them is not what she seems. In The Hog, a man encounters the spirit of someone he used to love in an unexpected way. In Is Something Wrong?, a man encounters a terrifying but confused creature when he camps out in an abandoned house for the night. In It's Him!, a woman who murders her husband is haunted by his lonely ghost. In T-h-u-p-p-p-p-p-p-p!, a young girl is haunted by a mischievous young spirit. You May Be the Next... is a song that asks one to contemplate on one's own death.

My rating: 8/10
My review:

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Title: More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.
Author: Alvin Schwartz (collected from folklore and retold).
Artist: Stephen Gammell.
Genre: Fiction, literature, short stories, horror, mystery.
Country: U.S.
Language: English.
Publication Date: 1984.
Summary: A collection of 27 stories and 1 song, all adapted from folklore, retold for children, and illustrated. In Something Was Wrong, a man slowly realizes something is wrong when he finds himself in the middle of a street with no memories of how he got there. In The Wreck, Fred meets a great girl at a school dance, but she's not exactly what she seems. In One Sunday Morning, a lady who thinks she's attending her weekly Sunday morning mass suddenly realizes she has attended the (very) wrong service. Sounds is a story about a haunted house where a group of fishermen hear a chilling reenactment of violence one stormy night. In a Weird Blue Light, a bunch of blockade runners in the end of the 19th century encounter a ghost pirate ship. In Somebody Fell From Aloft, a dark story of murder unfolds on a ship when a mysterious man falls out of the sky, dead. In The Little Black Dog, when a man kills another in cold blood, followed by his dog, he begins to see the little black dog everywhere he goes. In Clinkity-Clink, a grave-digger sorely regrets his actions of stealing two silver dollars used to keep a dead old woman's eyes closed, when night comes. In The Bride, a wedding-day hide-and-seek game has tragic consequences. In Rings on Her Fingers, a grave-robber is in for a nasty surprise when he violates a recent grave of a young woman. In The Drum, two young girls get a cruel joke played on them by a gypsy girl when she tells them she will give them an extraordinary toy, but only if they're very bad to deserve it. In The Window, a young woman named Margaret is terrified when she spies a horror coming to her through her window. In The Wonderful Sausage, a butcher discovers a perfect, though hard-to-come-by, ingredient for his new "special sausage." In The Cat's Paw, a butcher laying in wait in his smoke-house to catch a regular thief gets an unexpected surprise. In The Voice, Ellen begins to hear a terrifying voice during the night, fast approaching. In "Oh, Susanna!", a young woman makes a terrifying mistake when she attributes the humming of a familiar tune to her roommate. In The Man in the Middle, Sally has a chilling midnight subway ride when the only other passengers are helping along a man who seems decidedly off. In The Cat in a Shopping Bag, a present thief gets her just desserts when she grabs the very wrong bag. In The Bed by the Window, three elderly men in a nursing home wait their turn to get the bed by the window and have a connection to the outside world, but when one gets greedy, he makes a devastating discovery. In The Dead Man's Hand, when a group of medical students decide to play a practical joke on one of their own, it goes unexpectedly awry. The Ghost in the Mirror describes a few variations of the legend of summoning a ghost from a mirror in the dark. In The Curse, a fraternity initiation goes horribly wrong when the new initiates are taken to a murder scene and asked to stay there along in the dark for an hour. In The Church, a man seeking shelter from a thunder storm in an abandoned church suddenly discovers he's not alone. In The Bad News two men make a pact that whichever gets to Heaven first will find a way to let the other know whether they play baseball there. In Cemetery Soup, an old woman makes a mistake when she takes a bone she finds in the cemetery home to make soup with. BA-ROOOM! is a song about two people in bed unaware they're both dead. In Thumpity-Thump, when a new family moves into a haunted house, they discover the very first night the house has secrets it wants them to uncover.

My rating: 8/10.
My review:

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Title: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.
Author: Alvin Schwartz (collected from folklore and retold).
Artist: Stephen Gammell.
Genre: Fiction, literature, short stories, horror, mystery.
Country: U.S.
Language: English.
Publication Date: 1981.
Summary: A collection of 25 stories, 2 poems and 2 songs, all adapted from folklore, retold for children, and illustrated. The Big Toe is about a child who finds a toe in his garden and brings it home to be cooked in a stew, but the toe has an owner that wants it back. The Walk tells of two strangers walking together, both terrified of each other. In "What Do You Come For?", an old lonely woman wishes for company, and unfortunately gets her wish. Me Tie Dough-ty Walker! is about a legend of a bloody head falling out of the chimney of a haunted house, and a boy with his dog who decide to investigate the myth. The Man Who Lived in Leeds is a poem about a man who lives in Leeds and plants a garden, but things take a twisted turn. Old Woman All Skin and Bones is a song about an old woman who encounters death and wonders about her own rapidly-approaching time to depart. In The Thing, two boys meet a horrifying figure that turns out to be an ill omen for one of them. In Cold as Clay, a farmer tries to keep his daughter away from a farmhand he believes is below her, but he doesn't realize the young man may pursue her even beyond the grave. In The White Wolf, a man hunts down hundreds of wolves until he retires and vows never to kill a wolf again, but a mysterious and brutal white wolf appears to tempt his fate. In The Haunted House, a preacher decides to rid a haunted house of its spirit, and encounters it, learning the tragedy that has occurred to bring it to this world. In The Guests, a couple is glad of a hospitality of an elderly couple in a remote house late at night, but the following day learn the horrifying truth about their hosts. The Hearse Song is a song about what happens to you after you die. In The Girl Who Stood on a Grave, a young girl takes the dare to disprove a superstition and stand on a grave, plunging a knife into it as proof. In A New Horse, a farm-hand figures out how to deal with a witch that sneaks into his house every night and turns his friend into a horse. In Alligators, a wife begins to suspect her husband is an alligator, out to turn their children and herself into alligators, as well. In Room for One More, a man sees a hearse full of people that serves as a warning and an omen. Wendigo is about a hunter with an Indian as a guide go hunting into a desolate part of Northern Canada, and encounter something terrible there. The Dead Man's Brains is a story that is concurrent with a Halloween game, where the players have to feel different parts of a dead man's remains in the dark. In "May I Carry Your Basket?", a man offers to held carry an old woman's basket on a late cold night, but is horrified when he finds out what she carries in it. The Hook is a story about an escaped prisoner with a hook for a hand, and an unsuspecting couple. In The White Satin Evening Gown, a poor young woman rents a gown for an evening out for a very low price, but there is a different price she must pay for wearing it. In High Beams, a young woman is terrorized on an empty road by a truck driver following her and flashing his high beams, but all may not be as it seems. In The Babysitter, the children home alone with a babysitter are terrorized by creepy and disturbing phone calls, but things only get worse when they contact the authorities. In The Viper, a woman receives a creepy phone call announcing the imminent arrival or "a viper." In The Attic, a man living alone in the woods with his dog loses his companion, but eventually begins to hear strange sounds coming from the attic. The Slithery-Dee is a poem about a strange creature that comes from the sea. In Aaron Kelly's Bones, Aaron Kelly is dead and buried, but doesn't appear to realize it or wish to accept it at all. In Wait Till Martin Comes, a man takes shelter during the night in an old house, but every time he awakens he sees a cat always larger than the one before, waiting to "begin" when Martin comes. In The Ghost with the Bloody Fingers, a room in a hotel scares off every visitor with its creepy ghost, but eventually the ghost meets his match.

My rating: 8/10.
My review:

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Title: The Book of Ballads.
Author: Neil Gaiman, Charles De Lint, Jane Yolen, Jeff Smith, Emma Bull, Sharyn McCrumb and others.
Artist: Charles Vess.
Genre: Fiction, graphic novel, fantasy, folk tales, mythology, poetry, faerie tales.
Country: U.S.
Language: English.
Publication Date: (This collection 2004). **Dates of interpretations only, dates of originals unknown.
Summary: The book contains 13 ballads, being some of the great songs and folktales of the English, Irish, and Scottish traditions, re-imagined in sequential art form and mostly current English in collaboration with various fantasy writers. The graphic interpretation is always followed by the original ballad. The False Knight Upon the Road is a British ballad about a young boy who is confronted by a "false knight" in the road, but stands firm against temptation and anger. The interpretation by Neil Gaiman (1995) ties the boy's meeting with his father's demise and failure to stand firm as his son does. King Henry is a British and Scottish ballad about a king who, when accidentally stumbling across a hunter's lodge inhabited by a horrible giantess, treats her with nothing but kindness and courtesy, and get an unexpected reward for the horrible tasks she asks of him. The interpretation by Jane Yolen (1993) includes a narrative that reveals that the king's kindness and trust towards his new queen doesn't last, also making an allusion that Henry is Henry VIII, and the "witch" is Anne Boleyn. Thomas the Rhymer is a Scottish ballad about a young man who meets a fairy queen on the road, who takes him into her service in faerie land for 7 years. The interpretation by Sharyn McCrumb (1994) has the faerie queen make a promise to Thomas, which she comes many years later to fulfill. Barbara Allen is a Scottish ballad about a young woman who rejects a heartbroken young man, causing his death, but is unable to live without him. The interpretation by Midori Snyder (1996) expands the legend by making the young man cursed, and the only way for a curse to be lifted is to be rejected by a woman, and though she loves him and cannot live without him, she sets out to liberate him. The Three Lovers is a British ballad about a young man who chooses a dark-skinned girl for her land and wealth, but kills her and then himself when his new bride attacks and kills the fair young lover he loves but refused to marry for her lack of money. The adaptation by Lee Smith (2004) keeps true to the original, only putting the young man and his mother in dire financial straits, making it a necessity to marry the richer but less beloved girl. In Tam Lin, a Scottish ballad, a fair maiden named Janet is impregnated by a knight in the service of the Queen of Fairies, Tam-Lin, who then tells her how to win him as her own on Hallowday. In the adaptation by Elaine Lee, Tam-Lin becomes a fae through an ancient Pagan human sacrifice, and lies to Janet a thousand years thence that he was once a Christian man entrapped by faeries, to regain his mortal soul by fathering himself and being reborn through her into a human form. The Daemon Lover is a Scottish ballad in which a man long away (implied to be the Devil) returns to his beloved, who had married someone else and bore a son by this time, and convinces her to go off with him, for a price. The adaptation by Delia Sherman (1996) keep almost identical to the original, though making the Devil abusive and cruel to his "beloved." The Twa Corbies is a Scottish ballad that see two scavenger birds converse of where they should have their next meal, deciding on a newly-slain knight who is not guarded by his hounds and unmissed by his cheating wife. The adaptation by Charles de Lint (1996) has a young woman in present-day Toronto come across a dead homeless man whose spirit is conversing with "crow girls," the spirits come to take him onward, as he recounts his life as a questing knight, under which lies a tale of lost job, divorce, and failure. Sovay is an English folk song about a young woman who dresses up as a man and holds up her beloved, testing his manhood and loyalty by demanding the diamond ring she had bestowed on him. The interpretation by Charles de Lint (1996) additionally has Sovay kill a random rider whom she supposes was going to attack her beloved when she finds him, before she puts her lover to the test. The Galtee Farmer is an Irish ballad about a man who gets tricked at the fair to buy back the horse he had just sold, for a lot more money. The interpretation by Jeff Smith (1996) is identical to the original. Alison Gross is a Scottish ballad about a very ugly witch trying to seduce a young man by offering him gifts and gold, but when he refuses, turning him into a worm. In the adaptation by Charles Vess (2001), the witch turns the man into a dragon and keeps him as a pet, until a Fairy Queen and her entourage free him and make him one of their own, allowing him revenge. The Black Fox (with words provided by Graham Pratt (1974)) is an Irish ballad about a hunting party who jokingly calls upon the Devil when they don't encounter any prey for hours, but the Devil answers their call as a black fox. The adaptation by Emma Bull (2004) is faithful to the original, making the hunting party a group of gentlemen and ladies in turn-of-the-century Britain. The Great Selchie of Sule Skerry is about a young woman who gets impregnated by a selchie (of the Seal Folk), who comes back to take the child away, but with a dark prophecy for them both. In the adaptation by Jane Yolen (2004), the selchie abandons the woman, unmarried and with child, and comes back to take the child some time late, though warning that if the woman doesn't go back to her native village a great doom would befall both the selchie and his son.

My rating: 8/10.
My review:

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Title: The Classic Poems.
Author: Robert Burns.
Genre: Literature, poetry, nature, religion, songs, romance.
Country: Scotland.
Language: English.
Publication Date: 1785-1797.
Summary: This collection collects 13 poems, 35 songs (many traditional Scottish folk songs written down, adapted, or preserved by Burns), 2 psalms and 2 prayers. POEMS: To a Mountain Daisy, on Turning One Down with the Plough (1786) tells of how the poet, while out with the plough, discovers that he has crushed a daisy's stem. In To a Mouse, on Turning Her Up in Her Nest with the Plough (1785) the author accidentally destroys a mouse's nest, which it needs to survive the winter. The Cotter's Saturday Night (1786) relates how the Cotter and his family relax on a Saturday evening after a week's labour, with eldest daughter visiting from out of town with her new man to eat their peasant meal and join round the fireside to hear the father read from the Bible. Address to a Haggis (1786) was written by the author to celebrate his appreciation of Haggis. In To a Louse, on Seeing One on a Lady's Bonnet at Church (1786) the narrator chastises the louse for not realising how important its host is when he notices it on an upper class lady in church, and then reflects that to a louse we are all equal prey, and that we would be disabused of our pretensions if we were to see ourselves through each other's eyes. On Seeing a Wounded Hare Limp by Me, which a Fellow had Just Shot (1789) is the author's address to a hare shot by a hunter, and comment on man's cruelty. Address to the Tooth-ache (1797) is a poem about how while toothache is considered relatively mild in comparison to other illnesses and diseases, in reality it is the worst one of them all. Address to the Deil (1785) is a humorous portrayal of the Devil and the pulpit oratory of the Presbyterian Church. Tam o' Shanter, A Tale (1790) is a poem about a selfish farmer who often gets drunk with his friends in a public house in the Scottish town of Ayr, and of how one night whilst drunkenly headed for home, he accidentally stumbles on a Witches' Ball. Address to the Unco Guid, or the Rigidly Righteous (1786) is a poem condemning hypocrisy, addressing those who do not find it enough to try to lead their own lives above reproach, but pass judgements on those who do not. Holy Willie's Prayer (1785) is a comment on religious hypocrisy and self-righteousness, being a prayer of Willie Fisher, an elder in the Parish church of Mauchline, in Ayrshire, who expects forgiveness and grace for himself, but wishes nothing but harm and revenge on all those whom he perceives have slighted him. Epitaph on Holy Willie (1785) follows up the story of Willie Fisher, and tells how his soul is claimed b the Devil after his death. Address to Edinburgh (1786) is an adoring ode to the beautiful city of Edinburgh and all its cultural importance and history. SONGS: Mary Morison (1785) is a loving address to a beautiful girl (hypothesized to be the daughter of Adjutant John Morison of Mauchline, whom the author admired when she was sixteen). Ae Fond Kiss (1791) is a song Burns wrote to Mrs Agnes Maclehose, with whom he had a regular (although platonic) correspondence, before she departed Edinburgh for Jamaica to be with her estranged husband. My Luve is like a Red, Red Rose (1794) is one of the many famous Scottish folk songs that Burns preserved, being a love poem describing a tender feeling towards the beloved. Sweet Afton (1791) is a song describing the small river of Afton Water in Ayrshire, Scotland, and is a hymn for peace. John Anderson My Jo (1789) is a loving song written for a Scottish carpenter who was a close friend of Burns. Highland Mary (1792) is a song to Mary Campbell, with whom Burns was in love, and speaks of Burns's affection for and his continued memory of her, as well as his melancholy at her death. The Banks o' Doon (1791) is a melancholy song about an unfaithful lover, and contemplation thereof on the banks of the the river Doon in Ayrshire, Scotland. A Rosebud by My Early Walk (1787) is a song about an early morning walk and the beauty of awakening nature, dedicated to dedicated 12-year-old Miss Jean Cruickshank, the daughter of the Latin master at the High School of Edinburgh who performed Burns's songs whilst accompanying herself on the piano. The Birks of Aberfeldy (1787) is a song celebrating the beauty of nature, inspired by the Falls of Moness and the birch trees of Aberfeldy. O Wert Thou in the Cauld Blast (1796) is a song written for Jessy Lewars, who helped the Burns family during his final illness and his wife's confinement, describing his willingness to repay his debt of gratitude. O Whistle an' I'll Come to Ye, My Lad (1793) is a song from a young woman to her love, encouraging him to court her inconspicuously, but not to let his eye stray to anyone else. Of A' The Airts The Wind Can Blaw (1788) is a song written during Burns's honeymoon to his wife Jean Armour, about his love for her. Tam Glen (1789) is a song of a woman addressing her sister and telling her of Tam Glen, a young, poor, good-hearted man she is in love with and hopes to marry, even though she has had offers from richer men and is discouraged by her parents. My Bonnie Mary (The Silver Tassie) (1788) is a song about going off to war and leaving his sweetheart behind. The Country Lassie (1792) is another song dedicated to Burns's love Mary Campbell, who passed away young, that talks about fortunes keeping Burns away from her, but his heart and confidence in hers remaining true. The Bonie Lass o' Ballochmyle (1786) is a song Burns penned after meeting and being deeply impressed by Wilhelmina Alexander, the sister of the landowner, while walking by the banks of Ayr. I'm O'er Young to Marry yet (1788) is a song of a young woman who is making her case that she is too young to marry and be taken away from her mother yet. Duncan Gray (1792) is a song about Duncan Gray trying to woo the proud Maggie, who is too proud and fickle to accept, until both of their circumstances change. Green Grow the Rashes (1783) is a song that postulates that the happiest, most carefree hours are spent in the company of the opposite sex. I'll Ay Ca' in by Yon Town (1795) is a song from a young admirer to his lady love about coming to see her in her town. Ca' the Yowes to the Knowes (1789) is a celebration of a beautiful nature scene, and an expression of love to a sweetheart. Willie Wastle (1792) is a song about Willie Wastle, a weaver who has an ill-tempered, disgusting, and unattractive wife. My Heart's in the Highlands (1789) is a song that says farewell to the Highlinds, and outlines the author's love for their majestic beauty. There was a Lad (1787) is a song about the birth of Robin, and a prophesy told on his birth that he will grow up to greatness (there is an unsubstantiated myth that a similar pronouncement was made upon Burns's birth). John Barleycorn: A Ballad (1782) is a song that personifies barley, with John represented as suffering attacks, death and indignities that correspond to the various stages of barley cultivation. Willie Brew'd a Peck o' Maut (1789) is a song about the gathering of the poet for a house-warming with Allan Masterton (the composer for the song) and William Nicol on the property of Laggan in Nithsdale that Burns convinced Nicol to buy. The Deil's awa' wi' the Exciseman (1792) posits that excisemen (those who collected taxes on alcohol and chased smugglers) were evil men who deserved to be taken by the Devil to the joy of all the people (although Burns was an exceseman himself at the time of writing this song). A Man's a Man for a' That (Is There for Honest Poverty) (1795) explores an egalitarian idea of society, where all men, no matter class or status, are all still equally men, for all that. Auld Lang Syne (1788) is a song that bids farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight.McPherson's Farewell (1788) is a poem that allegedly retells the actual final goodbye that a noble outlaw James MacPherson wrote on the eve of his execution. Robert Bruce's Address to His Troops at Bannockburn (Scots Wha Hae) (1793) is a patriotic song written in the form of a speech given by Robert the Bruce before the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, where Scotland maintained its sovereignty from the Kingdom of England. Lament of Mary, Queen of Scots, on the Approach of Spring (1791) is a song written as Mary's last lament at her imprisonment, her hate for Elizabeth I, and her wishes for her son to have a luckier fate than her own. The Braes o' Killiecrankie (1789) is a song about the Battle of Killiecrankie, which was part of the Jacobite rebellion and was fought in 1689. Such a Parcel of Rogues in a Nation (1791) is a song that decried those members of the Parliament of Scotland who signed the Act of Union with England in 1707, some of whom were said to have been bribed.Charlie, He's My Darling (1794) is a song from a girl to her lover that is a celebration of the Jacobite movement. PSALMS: Paraphrase of the First Psalm (1781) is a song that literally restructures and rephrases the first Psalm in the Book of Psalms, which talks about the kind of life a man must lead to be either rewarded or punished at the end of his life (The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly). The First Six Verses of the Ninetieth Psalm (1781) is a retelling and restructuring of the 90th Psalm in the Book of Psalms (These are Words that Moses Prayed), describing God and his power and glory. PRAYERS: Prayer, in the Prospect of Death (1781) is a poem written as a prayer of a man faced with death, and him asking forgiveness of God for his impassioned, wild nature. Prayer, under the Pressure of Violent Anguish (1781) is a prayer of a man going through very tough times, asking God to either spare him his pain, or give him the strength to bear it.

My rating: 8.5/10
My review: It takes a little while to get used to the Scottish dialect that Burns uses for a lot of his poems.

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