Collected Poems (1976 Franklin Library edition) by W. H. Auden is a sumptuous volume gathering the lifetime work of one of the 20th century’s most versatile and influential poets. From early modernist gems like “Funeral Blues” (“Stop all the clocks”) to later meditations on love and morality (“Lullaby”, “The Shield of Achilles”), Auden’s technical mastery and emotional range shine. The collection spans his British period’s political urgency (“September 1, 1939”) to his American years’ theological and existential depth.
The Franklin Library’s edition—bound in full leather with gilt accents and archival paper—elevates Auden’s wit and wisdom into a tactile treasure. Often including a ribbon marker and sewn-in satin endpapers, this volume is a testament to Auden’s belief that “poetry makes nothing happen” but is “a way of happening.”
A must-have for bibliophiles and poetry lovers alike.
