Questions of genres as well as their possible definitions, taxonomies, and functions have been discussed since antiquity. Even though categories of genre today are far from being fixed, they have for decades been upheld without question. The goal of this volume is to problematize traditional definitions of poetic genres and to situate them in a broader socio-cultural, historical, and theoretical context. The contributions encompass numerous methodological approaches (including hermeneutics, poststructuralism, reception theory, cultural studies, gender studies), periods (Romanticism, Modernism, Postmodernism), genres (elegy, sonnet, visual poetry, performance poetry, hip hop) as well as languages and national literatures. From this interdisciplinary and multi-methodological perspective, genres, periods, languages, and literatures are put into fruitful dialogue, new perspectives are discovered, and suggestions for further research are provided.

In Harold Bloom's New York Times bestselling Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human, the world's foremost literary critic theorized on the authorship of the historic play Hamlet. In this engaging new stand-alone work, he offers a full and warmly personal account of the play itself, explores its extraordinary impact throughout the history of western literature, and seeks to uncover the mystery at its heart.

Crafting together the power of words and womanhood, writer Tanya Markul has written a completely unique poetry collection fit for the phenomenal readers of today. In Tanya's words, "May we raise the bar for how we live our lives. May we ridiculously increase the amount of peace, play, creativity, beauty, love, and joy in everything we do. May we all sip from the wisdom of our suffering. And awaken with the courage to share our stories that can heal our inner and outer worlds."

"[Grimbol's writing is] stranger and more arresting than ordinary emotional realism. His work is autobiographical, but it also veers into campy territory full of outsized psychic monsters and curious carnal romps."-THE LOS ANGELES REVIEW OF BOOKS

Comedian and actor Stephen Fry's witty and practical guide, now in paperback, gives the aspiring poet or student the tools and confidence to write and understand poetry. Stephen Fry believes that if one can speak and read English, one can write poetry. In The Ode Less Travelled, he invites readers to discover the delights of writing poetry for pleasure and provides the tools and confidence to get started. Through enjoyable exercises, witty insights, and simple step-by-step advice, Fry introduces the concepts of Metre, Rhyme, Form, Diction, and Poetics. Most of us have never been taught to read or write poetry, and so it can seem mysterious and intimidating. But Fry, a wonderfully competent, engaging teacher and a writer of poetry himself, sets out to correct this problem by explaining the various elements of poetry in simple terms, without condescension. Fry's method works, and his enthusiasm is contagious as he explores different forms of poetry: the haiku, the ballad, the villanelle, and the sonnet, among many others. Along the way, he introduces us to poets we've heard of but never read. The Ode Less Travelled is not just the survey course you never took in college, it's a lively celebration of poetry that makes even the most reluctant reader want to pick up a pencil and give it a try.

"if you ever read a poem, may it make you feel. whatever it is you need to feel. may it help you heal. if you ever read a poem, may it grow something new inside you. a song. a painting. a story. a poem. i hope that such a poem finds you in these pages." 'if you ever read a poem', by Dominican writer Gaby Comprés, is a poetry collection that tells of hope, love, and vulnerability. Featuring new and well-loved poems, this collection allows readers to join Comprés on her journey of discovering herself and the world around her through words.

"A deeply personal landscape of revelation and loss that guides the reader toward catharsis." -- M. "Breathtaking." -- R. "These are some of the most beautiful poems I have ever read. I find myself reading them aloud, and I pause after each line. They resonate as when water droplets drop into water, outwards then inwards. I am crying right now." -- T. A few months after my mother died, I changed my name to Elyria. It was a rite of passage suggested by a dear friend who had lost a parent some years earlier. I wish my mother could read these poems. I know some of them would have made her cry, and sometimes that would have been what she needed. But more than that, I want you to read these poems. I know some of them will make you cry, and sometimes that will be what you need. I want you to read them, remember how to heal, learn to live with the hurts and the losses you carry -- take a deep breath -- and go on living. We are all alone in our grief, sometimes. But other times, we can take comfort in sharing our sorrow with those who understand loss. We come away stronger for it. That is my hope for you. all my love, Elyria