Poetry of Place: England
 AN Wilson

 Pages: 150
 Format: Paperback
 ISBN: 978-1906011-21-5

 Area of interest: England
 Genre:  Poetry

 Date of first publication: 2008
 Eland publication date: October 1, 2008
 Price: £6.99

     

The patriot's song book, which includes such rollicking word-smiths as Hilaire Belloc, G K Chesterton, Rudyard Kipling and the lyrics of Gilbert and Sullivan. Memorable, funny, gloriously paced for chanting in the bath, over the wreck of a picnic or out in a boat on a river. Poems that were written to be spoken, not dissected in the classroom or in an academic journal.

England, as every fan of Flanders & Swan will know, hasn't really got a national song. This collection more than fills the gap. Despite the worldwide spread of the English language in the wake of the Empire, the poets of England were always more interested in personal freedom than political conformity. Those rallying cries from the pens of Blake, Byron and Brook are as relevant as ever.

England is the perfect companion to explore and discover one of the world's literary bastions.