Neil Astley presents the ultimate reader’s companion to poetry: 100 classic poems from five centuries with lively “companion” commentaries illuminating each poem – edited by him with the late Brendan Kennelly. Poets include Delmore Schwartz, whose sense of conflict between self and society produced the anthology’s title-poem, The Heavy Bear Who Goes with Me. Neil is the founder-editor of poetry publishers Bloodaxe Books.
Photo credit: Pamela Robertson-Pearce