Fairy Poems

I have never been let down by adding a volume of Everyman’s Library to my own collection. What with their fine beribboned pages and respectful presentation of material, the books have always been a sure thing for me. However, this latest collection of fairy poems seems rushed and incomplete.

It seems that the collection was put together by googling fairy and adding those mentions. With notable exceptions, many of the selections are snippets which do not convey meaning. The exceptions, however, are worth the read: Langston Hughes’ “Cafe 3 A.M.” and Pablo Neruda’s “Fable of the Mermaid and the Drunks” are incredible works. Where this volume fails is cutting off meaning in many of the works, including those by T.S. Eliot and Shakespeare.

This book is probably designed for those who are fascinated by anything elf like or fairy land. Still, it is a pretty book, one suitable for a picnic in a delightful wooded area where fairies may indeed abound.