The World's Most Treasured Love Poems

In this delightful volume of love poetry, renowned literature professor Suheil Bushrui presents nearly two hundred cherished works from around the world and down through the ages. Here, traditional classics from Shakespeare to Rossetti are thrown into new light beside the poetry of Eastern writers such as Ibn Arabi and Rumi, while little-known poems from the indigenous peoples of Africa, Australasia, and the Americas offer passages that are both moving and profound. Exploring the many facets of love – desire, devotion, delirium, joy, and sorrow – this uniquely diverse collection reminds us of the bonds we all share through the universal experience of love. Without poetry love is wordless. “Stand still and I will read to thee” (Donne).