Edward Thomas's collection of poems is a beautiful and poignant exploration of nature, love, and the human experience. His language is simple yet evocative, imbuing each poem with a depth of emotion that resonates with the reader long after the words have been read.

Thomas's keen observations of the natural world are especially striking, as he captures the essence of the countryside with a keen eye for detail and a genuine appreciation for its beauty. His verses speak of a deep connection to the land and a profound understanding of its rhythms and cycles.

The themes of loss and longing also run through many of Thomas's poems, as he grapples with the fragility of life and the passage of time. His words are often melancholic, yet there is a sense of acceptance and resilience that shines through, offering hope and solace to those who have experienced similar emotions.

Overall, Poems by Edward Thomas is a moving and thought-provoking collection that showcases the talent and sensitivity of its author. Thomas's words have a timeless quality that speaks to the universal aspects of the human experience, making this anthology a must-read for poetry lovers everywhere.

Book Description:
Born in 1878, Thomas published his first book when he was 18. Having married while still at university, he supported his family by writing articles and books, some in the form of what we might call slow travel writing, compiled on walks throughout England and Wales. He came to poetry late, encouraged by Robert Frost, and wrote 144 poems between 1914, and 1917 when he was killed, two years after enlisting, and shortly after arriving in France.

His poetic life coincided with WW1, and though not a war poet, his is the poetry of loss, of life as it would never be again. What is powerful to the English imagination is his depiction of the fragility of the English countryside. This is inseparable from his deep understanding of the longings and regrets of those who would die. Transience and mortality are at the heart of his work. This is true in one of the country’s favourite poems, to be found on this recording: Adlestrop. He is important to other poets in that, at his best, his poetry is quietly, sometimes coldly, conversational, with a slow beat that takes us with him as he thinks through from line to line, and wraps us in his vision of life and the natural world.