Inthisbeautifulcollectionofpoemsandpaintings,BillyCollins,formerU.S.poetlaureate,joinswithDavidAllenSibley,America’sforemostbirdillustrator,tocelebratethewingedcreaturesthathaveinspiredsomanypoetstosingforcenturies.FromCatullusandChaucertoRobertBrowningandJamesWright,poetshavelongtreatedbirdsaspowerfulmetaphorsforbeauty,escape,transcendence,anddivineexpression.Here,inthissubstantialanthology,morethanonehundredcontemporaryandclassicpoemsarepairedwithclosetosixtyoriginal,ornithologicallypreciseillustrations.Partpoetrycollection,partfieldguide,partartbook,BrightWingspresentsverbalandvisualinterpretationsofthenaturalworldandremindsusofourintimateconnectiontothe“brightwings“aroundus.Eachintheirownway,thesepoemsandpictureshonortheenchantingcreaturesthathavebeen,andcontinuetobe,longtimecollaboratorswiththepoet’sandpainter’sart.Poetandbirdpairingsinclude:WallaceStevensandtheBlackbird;EmilyDickinsonandtheRobin;MarianneMooreandtheFrigatePelican;ThomasHardyandtheGoldfinch;SylviaPlathandthePheasant;JohnUpdikeandtheSeagull;WaltWhitmanandtheEagle;BillyCollinsandtheSparrow.
