This book traverses the 40-year career of Charles Dickens, Britain's foremost Victorian novelist, offering a collection of his most beloved poems and songs. This book contains Dickens's four volumes of poetry, along with the verses he penned for his many stage adaptations, and the lyrics of his Christmas carol performances. Dickens's verse is varied in style, form and subject, showcasing his humor, sentimentality, and keen powers of observation. His poems range from the humorous and satirical, such as "The Noble Savage," with its commentary on the absurdity of class structure and colonialism, to the sentimental and poignant, such as "The Ivy Green," which reflects on the enduring power of memory and the fleeting nature of life. This diverse collection invites readers to gain a new appreciation for the literary genius of one of the most celebrated figures of the 19th century.
Arguably the greatest English-language playwright, William Shakespeare was a seventeenth-century writer and dramatist, and is known as the Bard of Avon. Under the patronage of Queen Elizabeth I, he penned more than 30 plays, 154 sonnets, and numerous narrative poems and short verses. Equally accomplished in histories, tragedies, comedy, and romance, Shakespeare s most famous works include Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, The Taming of the Shrew, and As You Like It.
Like many of his contemporaries, including Christopher Marlowe, Shakespeare began his career on the stage, eventually rising to become part-owner of Lord Chamberlain s Men, a popular dramatic company of his day, and of the storied Globe Theatre in London.
Extremely popular in his lifetime, Shakespeare s works continue to resonate more than three hundred years after his death. His plays are performed more often than any other playwright s, have been translated into every major language in the world, and are studied widely by scholars and students.