💘 Valentine's Day ~ Ten Poems about Roses from Candlestick Press

 

Candlestick Press
 January 2022

There’s a fragrant, peachy-yellow rose called ‘poetry in motion’ – proof (if needed) of poetry’s love affair with this most sumptuous of flowers.

Our gorgeous mini-anthology contains all manner of roses. You’ll find a climbing rose that longs for another life, a meditation on the simple pleasure of tending roses and helping them to grow, together with a lyrical paean to the essence of the flower itself in all its scented, luscious-petalled glory:

“Blossom, my darling, blossom, be a rose
Of roses unchidden and purposeless; a rose
For rosiness only, without an ulterior motive…”

from ‘Rose of all the World’ by DH Lawrence

This selection of rose poems makes a beautiful little garden that will offer delight in every season of the year.

Poems by Alistair Te Ariki Campbell, David Constantine, Emily Dickinson, Lucy Eddy, DH Lawrence, Stanley Plumly, Christina Rossetti, Sara Teasdale, Eloise Unerman and Jean Valentine.

Cover illustration by Jane Walker.

💘My thoughts..

What better day to talk about the glory of roses but on St Valentine's Day when, I suspect, there will be thousands of the beautiful blooms shared between sweethearts today. Roses, of course, are not just for St Valentine's Day and, whatever the circumstances, conjure a myriad of emotions. 

Their simple beauty is expressed so eloquently in 'Ophelia Rose' by Lucy Eddy

'The glow of a sun-gold rose

wild as a wood-bird note'

And we celebrate with Christina Rossetti in her beautiful poem 'The Rose' which entices us with the lure of these rather special flowers;

'The lily has a smooth stalk,

will never hurt your hand;

'But the rose upon her briar

Is the lady of the land'

The other eight poems are equally expressive and show just how much this flower means to us all, but especially on St Valentine's Day.

From 'Words and Roses' by Alistair Te Ariki Campbell

'Dear heart I had forgotten everything

I learned that love disposes,

Until last night they came again

in a dream

with the gentle rain

smelling of you and roses.

Whether they flourish in a country garden or in a city landscape, roses are everlasting and eternal and this glorious mini anthology of ten poems only serves to remind us of their mystery and beguiling nature. Beautifully presented, as always, this pamphlet has something for everyone and would make a perfect gift at any time of the year, or simply to send to brighten up someone's day 'instead of a card'.

About Candlestick Press

Candlestick Press is a small, independent press publishing sumptuously produced poetry pamphlets that serve as a wonderful alternative to a greetings card, with matching envelopes and bookmarks left blank for your message. Their subjects include Clouds, Walking, Birds, Home and Kindness. Candlestick Press pamphlets are stocked by chain and independent bookshops, galleries and garden centres nationwide and available to order online.

Twitter @poetrycandle