I didn't know what to expect with this title, but I ended up absolutely loving it. Julian Peters has taken a number of classic poems and put them to art. Each poem has a distinct art style that fits it perfectly and tells the story of it. I was a little bummed that the eARC didn't have all the artwork yet since I would have loved to see the art that went with the rest of the poems. It's also nice that each poem is printed separately after the poem with artwork so that you can absorb the poem with or without the art.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free comic book / poetry collection.*

"Poems to See by" is the graphic illustration of world famous poems by Emily Dickinson, Thomas Hardy, T.S. Eliot, Dylan Thomas and many more. We find the text embedded in the panels, it's quite beautiful. The style of the different poems is mirrored in the drawing style. Each illustrated poem is followed by the text of the poem without any drawings in order for the reader to read the poems once more without the pictures. I personally loved the choice of poems (T.S. Eliot, Dylan Thomas, Emily Dickinson! <3) and how well the drawings fitted the poems. The pictures are, of course, a sort of interpretation of the poems, but I liked that. 

5 Stars!

I never read anything like that: poetry in comic form. I think the illustrator has an interesting interpretation of the poems and this book definitely had beautiful art styles. Also, I liked that it has a good variety of themes, some were lighthearted, others dark...

I’d like it more if the poems were before the comics, so we could interpret them in our head ourselfs and then see what the artist interpreted them as.

As it is with poems, liked some more, others less, but my favorite was the one from Dante’s inferno

This Just Blew Me Away

I wasn't quite sure what I was in for when I downloaded this book. O.K., illustrated poems - I get that. Who didn't grow up with ripping action illustrations accompanying a school days classic like "...the midnight ride of Paul Revere"? I sort of expected something along those lines, and just hoped I'd like the artist's style. I was totally out of line on that.

The book opens with a brief foreword/essay about how poetry and sequential comics art complement each other. The essay felt a bit like the author was trying too hard to justify his effort, but I'm glad I read the whole essay. It got me thinking about the relationship between the poetry and the sequential art, and it turns out that there's a good bit to think about while enjoying this book. As the author/artist suggests, consider rhythm, stress, repetition, juxtaposition, contrast, and the challenges of translation and interpretation. By the end of the book I almost felt like I owed the author/artist an apology for doubting him.

I was amazed to see that for each poem Julian Peters adopted a different, distinct style and medium. Impressionistic, realistic, collage, watercolors, oils, pencils, inks - each poem is treated in a completely distinct fashion unlike anything that came before or comes after. It looks exactly as though each poem was illustrated by a different artist. 

And each treatment suits, complements, and enhances the poem. So, for something like "Invictus" we get a muscular, ripping, pen and ink adventure sequence. For "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" we get just lines of colors and naif collages that suggest freedom and captivity, with the poem carefully penciled into the lines. In "Hope is the Thing With Feathers" a brightly colored bird flies through black pencil sketches of scenes of hope and despair. Hughes's "Jukebox Love Song" looks like someone sent Edward Hopper to Harlem with a box of watercolors and an order to lighten up. Wordsworth's "The World is Too Much With Us" rendered in iPhone text messages? Inspired.

I could go on and on, but you get the idea. This is a playful, deadly serious, creative, marvelously accomplished book that will delight those who like their poetry with a side of Della Robbia Blue. And if you wonder how it could even be possible to present T.S. Eliot or Dylan Thomas in a comics or graphic form, well this book has those answers. A wonderful find.

(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

Seeing great poems illustrated in this way was absolutely incredible. As a very visual person myself, it definitely added a lot to the already beloved poems.

Julian Peters does a magnificent job illustrating some of the most popular poems throughout the ages. His creativity and illustrations brought a level of depth to each piece of poetry and helped me, as a person who wants to understand poetry, to see a different perspective. For instance, one of my favorite pieces in the book was Edgar Allen Poe's Annabel Lee. I had read it before and thought it to be beautiful, but reading it with the illustrations took it to the next level.

The reason I didn't give it five stars was because some of the poems were difficult to follow with the way the illustrations were done and inevitably I would skip over a line and have to go back because I missed something. This could be because of my inability to read poetry or comic books too.

Overall, I thought it was a great read!

This was a wide collection of 24 poems with beautiful comics attached to them. I really loved the different styles of comic art for each poem. The art felt like it was tailored to the poems and really brought each of them to life. I really enjoyed this collection because while I knew some of the poems, most of them were new to me. And the poem’s that i did already know were brought to life with the comic strips. 

This was a wonderful collection of poems that I believe would be appealing for both kids and adults. I feel this could be the perfect way to introduce poetry to kids without overwhelming them. This is also a great way of understanding what a poem is actually talking about and understand the meaning behind the words. 

*ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.*

Have you ever read poetry with illustrations? Written like a comic but instead of dialogues, there are verses of poems, Poems to see by is a beautiful collection of artist, Julian Peters' interpretation of some well known poems. I loved how in the preface of this book, he talked about the similarities between poetry and comics - something I had not thought of before. He also mentioned how teachers have used his work to help students understand a poem and I can totally see the scaffolds that art offers to the young mind to understand the complex ideas in many of these poems. 

The illustrations were in multiple mediums, drawn in crayons, water colours, felt pen, I loved seeing how each brought a different feel to the poems, while matching the mood at the same time. It has been a long time since I have done any proper art (the drawings for my bullet journal aren't very detailed) and Poems to see by was a visual journey into the feel of many of the works.

This is an amazing collection I would go back to to feast my eyes. I am thankful to the publisher for making the ebook available through NetGalley.

This small poetry collection features the poetry of Western classics such as Maya Angelou, Emily Dickenson, T. S. Elliot, and Edgar Allan Poe- but through the lens of the author's art interpretations. The art styles were beautifully done with intricate detail; each poem's art takes on a different mood and style that fits the poets' aesthetics. I would recommend this for poetry readers of all levels.

Poems to See By art Julian Peters, 160 pages. POETRY, GRAPHIC NOVEL
Plough Publishing House, 2020. $24.
Language: PG (1 swear, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: MS - OPTIONAL, HS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Peters takes 24 classic poems and breathes new life into them by illustrating each work in a comic-strip format. The poems cover a variety of topics, but all of them invite the reader to look at the world and themselves differently.
I was captivated from the very first poem, excited to see what amazing things Peters would continue to do with the poems he had chosen. By using illustrations to help readers visualize the poems, readers gain new perspectives to consider. My favorite thing about this book is that each unique poem also gets a unique illustration; Peters uses all different art styles throughout the book, and the variety only made me more excited to see what would come next.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Full of classics, a must read for a fan of the best poets and writers. Stories that will make you feel, and ones that won’t. It’s a book for the non readers and the ones that only read.

Note that there were a few illustrations missing in the review copy that I received (they had the text of the poem with “artwork to come” instead of art), but most were included so I thought I had seen enough to give a fair review. I liked that Peters used different styles for various poems, and there was a good mix of poems here. Some didn’t resonate with me, and some did, which is why I gave this book 3 stars. If this seems like your cup of tea, I would definitely give it a try.

"Poems to See By: A Comic Artist Interprets Great Poetry" takes 24 classic poems written by well-known authors and turns them into a powerful visual interpretation. I truly loved the illustrations, and they made me appreciate the meaning of each poem. It's not every day that we get the chance to experience something so unique and special. Julian Peters did a wonderful job bringing every poem to life. He gave each reader the opportunity to revisit classical works with themes that can be applied to our everyday lives. 

Without giving any spoilers, I would say that my favorite illustration was the one accompanying the poem by Emily Dickinson. I truly felt all the emotions, and my imagination was left wondering.

This is a fantastic book, and I recommend it to anyone who loves poetry or who wants to experience poetry from the point of view of a visual learner. 

#PoemstoSeeBy #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley, Plough Publishing House, and Julian Peters for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

"Poems to See By" by comic artist Julian Peters put new images to classic poetry. He tells a story of pictures put to words that have for decades captivated readers' imagination. His images and scenes revitalize some of the greatest works of poetry ever written and inspire readers in new ways.

Some of the poets featured in this new collection include: Maya Angelou, Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, Seamus Heaney, Thomas Hardy, William Wordsworth, e.e. cummings, Dylan Thomas, W.B. Yeats, and T.S. Eliot, among many others.

The illustrations with the words bring out new meaning that you might not have "seen" before or ideas that you didn't realize were there. I thoroughly enjoyed both the works chosen and the accompanying artwork. This was a great find!

I received this eBook free of charge from Plough Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I did not receive any fiscal compensation from either company for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

This book is a collection of classic poetry, beautifully illustrated for kids and adults alike to enjoy. Ports like Edgar Allan Poe, William Wordsworth, Emily Dickinson, and more are featured in this fun collection. I would use this book in a classroom to expose students to classic poems and to increase their interest in poetry.

In Poems To See By Julian Peters pays tribute to 24 classic works of poetry written by well known poets by presenting them with inspiring artwork to match each poem. I loved the way he used different styles of art for each poem. For me this was an amazing and very original way to experience poetry. Love this collection! I would like to thank Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of this book.
#PoemstoSeeBy #NetGalley

I think this was an amazing way to give tribute to the amazing poems before us. We can look at the poems in a visual away and it reminds us how good these classics are.

The idea is brilliant and I want more books like this one on the market! However; I have problems with some drawing styles since it was really hard to read the poems and because the failed to catch my attention. I like the proposal, however.

I saw this on NetGalley and remembered really loving the illustrated rendition of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock (TS Eliot) by Julian Peters. I like the array of illustrative styles in this book. Prufrock is still my favorite, as well as the pretty watercolors of, say, Thomas Hardy. I look forward to seeing the artwork for thr incomplete poems!

I haven’t reviewed a poetry anthology before but I’m glad this is my first one off the bat. A stunning visual portrayal of works of art by the infamous Emily Dickinson, e.e. cummings and Maya Angelou (to name a few), “Poems to See By” is a beautiful experience for those artistic souls out there.

The poetry, in itself, is a vast and uplifting collection. Covering various themes and topics such as identity, hope, life and death and supplemented by various art forms ranging from ink-based to comics and manga, Peters pays tribute to these poets’ creations as well as creating his own original work, adding a new layer of depth to the poems.

Although I don’t have the technical artistic terms down, the lack of knowledge in the field of art didn’t take away from the experience. I’ve always felt that poetry, literature and any form of art (visual or not) is a highly personal affair. To see this artist bring these poems to life through a mix of monochrome panels, dominant color schemes and splashes of his artist’s muse showing through is a delight. The varied nature of the styles for each poem also goes to show Peters’ talent as an illustrator.

In a world where the people’s experience is highly shaped by visual media and senses, it surprises me that the idea of combining artwork with written forms of literature hasn’t been done before. I’m glad that this was my first experience of that sort. Peters delivers nothing short of artistic mastery and a newfound depth for poems that have shaped the world.

An original and wonderful way to experience poetry and introduce new generations to the work of classic poets and renowned names in the field, I urge any and everyone to grab their own copy of the book and allow themselves to feel the magic it provides.