My exposure to Heaney had been through classes. For one, we read Heaney's gorgeous translation of Beowulf. Hearing the poet read part of this epic (I think from YouTube) was an experience. Heaney here helped me to appreciate Beowulf in ways that I hadn't the first time that I read it when I was much younger.

Then, in a poetry class, we read Digging. This short poem yielded more and more each time that I read it. This led to my curiosity about the poet and his poems.

So...I was keen to read more by this talented man who wrote for many decades about matters both very small and very large. This collection is a tribute to this towering talent.

While I have not yet read all of the poems that are included in this volume, I am constantly inspired to dip in. Anyone who wants to experience the work of this wide ranging and brilliant poet will find so much to enjoy and admire here.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus & Giroux for this title. All opinions are my own.

If you've only ever encountered Heaney's work as a translator, or a few poems in isolation, this collection will be a feast. Bringing together the poet's work from the 1960s to the 2010s, this collection is the only one you'll need to develop an understanding of Heaney's use of language, keen eye, and ability to capture the mundane and beautiful and extraordinary all at the same time. Dip in and out, or read whole sections at a time--either way, Heaney's poems are revelatory and gripping.