NEWARK, Ohio, Nov. 19, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- One of the more famous poems of William Blake starts with the beautiful line, "To see the world in a grain of sand, and heaven in a wild flower..." A simple thing such as a flower can then be a source of an inspiring vision -- to those who see it with the eye of an artist or the heart of a poet. James Lukens draws from such an appreciation of the simple joys in life and all of creation and turns them into the transcendent poetry in Calliope.
After Heart Thoughts, Windowpanes, and Eulogies, this is Lukens' fourth anthology of devotional verse. The choice of the title Calliope -- who was the Greek muse of epic poetry -- is particularly apt since the name shares its etymology with melodious words such as calligraphy and kaleidoscope. They all spring from the Greek word meaning "beautiful" and the poems in Calliope are sublimely beautiful indeed.
Lukens, surrounded by the natural beauty of his native Ohio, has been called by a governor of Ohio as "The Buckeye Poet", after the nickname of the state. After reading his poetry, it is easy to see why he has earned the right to the title.
About the Author
Poet James P. Lukens admires the works of William Blake, Emily Dickinson and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. His poem "Mainelanders" has been added to The Maine Historical Society's collection of Longfellow memorabilia in Portland, Me. He currently resides in Ohio.
Calliope * by James P. Lukens
Publication Date: September 25, 2007
Trade Paperback; $8.50; 59 pages; 978-1-4257-4970-5
Cloth Hardback; $18.00; 59 pages; 978-1-4257-4973-6
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