Sword Blades and Poppy Seed

Sword Blades and Poppy Seed (1914) is a poetry collection by Amy Lowell. Published at the beginning of her career as an influential imagist devoted to classical poetic themes and forms, Sword Blades and Poppy Seed is an agile and promising work from a pioneering poet of the early twentieth century. The title poem of Lowells collection is an imaginative voyage into the mind of a poet struggling with writers block, who scans the city for the slightest tinge of gold to no avail: From time to time I wrote a word / Which lines and circles overscored. / My table seemed a graveyard, full / Of coffins waiting burial. Disgusted with her inability to write anything meaningful, she takes the streets, encountering a strange old manpart poppy dealer, part devilwho offers success in exchange for the poets soul. Personal and public, keenly engaged with traditionthe Faustian legend, in particularwhile maintaining her own private voice, Lowells poems are an essential contribution to one of humanitys oldest art forms. Sword Blades and Poppy Seed is a vibrant collection from an emerging poet who would come to define the imagist movement throughout her storied career. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition Amy Lowells Sword Blades and Poppy Seed is a classic work of American poetry reimagined for modern readers.