The Nation's Favourite Poems of Desire

Yearning, anticipation, excitement, passion fulfilled...'The Nation's Favourite Poems of Desire' brings together 100 poems exploring the nature of love and longing. Poets throughout history have sought to express the nature of desire in all its forms - from innocent imaginings and the romance of youth, through indecision and persuasion, to satisfaction and all too frequent regret. John Donne entices a lover in 'To His Mistress Going to Bed', and Carol Anne Duffy voices the most profound longings in 'Warming Her Pearls'. Ted Hughes' Lovesong' descibes the savage intensity that can arise from passion satisfied. Desire also extends to simpler pleasures, such as Elizabeth Garrett's celebration of 'Moules a la Mariniere' or John Clare's ode to 'Sabbath Bells'.