Books

The poetry of The Atlantic has, from the magazine’s first issue in 1857, called attention to the unfinished project of the nation. The magazine’s verse has featured odes to American leaders and landscapes, laments for the dead, and calls for change, appealing to the enduring ideals of Atlantic readers. This one-of-a-kind collection selects poems of rousing optimism, clear-eyed realism, and moving lyricism—poems infused with the language of America’s songs, myths, and history, from the Civil War up through the present. Curated by the Atlantic’s Poetry Editor, this anthology features both world-famous poets—from Longfellow to Limón—as well as poets whose work has never before been published outside of the magazine, offering readers an essential understanding of American canon and the evolving nation its poets have yearned to capture.