Through this original and insightful anthology of mystical poems we gain glimpses of the spiritual path from poets both famous and forgotten. The range of themes is wide and varied. Some poems seek to understand the origin and nature of the universe; others hunger for a closer relationship to God, or express the rapture of experiencing such a relationship; some glimpse a higher order of reality behind daily existence; some yearn for spiritual transformation; still others are filled with wonder, at the discovery of a luminous presence, within the most humble of worldly objects. Whatever path your journey may take, Poetry for the Spirit will open your mind and touch your heart. Spanning 4,000 years of world literature, this expansive anthology gathers 600 poems by more than 250 poets. In addition to hundreds of masterworks in English, there are verses translated from Sanskrit, Egyptian, Hindi, Persian, Hebrew, Chinese, and Homeric Greek, including selections from the great epics and meditations, such as the Rig Veda , Bhagavad Gita , Upanishads , and Tao Te Ching . The writers represented here range from ancient and medieval greats (Homer, Lu Yun, Dante, Rumi, Judah Halevi) to the metaphysical poets, including Donne; from the mystics and religious poets (Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, Hopkins) to more secular visionaries (Blake, Shelley, Whitman, Dickinson, Yeats, Rilke, Stevens, and Ginsberg). The range of themes is equally wide, so whatever path your journey may take, Poetry for the Spirit will open your mind and touch your heart. New, unread hardcover book listed in like new condition due to staining on the top outer pages (see last picture) that do not affect inside pages. No moisture smell/basement smell!