The first of two volumes of Chesterton's poetry, many of which have never been published before. Mackey, a Chesterton expert, has been collecting GKC's poems over a period of years and he has arranged them by subject. There are also alphabetical indexes by title and by the first line to aid the reader. pChesterton was the poet of the ordinary, denying that anything was or could be uninteresting; his verse celebrates lamp-posts and daisies and railway stations. Above all he gave unceasing thanks for "The Great Minimum", that gift of mere existence, to which any added joy is almost superfluous. As in his other writings, Chesterton's poems carried his rollicking yet devastating barbs launched at the cant and humbug of the planners, politicians and self-appointed reformers of his day. pThe first of two volumes of Chesterton's poetry, many of which have never been published before. Mackey, a Chesterton expert, has been collecting GKC's poems over a period of years and he has arranged them by subject. There are also alphabetical indexes by title and by the first line to aid the reader. Chesterton was the poet of the ordinary, denying that anything was or could be uninteresting; his verse celebrates lamp-posts and daisies and railway stations. Above all he gave unceasing thanks for "The Great Minimum", that gift of mere existence, to which any added joy is almost superfluous. As in his other writings, Chesterton's poems carried his rollicking yet devastating barbs launched at the cant and humbug of the planners, politicians and self-appointed reformers of his day.
Gilbert Keith Chesterton was one of the most influential English writers of the 20th century. His prolific and diverse output included journalism, philosophy, poetry, biography, Christian apologetics, fantasy and detective fiction.
Chesterton has been called the "prince of paradox". Time magazine, in a review of a biography of Chesterton, observed of his writing style: "Whenever possible Chesterton made his points with popular sayings, proverbs, allegories—first carefully turning them inside out.
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