Poets in a Landscape

"This is a book for lovers of poetry and lovers of Italy. It is," wrote Gilbert Highet, "a land full of presences." Thus, the author introduced Poets in a Landscape, his classic work. First published in 1957 and long unavailable, this captivating and companionable study of the seven greatest poets of Ancient Rome--Catullus, Virgil, Horace, Ovid, Propertius, Tibullus, and Juvenal--transports the reader to the very roots of European poetry. Umbria, Verona, Abruzzi, Tivoli, Naples--these were settings that nurtured and inspired the great Latin poets. Highet sketches their lives and work in situ, accompanying deft biographical portraits with selected passages from each poet's work. As he guides us across Italy's enchanting landscapes and the rich remains of centuries past, he eloquently summons the poetic imagination of the ancient world.