New Selected Poems

New Selected Poems presents works from across Les Murray's career as one of Australia's most significant poets. The collection spans multiple decades of Murray's published poetry, curated to showcase the evolution of his voice and subjects. The poems traverse rural Australian life, from farming communities to indigenous connections to the land. Murray draws on his upbringing in New South Wales and his deep knowledge of Australian landscapes, creatures, and cultural dynamics. The pieces move between personal history, national identity, and universal human experiences through Murray's distinctive style and rhythms. His examinations of class, culture, and the relationship between humans and nature reveal both the particular character of Australian life and broader truths about existence and belonging.

Readers describe Murray's poetry as accessible while maintaining complexity. Many reviewers note his skill at capturing Australian rural life and landscapes through precise imagery and memorable metaphors. Multiple readers highlight "The Quality of Sprawl" and "The Dream of Wearing Shorts Forever" as standout poems that resonate with their experiences. Common praise focuses on: - Murray's ability to blend colloquial speech with formal poetics - Representation of working-class Australian perspectives - Strong sense of place and cultural identity - Use of humor alongside serious themes Main criticisms: - Some poems feel dense or require multiple readings - Cultural references can be challenging for non-Australian readers - Occasional political statements feel dated Ratings: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (127 ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (16 reviews) "Murray writes about the bush without romanticizing it," notes one Goodreads reviewer. Another reader describes the collection as "poetry that speaks plainly but carries deep meaning."

Collected Poems by Seamus Heaney Poems rooted in rural landscapes and cultural heritage explore connections between land, memory, and human experience.

North Point North by John Koethe The poems merge philosophical contemplation with personal observation through a distinct narrative style that examines daily life and memory.

Staying Alive: Real Poems for Unreal Times by Neil Astley This collection presents contemporary poets who write with Murray's accessibility about nature, relationships, and the human condition.

Walking to Martha's Vineyard by Franz Wright The poems examine faith, nature, and personal struggle through direct language and rural imagery.

Sun Under Wood by Robert Hass These poems combine natural observation with personal history while exploring themes of ecology and human relationships to place.

🌿 Les Murray was known as Australia's "Bush Bard" and lived most of his life in Bunyah, New South Wales, drawing deep inspiration from rural Australian life and landscapes 📚 New Selected Poems spans 40 years of Murray's work, including pieces from 12 previous collections, offering a comprehensive overview of his poetic evolution 🎭 Murray wrote from the perspective of various unexpected voices, including a calf being born and shopping mall security cameras, demonstrating his unique ability to inhabit different viewpoints 🏆 The collection showcases works that helped Murray win numerous prestigious awards, including the T.S. Eliot Prize and the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry 🔍 Many poems in the collection reflect Murray's experience with depression and his recovery after nearly dying from a liver abscess in 1996, a period that deeply influenced his later work