Poetry is a fascinating use of language. With almost a million words at its command it is not surprising that these Isles have produced some of the most beautiful, moving and descriptive verse through the centuries. In this series we look at each calendar month through the eyes and minds of our most gifted poets to bring you a guide to the days within each. Poetry can sometimes be elusive, the real meaning layered beneath another. In this volume American poets give voice to their nation, their hopes, and their aspirations. Walt Whitman, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Emily Dickinson are joined by Edgar Allan Poe, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Laurence Dunbar, and others to pleasure our ears and minds with a rambling stroll through their works. It doesn't define America, but it captures her mood and the flavours of her soul in the early days of the American dream.

Many of the poems are also available as an audiobook from our sister company Portable Poetry. The full volume can be purchased from iTunes, Amazon and other digital stores. Among the readers are Lorelei King and William Hootkins