The Complete Plain Words" is the essential guide for anyone who needs to express themselves clearly fluently & accurately in writing. Whether you are working on paper or on a computer this invaluable reference work will lead you through the intricacies problems & pleasures of the English language with wit common sense & authority. It deals with the dangers of jargon cliche & superfluous words. It covers strategies for choosing the right word in any situation. It lays out the ground rules of grammar & punctuation & shows how to avoid the pitfalls. It discusses the influence of science & technology & other cultures. It gives suggestions for drafting letters. It provides a list of words to use with care. Sir Ernest Gowers (1880-1966) advised numerous commissions & committees on a wide variety of subjects from work conditions to the preservation of historic houses. Sidney Greenbaum (1929-1996) was Quain Professor of English Language & Literature at the University of London a Director of the Survey of English Usage & the author of many books on grammar & linguistics including "A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language" (1985). Janet Whitcut has worked on a number of prestigious dictionaries including the " Longman Dictionary of the English Language" (1984) & is now a freelance writer with a special interest in language & lexicography." ...

As a diplomat in Renaissance Europe & a luminary at the court of Henry VII Sir Thomas Wyatt wrote in an incestuous world where everyone was uneasily subject to the royal whims & rages. Wyatt had himself survived two imprisonments in the Tower as well as a love affair with Anne Boleyn & his poetry
- that of an extraordinarily sophisticated passionate & vulnerable man
- reflects these experiences making disguised reference to current political events. Above all though Wyatt is known for his love poetry which often dramatizes incidents & remembered conversations with his beloved with an ear acutely sensitive to patterns of rhythm & colloquial speech. Conveying the actuality of betrayal or absence & the intense pressure of his longing for a love that could be trusted these are some of the most haunting poems in the English language.

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One of the great English Romantic poets William Blake (1757-1827) was an artist poet mystic & visionary. His work ranges from the deceptively simple & lyrical Songs of Innocence" & their counterpoint " Experience"
- which juxtapose poems such as " The Lamb & The Tyger" & " The Blossom & The Sick Rose"
- to highly elaborate apocalyptic works such as " The Four Zoas" " Milton" & " Jerusalem". Throughout his life Blake drew on a rich heritage of philosophy religion & myth to create a poetic worlds illuminated by his spiritual & revolutionary beliefs that have fascinated intrigued & enchanted readers for generations."

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The complete Cavafy poems
- including the unfinished works
- in a stunning new translation published in the UK on the

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What the imagination seizes as Beauty must be truth So wrote the Romantic poet John Keats (1795-1821) in 1817. This collection contains all of his poetry: the early work which is often undervalued even today the poems on which his reputation rests including the Odes & the two versions of the uncompleted epic Hyperion & work which only came to light after his death including his attempts at drama & comic verse. It all demonstrates the extent to which he tested his own dictum throughout his short creative life. That life spanned one of the most remarkable periods in English history in the aftermath of the French Revolution & this collection with its detailed introductions & notes aims to place the poems very much in their context. The collection is ample proof that Keats deservedly achieved his wish to be among the English Poets after my death ...

Yet each man kills the thing he loves By each let this be heard Some do it with a bitter look Some with a flattering word The coward does it with a kiss The brave man with a sword! A powerful poem of universal guilt & a protest against capital punishment The Ballad of Reading Gaol is Wildes best-known poem yet it is quite unlike the rest of his poetry. At Oxford Wilde discarded the passion & politics of his mothers Irish nationalistic anti-famine poetry & opted to follow an English Romantic tradition paying tribute to Keats Swinburne & the Pre-Raphaelites. Admiration of French masters gradually led to his writing Impressionist even decadent poems & his collection Poems (1881) brought accusations of obscenity & plagiarism as well as scathing reviews. Unabashed Wilde revised & reprinted his final Authors Edition in 1892 by which time he was the successful author of fiction criticism & Lady Windermeres Fan. This volume follows as closely as possible the chronological order of composition highlighting autobiographical elements including the young Wildes conflicting attitudes to Greece & Rome pagan & Christian & his fluctuating attraction to Roman Catholicism. The Appendix shows Wildes original ordering constructed with great care around a musical arrangement of themes. The poems reveal unexpected aspects of a literary chameleon usually identified with sparkling wit & social comedy. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford Worlds Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxfords commitment to scholarship providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features including expert introductions by leading authorities helpful notes to clarify the text up-to-date bibliographies for further study & much more. ...

Pompeii is the best known & probably the most important archaeological site in the world. This book now available in paperback is the most up-to-date authoritative & comprehensive account for the general reader of its rise splendour & fall. The drama of Pompeii's end has been handed down by Roman writers its paintings & mosaics have astonished visitors since their discovery & its houses & public buildings still present a vivid picture of life disaster & death in a Roman town. ...

This definitive guide takes you through all the processes from clay to kiln: from designing your own pieces to making decorating & firing them. The book is clearly laid out & packed with factual information that creative ceramists will want to have to hand including descriptions of the very latest materials & instructions on how to use them effectively in your work. Step-by-step instructions for traditional methods & new products such as paper-clay & print-on-clay are combined with examples of work by some of the worlds top ceramicists & details of how they achieve their results. ...

Everything you need to know about cycling for fitness & leisure & training for sport & competition. The perfect introduction to a hugely popular & stimulating activity packed with training tips & advice on safety essential equipment maintenance & motivation ...

This accessible book explains clearly how to assess your current level of fitness & how & why you should set goals that will help you get the most from your workouts. The main part of the book focuses on how to improve the strength & efficiency of your heart & lungs through all the most popular exercises sports & pastimes. Then learn how to strengthen your body & develop the core muscle groups with the best & most effective resistance training exercises. The book goes on to show you how to maintain flexibility & avoid injury as well as how best to fuel your body through the right nutrition. Lastly the book brings together all this valuable information into personal training plans. ...