Rapture

The effortless virtuosity, drama and humanity of Carol Ann Duffy's verse have made her our most admired contemporary poet. "Rapture", her seventh collection, is a book-length love-poem, and a moving act of personal testimony - but what sets these poems apart from other treatments of the subject is Duffy's refusal to simplify the contradictions of love, and read its transformations - infatuation, longing, passion, commitment, rancour, separation and grief - as either redemptive or destructive. "Rapture" is a map of real love, in all its churning complexity; simultaneously direct and subtle, with poems that will find deep resonance in the experience of most readers, it is a collection that can and does speak for us all. 'These poems are outstanding; intellectually and emotionally complete, popular as love poems perhaps should be and can be, they are also masterly examples of poetic form ... "Rapture" is brilliant, beautiful, and heart-aching' - Jeanette Winterson, "The Times". 'A passionate and beautiful new book-length love affair in verse ...Ruthless, sensuous, tender; utterly modern, utterly classical, it's fantastic to see one of our best and most popular poets going from strength to strength in subtle literary originality, while making poems that will sound sweetly to all' - Ruth Padel, "Independent". '"Rapture" is that rare thing - a poetry book that can (and should) be read from start to finish ...

As the latest Carol Ann Duffy collection it is magnificent; as an examination of modern love and how it shapes us as human beings, it is unparalleled' - Scotsman.