Spanning 4,000 years of world literature, this expansive anthology gathers 600 poems by more than 250 poets. In addition to hundreds of masterworks in English, there are verses translated from Sanskrit, Egyptian, Hindi, Persian, Hebrew, Chinese, and Homeric Greek, including selections from the great epics and meditations, such as the "Rig Veda," "Bhagavad Gita," "Upanishads," and "Tao Te Ching," The writers represented here range from ancient and medieval greats (Homer, Lu Yun, Dante, Rumi, Judah Halevi) to the metaphysical poets, including Donne; from the mystics and religious poets (Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, Hopkins) to more secular visionaries (Blake, Shelley, Whitman, Dickinson, Yeats, Rilke, Stevens, and Ginsberg). The range of themes is equally wide, so whatever path your journey may take, "Poetry for the Spirit" will open your mind and touch your heart.

This original and insightful anthology of more than 600 mystical poems offers insights into the trials and ecstasies of the mystical path. Drawing on the works of legends such as John Donne, W.B. Yeats, T.S. Elliot, and Dante and famous texts like the Bible, Bhagavad Gita, and Tao Te Ching, Poetry for the Spirit is filled with spiritual inspiration for students at every step on the path to enlightenment. Invoking deep resonances of the human experience, it provides comfort and sustenance.