I am a latecomer to the poetry of J.D. McClatchy. And I regret that. I saw the indication of his death in Poetry magazine, by a poem by McClatchy, published in its pages at an earlier date, printed on the inside of the front cover, Poetry’s method of providing an elegiac honor to the deceased poet. I had just ordered and received this collection of McClatchy’s new and selected poems. As I read his poetry in this book, here and there, as one does when getting to know a writer’s work, and especially that of a poet, I found myself drawn in by this man’s graceful writing that draws shamelessly upon the poetic heritage of rhyme and of stanzaic structure, emboldening the use of elegant rhythm patterns and image creations. And this collection provides a great way of moving right into McClatchy’s work. Of course, Amazon made it easy by connecting me with a bookseller that was timely and careful, sending me this lovely collection even faster than I’d hoped for. So thank you all the way around.
Buy new:
Buy new:
Save with Used - Like New
Save with Used - Like New
$8.13$8.13
FREE delivery July 17 - 22
Ships from: ThriftBooks-Baltimore
Sold by: ThriftBooks-Baltimore

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Plundered Hearts: New and Selected Poems Hardcover – March 25, 2014
by
J. D. McClatchy
(Author)
Sorry, there was a problem loading this page. Try again.
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$39.59","priceAmount":39.59,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"39","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"59","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"%2FA4Fq6%2BcRS5TejJNp2s%2FvITc3RQbXY1WKi%2FthyxjkFCu7kT7GlqCHgNB6gu3agOzGzqFgQR2pAnRHj9cQ4VbIoLmnh05tuiL6Jdp730naSEszgt4Ttvwl2UHldXVERsa3EYS%2FqLsBGhAlCGUnO05RIBrWekHQTUX8Ez5Dj%2F1RxaIbg0tkQXnEaJRU9w6cLN%2B","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$8.13","priceAmount":8.13,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"8","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"13","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"%2FA4Fq6%2BcRS5TejJNp2s%2FvITc3RQbXY1Wdi%2BudrU8bTgdbo8CRpzxSci43zXv03u0HZtyfioF7SKhontR15T7cNuyTFW%2BAQTQjKepS%2FO0lQvhU0Wbzlj9SBj0JFScdV7I6UKr%2F%2FARMmJj3Npf0I7oHqDqQ%2BTWj91d%2FonnPA48X5wHFaurb8KyWrthOugtfZAb","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}
Purchase options and add-ons
At last, a definitive selection of the elegant work by a poet at the forefront of American poetry for more than three decades.
With his first several books, J. D. McClatchy established himself as a poet of urbanity, intellect, and prismatic emotion, in the tradition of James Merrill, W. H. Auden, and Elizabeth Bishop––one who balances an exploration of the underworld of desire with a mastery of poetic form, and whose artistry reveals the riches and ruins of our “plundered hearts.” Now, opening with exquisite new poems––including the stunning “My Hand Collection,” a catalogue of art objects that steals up on the complexity of human touch, and a witty and profound poem entitled “My Robotic Prostatectomy”––this selection is a glorious full tour of McClatchy’s career. It includes excerpts from the powerful book-length sequence Ten Commandments (1998) and his more recent works Hazmat (2002) and Mercury Dressing (2009)—books that explored the body’s melodrama, as well as the heart’s treacheries, grievances, and boundless capacities. All of his poems present a sumptuous weave of impassioned thought and clear-sighted feeling. He has been rightly hailed as a poet of “ferocious alertness,” one who elicits (says The New Leader) “the kind of wonder and joy we experience when the curtain comes down on a dazzling performance.”
With his first several books, J. D. McClatchy established himself as a poet of urbanity, intellect, and prismatic emotion, in the tradition of James Merrill, W. H. Auden, and Elizabeth Bishop––one who balances an exploration of the underworld of desire with a mastery of poetic form, and whose artistry reveals the riches and ruins of our “plundered hearts.” Now, opening with exquisite new poems––including the stunning “My Hand Collection,” a catalogue of art objects that steals up on the complexity of human touch, and a witty and profound poem entitled “My Robotic Prostatectomy”––this selection is a glorious full tour of McClatchy’s career. It includes excerpts from the powerful book-length sequence Ten Commandments (1998) and his more recent works Hazmat (2002) and Mercury Dressing (2009)—books that explored the body’s melodrama, as well as the heart’s treacheries, grievances, and boundless capacities. All of his poems present a sumptuous weave of impassioned thought and clear-sighted feeling. He has been rightly hailed as a poet of “ferocious alertness,” one who elicits (says The New Leader) “the kind of wonder and joy we experience when the curtain comes down on a dazzling performance.”
- Print length288 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherKnopf
- Publication dateMarch 25, 2014
- Dimensions6.3 x 1.1 x 9.2 inches
- ISBN-100385351518
- ISBN-13978-0385351515
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Frequently purchased items with fast delivery
Page 1 of 1 Start over
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
J. D. McClatchy is the author of seven previous collections of poetry and of three collections of prose. He has edited numerous other books, including The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Poetry, and has written a number of opera libretti that have been performed at the Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden, La Scala, and elsewhere. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, where he served as president from 2009 to 2012. McClatchy teaches at Yale University and is editor of The Yale Review.
Product details
- Publisher : Knopf
- Publication date : March 25, 2014
- Edition : First Edition
- Language : English
- Print length : 288 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0385351518
- ISBN-13 : 978-0385351515
- Item Weight : 1.2 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.3 x 1.1 x 9.2 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #3,922,162 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,672 in American Fiction Anthologies
- #6,358 in Love Poems
- #12,433 in American Poetry (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
Customer reviews
4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
9 global ratings
How customer reviews and ratings work
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonTop reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2018Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
- Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2014Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseMcClatchy's new book is an absolute delight, one to savor and read and re-read. This volume includes highlights from previous works as well as new poems, stunning and clever translations, and poems inspired by music and musical forms. The selection of poems charts the course of a strong and rare poetic spirit, one that unabashedly explores preoccupations of the soul, meditates on the nature of friends and lovers, and turns finally to resignation and elegiac reflection. Among the new poems: "Wolf's Trees" is beautiful. Rapture and grief, longing and loneliness grow into a sanctuary of waiting trees, not so empty any more but satisfyingly unfilled like the "emptiness visible on leaves that come and go." "My Hand Collection" is powerful yet tender, exploring the human hand as a living documentary while holding on to the hardest of all letting gos (letting go of loved ones). The depth and beauty evoked by these poems can be found in the last lines from "Ovid's Farewell": "It comes to pass, the last change / As the first, from a stream of star-shot / Wonderment that falls down to our home on earth."
- Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2022Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseI’m sorry . I did not mean to cancel this order but rather the kindle of Isis novel, since I recently bought Isis two weeks ago and now again
mistakenly. I still want the Plundered Hearts poems. I am very sorry. Daniel Collins
- Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2016Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseWide range of referenc, poems ranging from personal to historical.