What is Poetry? is a brilliant, soulful, and life-affirming collection of aphorisms in free verse by one of our most important contemporary poets, Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Also an acclaimed activist, anarchist philosopher, and editor, he is one of the founders of City Lights, the legendary bookstore and publishing house.

In this hardcover limited edition, Ferlinghetti (who began writing the aphorisms in 1950) shares brief observations that capture the nature of poetic expression: Poetry is the Unknown Guest in the house; Poetry is the eye of the heart, the heart of the mind.

Featuring stunning full-colour artwork by acclaimed visual artist and filmmaker Frederic Amat, it's a unique and timeless collector's edition that all lovers of poetry will want to have on their shelves.

Lawrence Ferlinghetti is an acclaimed poet, activist, anarchist philosopher, and editor. He is one of the founders of City Lights, the legendary bookstore and publishing house in San Francisco, which published the early works of Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and many other poets from the Beat generation. Ferlinghetti has authored more than thirty books, including his most acclaimed work of poetry, A Coney Island of the Mind, which has sold more than 1 million copies and has been translated into nine languages. He lives in San Francisco, California.

Lawrence Ferlinghetti's profile page

Frederic Amat is a visual artist, painter, filmmaker, and writer who has illustrated a number of books, including a rare edition of A Thousand and One Nights for the Gutenberg Galaxy. His films include Viaje a la luna and El aullido. He lives in Barcelona, Spain, with his wife and son.

Frederic Amat's profile page