From Library Journal Kipling was once the literary lion of the English-speaking world; within a generation his fame, as a poet at least, was all but extinguished. In a tendentious foreword to this edition of his complete verse, Kaye makes an unconvincing attempt to answer the usual charges of imperialism, racism, and war-mongering. Her attempt to rekindle enthusiasm for Kipling's verse will doubtless prove even less successful. While the poet's political attitudes played a substantial role in the eclipse of his literary reputation, no amount of coaxing is likely to convince a modern reader that these rollicking tales and ballads in verse are the creation of a writer touched with the "divine fire" of genius. One must be impressed, however, with Kipling's masterful storytelling ability, his gift for cadence, and the sheer number of verse forms he mastered. The poems are printed in chronological order, with an index of first lines. General readers and informed laypersons may still find these poems appealing.- Jeffrey R. Luttrell, Princeton Univ., N.J.Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. Product Description Rudyard Kipling was the barrack-room balladeer and the unrivalled poet laureate of the common man. He was born in Bombay in 1865, and after schooling in England he returned to India and started his writing career. He settled in Sussex after the Boer War and concentrated on verse and short stories. In her foreword to this edition of Kipling's verse, M.M. Kaye, author of "The Far Pavilions", introduces readers to Kipling's India and looks at the influences in his life that were responsible for his becoming the literary lion of the Empire. Review More than 100 low or no carb recipes proven to achieve weight loss, with mix and match dishes for infinite variety and guidelines for adapting recipes to suit individual tastes. From the Publisher When Rudyard Kipling died in 1936, he was considered second to none as a poet. Years before, when Tennyson was Laureate, he had described the young Kipling as the “only one with divine fire.” His poetry is as varied as it is beautiful; among eulogies for the dead and celebrations of life are also character assassinations and comic masterpieces. Very often, the most powerful and evocative poems are the most personal and humane; together, they comprise a compelling and deeply moving portrait of the man.