Series: Poetry Comics #2
Published by Plough on March 24, 2026
Genres: Non-Fiction
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This stunning anthology of favorite poems about our relationship with the natural world, visually interpreted by acclaimed comic artist Julian Peters, breathes new life into some of the greatest poems of all time.
These are poems that can change the way we see the environment, and encountering them in graphic form promises to change the way we read the poems. In an age of increasingly visual communication, this format helps unlock the world of poetry and literature for a new generation of reluctant readers and visual learners.
Following the seasons of the year and of life, Nature Poems to See By will also help young readers see themselves differently. A valuable teaching aid appropriate for middle school, high school, and college use, the collection includes favorites from the canon already taught in countless English classes.
This sequel to the artist’s award-winning anthology Poems to See By includes adaptations of poems by Langston Hughes, William Shakespeare, Sylvia Plath, Emily Dickinson, Gerard Manley Hopkins, William Wordsworth, Mary Karr, Robert Frost, Edward Thomas, William Blake, Dylan Thomas, Robert Burns, Rhina P. Espaillat, Joy Harjo, Alfred L. Tennyson, Matsuo Basho, Gwendolyn Brooks, Stevie Smith, Li Po, Carl Sandburg, e. e. cummings, Elizabeth Bishop, and Philip Larkin.
This stunning hardcover graphic novel shares selected nature poems, alongside comic style illustrations of the text. Sometimes, the illustrations depict what a poem directly describes. Other times, they offer the artist’s interpretation of metaphorical concepts. Artist Julian Peters chose a variety of nature poems from different eras. The selections are primarily from Western authors, both men and women, along with some works by Chinese poets.
The poems vary in style and theme, and the illustration styles vary widely. Some are bright and colorful, others are monochrome and moody, and one reproduces photographs that appear to be from 1950s ads. The lines of each poem appear in hand-lettering throughout the comic panels, and at the end, a blank white page reproduces the original text in standard formatting. I enjoyed reading each poem both ways, and I encountered some familiar favorites and poems that were completely new to me.
Because Nature Poems to See By involves in eclectic range of poetry and art styles, people will find some parts appealing and others less so, but everyone should find something to enjoy. The illustrations make the poems more accessible for modern readers who struggle to understand poetry, and the comic panels also help readers slow down. Instead of quickly reading through and glazing over the words of a printed poem, readers will encounter each line with spaces and drawings in between. This slower pace will help people better absorb the content, in addition to them benefiting from interpretive visual aids.
Nature Poems to See By: A Comic Artist Interprets More Great Poetry is a unique coffee table book and conversation starter. This is a good entryway for people who feel intimidated by poetry, whether they are studying it in school or pursuing poetry on their own time. I recommend this for teens and adults, and am now interested in reading the author’s first poetry comics collection as well.