The introspective poetry of John Ciardi (1916–1986) is a consideration of one’s place in life and nature. Published in 1955, the volume As If: Poems New and Selected contained 73 poems. Ciardi selects 25 of them for this recording, beginning with the five-part “To Judith,” written for his wife. He follows with “Elegy Just in Case” (for himself) and elegies for others lost at war, “Three Views of a Mother,” and “Flowering Quince.” The text of the poems is in the liner notes.

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