The Art of Losing: Twelve Poems on Grief and Consolation

A timeless collection of poetry that captures the weight of grief and the hope of healing.

Grief is a deeply personal experience, but poetry has long offered a way to give it form. In the third installation of the acclaimed Twelve Poems series, The Art of Losing brings together a series of handpicked poems that explore loss in its many forms—whether personal, communal, or even linguistic. From the heartbreak of losing a loved one to the collective sorrow of a community tragedy, these poems give voice to the depth of human sorrow while also offering a path toward meaning and solace.

M. Wynn Thomas explores how poets give shape to grief, capturing its unbridled emotion before leading us toward reflection. Spanning works from the medieval era to the present, this collection reveals how poetry helps us make sense of loss; not by lessening its weight, but by reminding us that we do not carry it alone.