Charles Simic has been widely celebrated for his brilliant poetic imagery; his social, political, and moral alertness; his uncanny ability to make the ordinary extraordinary; and not least, the sardonic humor all his own. Gathering much of his material from the seemingly mundane minutiae of contemporary American culture, Simic matches meditations on spiritual concerns and the weight of history with a nimble wit, shifting effortlessly to moments of clear vision and intense poetic revelation.

Chosen as one of the New York Library's 25 Books to Remember for 2003, The Voice at 3:00 A. M. was also nominated for a National Book Award. The recipient of many prizes, Simic most recently received Canada's Griffin Prize. The poems in this collection--spanning two decades of his work--present a rich and varied survey of a remarkable lyrical journey.

In the Street

We met and parted

Like two stopped watches

One golden morning of time.

This selected volume showcases the prizewinning work of a modern master, where the everyday reveals its startling, secret life.

• Sardonic Humor: Simic’s signature wit finds the absurdity in everything from soap operas to conversations with the devil, delivered with a wry, knowing smirk.
• Surreal Imagery: Experience a world where the ordinary becomes extraordinary, where blind beggars see the truth and stopped watches mark a golden morning of time.
• Philosophical Poetry: These poems grapple with the big questions—time, memory, God, and nothingness—not in a lecture hall, but in a dusty store window.
• The Weight of History: From the wars of the 20th century to the quiet dread of the present, these verses explore how history lives on in the smallest details of contemporary American life.