The weather has recently evoked the image of an oversized leather chair, a crackling fireplace, a rich mug of hot chocolate and a book. While the best I can do is a broken desk chair, some yule log YouTube videos and a mug of Swiss Miss, at least I still have the book. And, if this time of year is reminiscent of Robert Frost or William Carlos Williams to you, then maybe a trip to Grolier Poetry Book Shop is in order.
Founded in 1927, the Grolier Poetry Book Shop is the oldest continuously operated bookstore that focuses exclusively on books of poetry and poetry criticism. The shop sits in Harvard Square adjacent to the Harvard Book Store (not to be confused with the Harvard COOP). The white signage outside reminds you of its age as the creaking door welcomes you inwards.
Grolier Poetry Book Shop is not a large store, with a central table that forces customers to inch around it as their eyes wander the towering shelves. Hung high on the walls are the watchful eyes of portraits gazing down on patrons. The packed shelves are arranged by the poet’s country of origin with a lovely selection of American poets. Their collection ranges from poets of Ancient Greece to poets of today. The shelves feature famous names taken from high-school English class reading lists and names that are only familiar to those deeply entrenched in the poetry scene. Right at the door, there is a section dedicated to poets of various cultural and racial backgrounds, alongside a collection of chapbooks — each with an alluring, artistic cover.
As an English major, I feel an obligation to appreciate poetry. I admittedly hold a love for Emily Dickinson, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and, on occasion, Walt Whitman — although only when not forced to read “Song of Myself.” To some, this may seem like more than a mere appreciation, but to the workers of Grolier, it would seem completely rudimentary. My browsing experience was punctuated by their conversation comparing stanza sizes, talking about who was younger when they read their first poetry book and discussing whose taste in poets was more obscure. Their interactions could be interpreted as pretentiousness or maybe passion, if you are feeling forgiving. It seemed their competition was an employee-only affair, but it still made the atmosphere less welcoming if you were not up to their caliber in niche poetry. Nevertheless, it was not too difficult to drown out their conversation once I started flipping through a collection of Edgar Allan Poe’s works.
Grolier Poetry Book Shop is a must-visit if you are a poet, a lover of the genre or on a bookstore crawl like me. It is historical and unique, which the store embodies with its classic white-washed walls and lofty, overstuffed shelves. The poetry selection cannot be beat by any store that offers both verse and prose.
If poetry is not your cup of tea or if you accidentally plan your visit when Grolier is closed, then I do heartily recommend the Harvard Book Store (once again, not to be confused with the Harvard COOP). There is a vast selection of both new and used books to be browsed and discovered.
I did not make a purchase at Grolier Poetry Book Shop, but I did stare at “The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson” for a significant amount of time.
