An insightful and haunting new collection from Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Charles Simic

Irreverent and sly, observant and keenly imagined, Come Closer and Listen is the latest work from one of our most beloved poets. With his trademark sense of humor, open-hearted empathy, and perceptive vision, Charles Simic roots his poetry in the ordinary world while still taking in the wide sweep of the human experience.

From poems pithy, wry, and cutting—“Time—that murderer/that no has caught yet”—to his layered reflections on everything from love to grief to the wonders of nature, from the story of St. Sebastian to that of a couple weeding side by side, Simic’s work continues to reveal to us an unmistakable voice in modern poetry. An innovator in form and a chronicler of both our interior lives and the people we are in the world, Simic remains one of our most important and lasting voices on the page.

This essential collection captures the full range of his award-winning voice:

Wry Humor and Dark Wit: Simic finds the absurdity in the everyday, from soap bubbles to late-night laundromats, with a cutting and unforgettable sense of humor.
Observational Poetry: Discover keenly imagined verses that transform ordinary scenes—a couple weeding, a tugboat on the sea, birds at dusk—into moments of startling clarity.
Accessible Yet Profound: Written in a clear, unmistakable voice, these poems welcome all readers while exploring the deep questions of our interior lives.
Lyrical Reflections on Life: A masterful look at the sweep of human experience, meditating on everything from love and grief to the nature of time itself.