Elaine James is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey. She studies the ancient literature of the Bible with particular attention to its aesthetic and ecological dimensions.

This is the finest introduction to biblical poetry I know, a deeply thought and felt investigation of the aesthetics and intellectual work of the biblical poets. It is personal, precise, and imaginative, a pleasure to read, and an invitation to read with pleasure.

• Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1: Voices Emotion Ascription and Authorship Multiplicity and Dialogue Prophetic Voicing Gender Psalm 55: A Reading Chapter 2: Lines Parallelism Enjambment Psalm 19: A Reading Chapter 3: Forms Terms Hymns Laments Love Poems Parody Acrostic Psalm 119: A Reading Chapter 4: Figures Metaphor and Simile Personification and Anthropomorphism Metaphors for the Deity Symbols Psalm 65: A Reading Chapter 5: Contexts Three Worlds of the Text Worlds Behind the Text Allusion Prophetic Poetry's Refusals The Poetry of Exile Psalm 137: A Reading Conclusion Index

Elaine James is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey. She studies the ancient literature of the Bible with particular attention to its aesthetic and ecological dimensions.

This is the finest introduction to biblical poetry I know, a deeply thought and felt investigation of the aesthetics and intellectual work of the biblical poets. It is personal, precise, and imaginative, a pleasure to read, and an invitation to read with pleasure.

• Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1: Voices Emotion Ascription and Authorship Multiplicity and Dialogue Prophetic Voicing Gender Psalm 55: A Reading Chapter 2: Lines Parallelism Enjambment Psalm 19: A Reading Chapter 3: Forms Terms Hymns Laments Love Poems Parody Acrostic Psalm 119: A Reading Chapter 4: Figures Metaphor and Simile Personification and Anthropomorphism Metaphors for the Deity Symbols Psalm 65: A Reading Chapter 5: Contexts Three Worlds of the Text Worlds Behind the Text Allusion Prophetic Poetry's Refusals The Poetry of Exile Psalm 137: A Reading Conclusion Index

Elaine James is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey. She studies the ancient literature of the Bible with particular attention to its aesthetic and ecological dimensions.

This is the finest introduction to biblical poetry I know, a deeply thought and felt investigation of the aesthetics and intellectual work of the biblical poets. It is personal, precise, and imaginative, a pleasure to read, and an invitation to read with pleasure.

• Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1: Voices Emotion Ascription and Authorship Multiplicity and Dialogue Prophetic Voicing Gender Psalm 55: A Reading Chapter 2: Lines Parallelism Enjambment Psalm 19: A Reading Chapter 3: Forms Terms Hymns Laments Love Poems Parody Acrostic Psalm 119: A Reading Chapter 4: Figures Metaphor and Simile Personification and Anthropomorphism Metaphors for the Deity Symbols Psalm 65: A Reading Chapter 5: Contexts Three Worlds of the Text Worlds Behind the Text Allusion Prophetic Poetry's Refusals The Poetry of Exile Psalm 137: A Reading Conclusion Index