Those special occasions in life all need to be marked with words bigger and better than those we could compose ourselves. This beautiful collection includes some of the best readings and poems to help you mark anything from a birth to a death, an engagement to a retirement, a wedding to a memorial service. Poems and readings from the best British and American writers and poets are arranged into the chapters: New Life, Childhood, Love, Unions, Getting Older, Solitude and Loss. The works of poets Longfellow, Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson rub shoulders with those of William Blake, Wordsworth and W.H. Auden. The readings come from writers ranging from Churchill to Shakespeare. Mixed in are Apache prayers and Irish blessings to make this a rich reference for anyone looking for the right word at the right moment. It is lavishly illustrated with nostalgic images, making this a wonderful gift.