• This is a short book of interest to general readers. • Recognising the crucial part played by poetry in sustaining a sense of national community in Wales from the seventh century onwards, this study proceeds to view the history of Wales through the lens of twelve poems that, between them, span almost fifteen hundred years. • It offers a new way of viewing the Welsh past, showing how some aspects of it are best accessed through the words of its renowned poets.

Down the centuries, poets have provided Wales with a window onto its own distinctive world. This book gives the general reader a sense of the view to be seen through that special window in twelve illustrated poems, each bringing very different periods and aspects of the Welsh past into focus. Together, the poems give the flavour of a poetic tradition, both ancient and modern, that is internationally renowned for its distinction, demonstrating how Wales boast one of the oldest and yet continuing vibrant poetic traditions, the former in the Welsh language and the latter in English and bilingually.