Generations of readers have delighted in the work of the great American
humorist Don Marquis, who was frequently compared to Mark Twain. These
free-verse poems, which first appeared in Marquis's New York newspaper
columns, revolve around the escapades of Archy, the philosophical
cockroach who was once a poet, and Mehitabel, a streetwise alley cat who
was once Cleopatra. Reincarnated as the lowest creatures on the social
scale, they prowl the rowdy streets of New York City in between the
world wars. The antics of these two immortal characters are now made
available for the first time in their original order of publication in
this unique, comprehensive collection, which features many poems never
before reprinted.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of
classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700
titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works
throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the
series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and
notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as
up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.