The LOC.GOV Wise Guide : 'Smell and Envy'

One doesn't normally think of smell and envy as being interrelated, but poet Douglas Goetsch does. "Smell and Envy," by Goetsch, is one of the poems selected by former Poet Laureate Billy Collins for the Poetry 180 Web site.

Woman putting "Parisian Rose" perfume on lace handkerchief

Jaques' the Rival of Farina's--Eau de Cologne--Sold Here

Says Collins: "Poetry can and should be an important part of our daily lives. Poems can inspire and make us think about what it means to be a member of the human race. By just spending a few minutes reading a poem each day, new worlds can be revealed."

The Poetry 180 Web site was designed so that students could have a poem to read for every day of the school year. However, the works that Collins has selected will appeal to readers of all ages.

If you are interested in the science of olfaction, "The Science of Smell" is for you. The Science, Technology and Business Division has assembled an extensive bibliography; links to selected journals, such as the Perfumer & Flavorist; and links to organizations for which smell spells big business - the cosmetics industry. There is even a blog -- Now Smell This -- devoted to the perfume industry that can be accessed from this page.

A. [Woman putting "Parisian Rose" perfume on lace handkerchief], ca. 1898. Prints and Photographs Division. Reproduction information: Reproduction No.: LC-USZ62-58872 (b&w film copy neg.); Call No.: SSF - Advertising [item] [P&P]

B. "Jaques' the Rival of Farina's--Eau de Cologne--Sold Here," ca. 1877. Prints and Photographs Division. Reproduction information: Reproduction No.: LC-USZ62-89998 (b&w film copy neg.); Call No.: Unprocessed in PAGA 7, no. 197 [item] [P&P]