Poetry Books

If you enjoy a collection of poems featuring Shakespeare, D.H. Lawrence, Robert Browning, Lord Byron, Emily Dickinson and Thomas Moore, then many of these poems may already be very familiar. There is comfort in reading familiar poems and yet I'm always eager to find new poems.

Patterns by Amy Lowell is a completely new poem to me and the descriptions of ribboned shoes, lime trees and daffodils invited me to read this poem more than once. What is truly stunning about this particular poem is the way in which Amy Lowell expresses her grief through the beauty of nature. She becomes the images as if she stepped into the painting and became the soul of nature.

I also enjoyed "Of My First Love" by Hugh MacDiarmid:

Silhouetted against grim black rocks
This foaming mountain torrent
With its source in desolate tarns
Is savage in the extreme
As its waters with one wild leap
Hurl over the dizzy brink
Of the perpendicular cliff-face
In that great den of nature
To be churned into spray
In the steaming depths below

After describing this waterfall, he then describes the water as a lover's waving hair in a tremendous cascade and then turns this into a description of great passion for his lover's golden hair rippling out between his fingers.

William Shakespeare makes his appearance in "Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?" I finally copied "Meeting at Night" by Robert Browning into my journal because I love the way the words sound like they are rowing through the gray sea to the warm sea-scented beach.

So while every Classic collections seems to present The Passionate Shepherd to His Love and Love's Philosophy, you will also find The River-Merchant's Wife: a Letter by Li T'ai Po and The Mirabeau Bridge by Guillaume Apollinaire.

One Hundred and One Classic Love Poems will comfort you with classics and surprise you with poems you may have yet to discover.

~The Rebecca Review

This is a charming and delightful collection of love poetry. Some of the best known poems you remember from English Class and some others you may never have read. No matter the reason, you will enjoy this book.

Also Recommended: Quotes, Poems, and Words That Flow by Kevin Grommersch (contains some of my favorite love poems).

From sonnets of undescribable beauty to free verse of pure ethereal spirit, 101 Classic Love Poems is a must for each aspiring Romeo. It is essential for those of us who would like to put into words the feelings of our soul.

Highly recommended for any true poet or poetry fan. The collection of poetry in this book is sure to please anyone. Not too feminine or masculine, there is something for everyone. It features well knonw classics, read in your high school English classes, and some lesser known ones. Inspires you, Seduces you and makes you feel all warm and tingly.

This anthology is alluring in every way. Each poem has a distinctive effect, especially when they are read aloud. This book is most enchanting when read from cover to cover. There are nuances in each poem that mingle with the romantic sensibilities. Even though the poems are aged and classic, the collection seems fresh and untouched. It is truly a remarkable anthology, and necessary for anyone with even the smallest amount of tenderness. Passionately reccomended.

Since I returned from my first trip to China, I have become fascinated with Chinese culture and history.

I don't know much about poetry except that I like what I like (what moves and inspires me).

Something tells me that these translations are as much Kenneth Rexroth as they are the Chinese masters, which is fine with me because it is obvious that Rexroth captures a variety of moods and feelings which are quite profound.

I think it does justice to the integrity of this body of literature.

Particularly moving to me are the translations of Mei Yaochen whose poems dealing with his dead wife reveal a passion and respect for wamnhood that bellies our general notion of woman's treatment and subserviant place in China; and the poems of Madame Chu Shu Chen who is also very passionate in her feeling as a woman in China.

Comparisons: translations by Greg Wincup; Xu Yuan Zhong; Tony Barnstone

This highly portable collection demonstrates the posture a translator must take when approaching the rich body of ancient Chinese poetry. Rexroth masterly retains the playfulness and humanity that allow these poems to endure through the centuries and yet he regards these rare artifacts with reverence.

These poems are a great introduction to several key poets, both male and female, from several Chinese dynasties.

ONE HUNDRED POEMS FROM THE CHINESE. By Kenneth Rexroth. 148 pp. New York : New Directions, 1965 and Reissued.

The present book is in two parts. First we are given Rexroth's readings of thirty-five poems by Tu Fu, based on the Chinese text. The second part consists of a selection of Sung Dynasty poetry, most of which had not been Englished prior to Rexroth.

Rexroth makes no great claims for these translations, some of which he admits are rather free. But he does express the hope that "in all cases they are true to the spirit of the originals, and valid English poems" (p.xi).

It has always seemed to me that Rexroth succeeded brilliantly. Here are a few lines chosen at random from Tu Fu's 'Loneliness' (with my obliques added to indicate line breaks) :

".... Where the dew sparkles in the grass, / The spider's web waits for its prey. / The processes of nature resemble the business of men. / I stand alone with ten thousand sorrows" (p.16).

Here are a few from Su Tung P'o :

".... As for literature, it is its own reward. / Fortunately fools pay little attention to it. / A chance for graft / Makes them blush with joy" (p.73).

These readings of Rexroth will delight all open-minded readers. Who cares if he wasn't a union-approved sinologist? Purists may sputter, but since his versions are 'true to the spirit, and valid as English poems,' could any sensible person reasonably ask for more ?

You *NEED* this book. Every library ought to have a heart. And this book is an excellent place to start.

Kenneth Rexroth is a poet first and a translator second; judged on that basis, his One Hundred Poems from the Chinese is a great success. His approach, set out in a brief introduction, is simply to produce the best English poem he can in the spirit of the original. The resulting translations are more or less free as he thought appropriate for each individual work.
The book is in two parts. Part one consists of Rexroth's versions of 35 poems by Du Fu, whom he describes as "the greatest non-epic, non dramatic poet who has survived in any language". He clearly knows these poems well, and his translations are uniformly good.
Part two offers around 70 works by Sung dynasty poets; some are represented by only one piece, some by more extensive selections. These tend to be more free, more personal, and often strikingly modern works. In Rexroth's words again: "The whole spirit of this time in China is very congenial today"- a statement as true today as when it was written in 1971. Many of these poets are still not well translated in English, so Rexroth's translations are invaluable.
At the back of the book is a brief, but adequate, notes section with information on each poet and explanatory material.
Rexroth's concentration on the lesser-known Sung poets is paralleled by his choice of poems in the Du Fu section. He does not confine himself to the best known pieces found in other collections, striking a good balance between the familiar and the new.
An interesting example of Rexroth's approach to translation is:

Another Spring
White birds over the grey river./Scarlet flowers on the green hills./I watch the Spring go by and wonder/If I shall ever return home.

Rexroth has changed the river's colour from blue in the original to grey: a good example of a liberty which would be objectionable from a translator, but which he can get away with. He also clarifies "blazing" in the original to "scarlet", which allows him to preserve the original's strictly parallel parts of speech in the first couplet.
This is a fine book. It was first published more than 30 years ago, but it has lasted because of the consistently high quality of translation and because of the unusual selection of poems offered. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

My five year old son loved Over the Ocean in a Coral Reef so much we kept checking it out of the library. I finally purchased the book and also purchased Over in the Jungle. Both books are beautifully written but especially beautifully illustrated. I especially like the information in the back of the books about the animals depicted in the story. We have read the stories over and over none of us ever tire of reading them, nor looking at the beautiful illustrations.

Having collected all of Marianne Berkes books this is by far the best! We thought nothing could top her "Ocean" book but...this does! The wording is something the children do readily respond too! Mental pictures take over and the children become very animated in the telling of the story and take on the differnet animal sounds and postures.
This book is a winner for all who take the time to introduce children to their world far removed from the everyday life. You can see their imaginations expanding as the story unfolds! The illustrations and colors by Jeanette Canyon draw the cildren to Marianne Berkes' books, like bees to honey.

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

Rhythm, rhyme, nature, and counting mean this book offers something in the content areas of language arts, music, science, and math. But there's more! Author Marianne Berkes made sure her young readers would also experience many movement possibilities. As a children's physical activity specialist (author: A Running Start: How Play, Physical Activity and Free Time Create a Successful Child), I couldn't be more pleased with this inclusion! And if all that isn't reason enough to buy this book, Jeanette Canyon's incredible illustrations will help children fall in love with art.

Having worked professionally with children for many years, I've been privy to countless children's books. For the youngest children, I find routinely that vibrancy of imagery coupled with simplicity of the educational message is the best received.

'Over in the Jungle' is the best of both worlds. Plus it introduces a topic that is and will have more traction for the next generations: world climate/environment.

I could see this becoming a regular staple in young children's reading collections.

This is an epic poem of some ten thousand lines composed by, arguably, Poland's greatest poet. It is a bucolic tale of country life with the background of the preparations for Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812. It's also a love story of sorts, with undertones of "Romeo and Juliet". There are star-crossed lovers, feuding families, comical characters, loyal retainers, and a mysterious begging friar. It's all quite well done, and even though I'm not particularly into sing-songy rhyming verse, the attraction of the story, and it's thinly-veiled air of Polish patriotism, kept me reading on to the end. If you enjoy little-known Polish literature (at least little-known in this country) you will enjoy this book.

In recent years many of the East European authors and artists have been rediscovered by the dominating Western sphere of writers, artist, and the litterature critics. This book is one of the jewels resurfaced in the circles of scholars and historians, but also among the everyday reader. The story is a description of the then social sphere of the society, where people are born within a class and are influenced by it, regardless of they likeing it or not. This is realism and romanticism at best, entangled in a passionate embrace. A delight to read.

This Polish masterpiece reads in English rendition as it was written in English in the first place ! I thoroughly enjoyed over again the story, even more so than in original Polish. Kenneth McKenzie has done a superb job to keep the rhytm, rime and the emotions so close to the original. This timeless piece is a must to everyone who enjoys a great reading adventure, where the highest human values are treasured. Our contemporary writers and poets can only dream to approach the greatness of Adam Mickiewicz. To bad that this book is so little known in the world.

It is a masterpiece , national poem of Poland.It portrays polish society in early XIX century , its turbulant existence and longing for freedom .His other works include " Konrad Wallenrod" and "Oda do mlodosci" but You can also check other polish writers , like Henryk Sienkiewicz , author of the famous "Quo Vadis " , Czeslaw Milosz or Wladyslaw Reymont , all three, Nobel prize laureates .You will never look at Poland the same way .Enjoy reading.............r.c.

Mickiewicz's 'Pan Tadeusz' is a very well written and engaging account of Lithuanian provincial life during the Napoleonic Era. Yet, it does fall short of the level of masterpiece, and 'Pan Tadeusz' doesn't possess quite the same timeless quality as Pushkin's 'Eugene Onegin' or Goethe's and Heine's epic poetry. Yet, I highly recommend it, and it is well worth the read, both for its glimpse into a long-lost time and place and also for Mickiewicz's elegant prosy.

My earlier review for this work somehow vanished...so, again I will say that it is simply one of the best collections I have traveled through. The author summons emotions for the consideration of the reader, beautiful sonnets filled with captivating visions that hold the reader within their grasp.
I can only say that it is a wonderful piece of literature...I lack the vocabulary to do it justice.

Petrified Heart isn't just another book dealing with the war in Vietnam. It's poetry with the gloves off. After reading the first five pages I was back in the jungle, a twenty-year-old corpsman.

Only a very gifted combat veteran could have written this book, but everyone who reads it will come away with a better understanding of what war really is--and what it does to ordinary people caught up in something extraordinary. This book belongs on the shelf of every high school library in this country. It ranks with the works of Catton and Kipling.

Five Stars isn't enough to express the powerful impact of this book. Charles Patterson has performed a tremendous service to all, particularly to all of America; war veterans in general, Vietnam Veterans in particular, the friends we lost, our families, and those who vilified us. In baring his heart and soul as he has, Mr. Patterson has managed to convey the breadth and depth of emotions--and lack thereof--that a warrior faces. I served two tours in Vietnam, during The Gulf War, in Haiti and again during Bosnia. I'm constantly asked why I continued to volunteer to go to war after being wounded in 1968 during my first tour in Vietnam. I could never adequately explain it. In the future, when asked I'll just hand over a copy of "The Petrified Heart: The Vietnam War Poetry of Charles E. Patterson." Someone has FINALLY told the world what Vietnam was really like for those of us who fought it. Thank you Mr. Paterson.

I felt like I had stumbled upon a pirate's chest of fine jewels and priceless treasures when I read THE PETRIFIED HEART. Each word, phrase and passage is delicate, beautiful, powerful and crafted into strings of enchanting art. I was both mystified and in awe of Patterson's command and use of the English language. Mark my word, this work will endure as fine literature, long after we are all gone.

Ernest Spencer author: WELCOME TO VIETNAM MACHO MAN, editor: The Khe Sanh Veterans Magazine, RED CLAY

As an English major who doesn't get along all that well with poetry, I like the poems in "The Petrified Heart." As a Vietnam vet and a retired marine, "The Petrified Heart" speaks directly to me. The poems probe subjects that every vet knows, from the dangerous knowledge that war imparts, to the special nomenclature of our war--words that mark us almost as a diffetent species, to the honor denied returning vets and the dark intensity of the Vietnam War Memorial. I heartily recommend "The Petrified Heart."

Having encountered Mr. Blehert's writings serveral times past in smaller scale situations, I was not sure what to expect from this extensive and even "Fat" compendium of his labors. So I looked inside....THEN I started laughing. Still laughing, I read more....and more..... and then I began to be REALLY impressed. Mr. Blehert has done ALL his homework, and even iinvented lots of extra-credit assignments. A Doctorate of Letters ultimately inevitable, once a few scholastics with a combination of humor and intelligence get to know this most Wonderfully and Creatively written thesis on "Everything you wanted to know about Poetry...... I hope that it becomes a standard text, a sort of very intelligent sweet and sour sauce to go with a survey of historical poetry, a masterful display of chameleon Style facility. Read it and laugh! Read it and be impressed! Buy it and Read it.

If you've been out of school for a while you might be a little rusty on all the literary references that populate this book. Chock full o' parodies, Dean Blehert has more than a way with words -- he has a way with other people's words.

An entire chapter of Please Lord is devoted to how famous poets -- living and dead -- would write "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink." These writers include Sylvia Plath, Lyn Lifshin, Wordsworth, Shelley, Keats and Blake.

Tongue-in-cheek, the book intersperses Blehert's own poetry with instructive "how-to" advice-poems on such topics as "how poetry is done" and "How To Be A Prestigious Mainstream Twentieth-Century Academic Poet." For example, in the chapter on the first subject, Blehert writes:

You can make any sentence poetical
by mentioning blood or bone.
For example, instead of "Yesterday
I went to the store," say "Yesterday
I went to the blood and bone store."
Instead of "The moon rose," say
"The blood moon rose" or "A bone
of moon rose" or, best, "A bone
of blood moon rose."

There is so much in this book, it will take many many readings to catch just half of its humor. Brush up on your "dead white male" poets if you want to get the rest of it.

Fireworks, Roman candles, fizzgigs...they're always going off in Dean Blehert's mind, all the time. When you pick up a copy of Please, Lord, Make Me a Famous Poet or At Least Less Fat, you get 402 pages of peerless wit and erudition. Blehert knows just about everything there is to know about poetry in the English language, and nearly all of his knowledge is displayed in this book, in his characteristic melange of parody, punning and reasoned discourse. Some people may dismiss Blehert as a show-off, or as merely clever. But most, I think, will respond to his expansive good humor, and to the book's undercurrent of serious, even moral, commentary on what poetry should be and do.

Picked up "Please, Lord..." and am reading fervently. I think I'm learning more about literature by laughing at it than I did in those vacuuous, slumber-inducing lectures in college. So I am appreciative of the fresh look at this thing called poetry which ranks up there with ice cream in my list of favorite things in the world.

Next time you want entertainment, forget the movies and TV. Get thee to a bookstore or Amazon. Skip past the so-called humor books, and go directly to the...gasp...poetry section. Don't be afraid. You may have a difficult time finding it, but once there, the name Dean Blehert will be prominently displayed on the bindings of several unique and hilarious books. Pick any one(s) you want, but be certain to include his latest in your trove. "Please, Lord,et.al." is not only a poet's primer, but very tasty brain candy for those who simply like to laugh. But please have a care: Blehert's books can be addicting, with no known antidote! Consider yourself warned!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book of poetry. Each line is written with such clairvoyance, you cannot help but feel as if you are a part of each experience she has faced. Those who have at one time or another felt they were all alone during their most challenging life experience... pick up this book and take the journey. You will be able to identify with many of the poems written and be inspired to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

"Poems from the Edge" gives the reader an outlet for raw heartfelt emotions. Carolyn was able to take her pain and give us the readers something to think about and relate to in our lives. The poems inspired me by the depth and fullness, a picture was drawn on paper of how life can be so devastating but yet also the hope of where life can take you if one stops and listens to their surroundings. I wish Carolyn Jones-Carter great success with "Poems from the Edge" and suggest everyone purchase copies to share with family & friends like I have.

A wonderful book of poems that beautifully shares this womans heart and soul with anyone willing to experience it. This book provided a view of things that has occurred in all of our lives in some form or function. If that is not clear enough, I loved this book of poems. I purchased additional copies to share with my friends and coworkers. This book is not just for the person that loves poems but for every person that loves truth.

This is one of the most powerful and deeply moving books I've read. It has the ability to take you through an entire spectrum of emotions. Each poem is written in such a way that you really feel and understand exactly what the author is experiencing. It is raw, compelling and wonderfully written.

Poems From The Edge displays a very honest view of one's personal feelings- from the good and the bad. The expressions, word-play, and metaphors used proves that the author is without a doubt a gifted writer and poet. I was able to feel and visualize Carolyn's poems. The poems actually pull you into the realm of what she was feeling when she wrote them. For those who can appreciate poetry in it's rawest,truest form I highly recommend Poems From The Edge.......

I am not a huge fan of poetry, having been forced to read it in school, but Smith is so down to earth and real that I enjoyed the entire book. The cover got my attention and I decided to try it. I was glad I did! The words are obviously from the heart and based on personal experiences. It really made me think about how far our society has come and how far we still have to go. But it's not just about race relations, it's how all people relate to each other. I highly recommend that you take the chance and give it a read. It will seem like candy for the brain but it's good for it too. I look forward to more of Smith's work.

To the Author of the book, who is a wonderful man with strong and kind words. When you read his Poetry, you can assume one point at the beginning, but at the end of the poem it holds all Truth of Today's Society. One who reads will gather strength in their Heart to understand what People have been through. "At the End of each poem The World becomes a Better Place" by Poetacizing your Mind...G.

The words and meaning evoked from each poem truly is expressed from the heart. It is so nice to see a poetry book that is not sentimental or trite but speaks of the truth, both universal and personal. Recommend this book to poetry enthusiasts and those readers who just want a blast of fresh, honest writing.

Enjoyed it! G.Smith's book speaks loud and clear about today's culture and everyday life. Funny, heart felt and REAL!!!

It's always a treat to be exposed to what Gordon's thinking about and I'm glad he's now laying it down in print. This book of poems is funny, poignant and sincere. He covers a lot of ground (Bush, Katrina, Mercedes-Benz, workplace discrimination) and covers it in his own unique style. A few of my favorites are "Music", "M/M", "Is Not Positive" and "Beautician Addiction". I look forward to the spoken word CD as the only thing better than reading Gordon is getting to hear him talk (and giggle).

I had the opportunity to meet John Fox, and I bought his two books then. I have since given them away and had to buy new copies. I found Poetic Medicine particularly useful when I taught high school English. The exercises helped my students deal with grief (that chapter is the best) and depression, and when I've used it, I have felt much better afterwards.

I think this should be a required book in every English teacher's personal library.

As a literature student, I stayed as far away from poetry as I could. It wasn't just that I preferred fiction Poetry made me feel "less than". I didn't get it, and all the terms were confusing.

Now, as an English teacher in a community college, I get a similar response from my own students, most of whom haven't read much poetry, find it difficult or overwhelming, and don't really see the point.

Even sadder, neither of us have believed we can write poetry. Instead, we have believed that poetry is something only a chosen few can do, something that requires mastering a certain form or stanzaic structure or tapping into the Muse at some deeper level of creativity than most of us are capable of.

It's too bad that only recently have we had John Fox's book Poetic Medicine to show us what poetry really is or can be, a means not only of discovery or creative expression, but also of deep emotional and spiritual healing.

As Rachel Naomi Remen points out in the Preface, "Poetry is simply speaking the truth...and one of the best kept secrets in this technologically oriented culture is that simply speaking the truth heals."

Fox helps us get at our truth and thus heal, via a range of exercises that explore such territory as personal relationships, loss, illness, our connection to the earth, love and pain between parent and child, and the use of traditional poetic tools to merge the spiritual and creative.

These exercises are hugged on either side by text which combines Fox's personal insights and experience, both as a poet and poetry therapist, with concrete examples from his own life and those of former workshop participants. Poems from friends and students, as well as pertinent quotes from other writers, complement and enrich Fox's words.

But these words are not just for those of us who already fancy ourselves poets or writers. One of the great characteristics of this and Fox's other book, Finding What You Didn't Lose, is that Fox, like Natalie Goldberg in Writing Down the Bones and Susan Woolridge in Poemcrazy, give us permission to use writing to discover our own selves.

As in his workshops, Fox's kindness, spiritual depth, and true belief that poetry can help us express the inexpressible come through loud and clear in his tone. He is someone who listens deeply, pays attention to his inner world, and by example, helps us do the same.

There are many exercises in the book to inspire your poetry and many inspirational quotes. I've read it twice and intend to read again, as each time I read it different exercises and examples appeal to me. There is an exercise where you write down all the words that appeal to you in poems, to remind you to use them in your own works.

I"m still working my way through this one, but I'm finding it overall to be helpful... It's a good read, as well, engagingly written and leads me to want to try...

John Fox's POETIC MEDICINE: The Healing Art of Poem-Making is a user friendly book. You will find yourself circling phrases, underlining sentences, writing in the margins, completing the expertly crafted exercises and drifting in thought and reflection over poetry that touches your soul. The format also includes a wonderful collection of side bars with poetry and quotes by a wide variety of poets, writers and philosophers.

John's choice of chapter titles are in themselves poetic: "The Fragile Bond" -- expressing poems of pain and love between parent and child, "Landscapes of Relationships -- reflecting on intimacy, marriage and longing, "When God Sighs" -- making poems about loss, illness and death.

As an instructor of a poetry course for seniors, I used many of the exercises in POETIC MEDICINE. Participants who often came hesitantly to the class, were delighted when they discovered they were able to express themselves in poetic form. We also worked with some of the tools and basic elements of poetry which are nicely presented in the book.

POETIC MEDICINE is a book one could choose to use individually too. Expressing personal sorrow and love, poem-making to heal societal wounds, or celebrating earth and nature are all avenues one can explore within its pages.

Rachel Naomi Remen, MD says in the Preface, "Poetry is simply speaking truth", and John's unique book helps us to find truth and to create poems from the heart. It is good medicine for, as Dr. Remen says, "simply speaking truth heals."

I cannot think of a better way to introduce the poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay than this small volume. The selection is excellent and of interest you the young reader. The commentary is quite relevant as are the pictures which accompany it which by the way are worth the price of the book alone. I find that often now, our young people go all the way through the early grades in school and many of them have never heard of Millay much less read her poetry. This was the sort of stuff my generation and the generation before it grew up on and cut our teeth on. I do not feel I am any worse for the wear. I am fearful that we are bringing up an entire generation (rightfully or wrong, although I feel it is the later) of young folks who will have no appreciation to this great art form and will miss a lot. This book helps. This entire series helps, as a matter of fact and I certainly recommend you add this one and the others to your library. Actually, it is rather fun reading these with the young folk and then talking about them. Not only do you get to enjoy the work your self and perhaps bring back some great memories, but you have the opportunity to interact with your child or student. It is actually rather surprising what some of the kids come up with. I read these to my grandchildren and to the kids in my classes at school. For the most part, when I really get to discussing the work with them, they enjoy it. Recommend this one highly.

The illustrations and the poetry create feelings and emotions which go beyond the pages. Mike Bryces illustrations pull you into the poetry with a style that is breath taking. The poetry will linger in your mind the illustrations in your heart. You will find yourself going to it time and time again.

This will be a reallly personal review.
I first discovered Edna in my senior high school humanities class. When I first read it I thought, "That's so real! That's me! I can relate to that!" She so eloquently put what I wanted to say but was not capable of in my late teens and early 20's into words.
Now that I am past the dating years and finally read a short bio on the author I realize that all I really liked about her writing was that she was a modern day "fast girl" (if you catch my drift). I really feel betrayed because I thought I was so literate and now I wonder what liking her poetry so much said about me.
So now I feel for the author beacause she chose to live in the fast lane and then dull the pain and escape into drugs and alcohol... which maybe was the better choice for her if infamous was on her list of things to become.
Though I do recommend her reading strongly in general because it's romantic and interesting and delightful, I don't think it's appropriate for "young people" with lines like "What lips my lips have kissed"... Unless ofcourse instilling Catholic schoolgirl guilt into your child is at the top of your priority list... or you want to give her poems to read to her boyfriend... or something... use your discretion...

I opened this book at weekly Storytime...my son likes to play with the trains while my daughters listen to the story.. I thought, "I'll just look at this for a moment" and I was transfixed for the entirety of storytime.

Yes, as the other reviewers have stated the illustrations are amazing, the poetry.... mind opening. Another facet of this book is the brief and compelling biography of Edna St. Vincent Millay.

I knew very little about her... now that I know the little that I know from this book, I am hungry for more of her work as well as more of her life.

Excellent book -- I am going to look into other titles in this series as well (The Poetry for Young People ) to see if the others are as above average as this one.

Each illustration could be the focus of additional conversation: I see myself reading these poems repeatedly with my children. They are simple, elegant and timeless.

Picked up this up recently while browsing my local bookstore and was taken aback by the beautiful artwork found in this collection of Edna St. Vincent Millay's poems. I bought it on the spot! Not only are poem's heart-wrenchingly personal and affecting, the watercolor's are a feast for the eyes. I've shown this book to many of my peers who share my enthusiasm and have consequently picked it up as well. Strongly recommended!