Caroline Kennedy's anthology takes its title from a poem by Lord Byron, but her selection of poems about women travels far beyond enthroned Roma... read full description
reviews
Dec 06, 2011
Sidna
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What a delightful book! I'm not into poetry and would never have chosen to read this book if my book discussion group had not selected it. I almost always buy our book club selections, but I didn't want to spend $25 for this one so I got it a few days ago from the public library. I thought I would read Caroline's comments and read a few of the poems, but I read the entire book in almost one sitting.
For people of a certain age, Caroline seems like one of our children. I was in high sc More...
For people of a certain age, Caroline seems like one of our children. I was in high sc More...
Sep 27, 2011
Aeron
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This was a well put together anthology of poetry, chronicling the phases in a woman's life. Each grouping of poems (Falling in Love, Making Love, Marriage, Breaking Up, Love Itself, Work, Beauty, Motherhood, Growing Old, etc.) has an introduction that is basically a short essay by Caroline Kennedy. Certainly, you can pick up on some of her favorite poets who make repeat appearances through the sections, including Elizabeth Bishop and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, although not all the poets are wom
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Apr 16, 2011
Abby Lyn
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This collection of poems celebrating womanhood has surprised me, since I am not particularly enamoured of either the Kennedys or of the artform of poetry in general. This is a lovely balance of Biblical, classic and modern poems, of lines that are familiar ("I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you") and those that were not but struck me all the same ("Are those your children? Yes."). It has poems after my own heart, from an ode to the sexy
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Oct 31, 2011
Kathleen
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I would have given this book one and a half stars, but just before the end, I found "Love" by Roy Croft included in the poems. My husband and I had Croft's poem read at our wedding, along with "The Love Chapter in Corinthians" which is also in this book. Croft's "Love" is the single best description of the way two people in love should feel about each other. Every time I read "Love" I am reminded of that old adage about marriage, "Be friends first.
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Jul 28, 2011
Heather
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This a valuable collection, thoughtfully arranged. It contains such a variety of authors, something is sure to be found to please everyone. I liked the poems more often than not, although there are a few I was indifferent to. There was enough well-written, substantive poetry that I read it cover to cover, instead of flipping through and picking at random, as I usually do with poetry books. This reading method is also encouraged by Kennedy's organization, which gently guides us through the poems
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May 24, 2011
Judy
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I first heard about this book when I watched Caroline Kennedy mix it up, poetry-wise, with Stephen Colbert on The Colbert Report. Intrigued, I was glad to see the book appear on the new book shelves at my local library. Checked it out and loved it. Caroline Kennedy edited this book and wrote the introductions for each of the sections of poems. Included in this volume are poems about the various phases of women's lives--Falling in Love, Breaking Up, Marriage, Work, Motherhood, Friendship, Gro
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Aug 11, 2011
Mary
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What a treat to read poetry again!! A nicely curated (um, edited?) collection - I really enjoyed that the poems are arranged thematically and they were from multiple time-periods. A nice book to flip through ocassionally for a little reflective me-time.
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Apr 17, 2011
Ashley
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I really enjoyed this collection of poems put together by Caroline Kennedy. I liked how Kennedy separated the poems into the different parts of a woman's life, from "Falling in Love" to "Beauty, Clothes, and Things of this World". My favorite poems from the collection are: "From June to December" by Summer Villanelle, "Variation on the World Sleep" by Margaret Atwood, "I carry your heart with me (i carry it in" by E.E. Cummings, "To My Dear
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Oct 06, 2011
Deb
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I can only read a couple of poems at a time because they give me so much to think about and to cry over. Example:
Courage by Ann Sexton, last verse
Later,
when you face old age and its natural conclusion
your courage will still be shown in the little ways,
each spring will be a sword you'll sharpen,
those you love will live in a fever of love,
and you'll bargain with the calendar
and at the last moment
when death opens the back door
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Courage by Ann Sexton, last verse
Later,
when you face old age and its natural conclusion
your courage will still be shown in the little ways,
each spring will be a sword you'll sharpen,
those you love will live in a fever of love,
and you'll bargain with the calendar
and at the last moment
when death opens the back door
More...
Jun 27, 2011
Nick
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A delightful, personally chosen collection by Caroline Kennedy. In many ways this seems a return to an earlier age to me - the 1940's - 70's perhaps, when learned scholars with a popular touch selected poetry to share with others less familiar with the writing. Yet Kennedy's book touches on the present too by selecting with a wry as well as a deft eye; who else would place a poem by Dorothy Parker in a chapter entitled "Falling in Love" or a poem by Emily Dickinson in the chapter "
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Jul 27, 2011
Barbara
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I have always been intrigued with Jacqueline Kennedy, the wife of President Jack Kennedy and mother of Caroline Kennedy (author of this book). In this book Kennedy draws on poetry's eloquent wisdom to ponder the many joys and challenges of being a woman. The chapters are about love, falling in love, growing old, friendships, family, work, etc.
Reading these poems brought me to a reflective and contemplative place to simply take in the beauty of these poems, the thoughts, the laughter an More...
Reading these poems brought me to a reflective and contemplative place to simply take in the beauty of these poems, the thoughts, the laughter an More...
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May 13, 2011
Stephanie
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I have been trying to read poetry for a while. This book was the one that I had been waiting for. Split up into ten sections of subjects. From falling in love, to friendship, marriage, children, aging and death. Making the journey easier to understand that many have traveled down the road before me. Knowing that there will be bumps along the way. My favorite piece of writing in this book is:
Don't Try to Rush Things
from Poem 41
Antonio Machado
Don't try to rush t More...
Don't Try to Rush Things
from Poem 41
Antonio Machado
Don't try to rush t More...
Aug 12, 2011
Michelle
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Caroline Kennedy edited this book and wrote the introductions for each of the sections of poems. Included in this volume are poems about the various phases of women's lives--Falling in Love, Breaking Up, Marriage, Work, Motherhood, Friendship, Growing Up and Growing Old- among others. Kennedy's introductions were insightful. I enjoyed reading the lessons and insights she shared about herself. There are some wonderful poems in this collection that made me reflect on my own life; present, past a
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Oct 15, 2011
Carla
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What a beautiful book! From the front cover to the color and fonts and even the inside shadow pictures of flowers-every detail is so meticulous. It is an absolutel delight to the senses from sight to sound. This book of poems was hand selected by Caroline Kennedy. While she didn't write any of the poems, seeing the ones that she selected as her favorites gives me an insight into a person I have always looked up to.
The poems are divided up into the different eras of a woman's life a More...
The poems are divided up into the different eras of a woman's life a More...
Jul 13, 2011
Lisa
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This is a wonderful book for those who enjoy poetry, especially women. This is the answer to "What do you want for your birthday/anniversary/Mother's Day?" or just to read next, although I recommend owning a copy so you can savor the book over time. (Thanks, Caiti!) Caroline Kennedy has compiled a variety of thought-provoking, excellent poems that evoke the stages and feelings of life. Each section (e.g., Falling in Love; Breaking Up; Beauty, Clothes, and Things of This World; Friendsh
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Aug 10, 2011
Jessica
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I found this book to be quite enchanting. I especially liked the editing of the book; how the poems were broken up into sections of life... marriage, work, growing up, etc. It made it easy to open the book and find some encouraging words. There were some beauties in here for sure... classical, Biblical, modern... I liked having them all in one volume. I was very pleased to see "I am my beloved" from Song of Songs and St. Paul's thoughts on love from First Corinthians. Lots of my mushy
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Nov 11, 2011
Sarah
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Throughout the poems she has chosen, Caroline Kennedy offers snippets and vignettes of her own life and how it has been affected by poetry. This is what gives her books a personal touch. It may be worth browsing before purchasing, however. If you own or have read her previous collections of poetry, you will find them to be very similar to this one in terms of the poems she selects as there are repeat appearances and many of the poems she selects are typical canonized works.
Oct 01, 2011
Joy
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It's nice to read a collection of poetry every now and then. This was a varied collection relating to many phases of a woman's life. Caroline Kennedy wrote intros to each section, including some family info as well as why the poems were chosen. Several poems were new to me as well as some old favorites. My favorites were the poems on old age (wonder why??). Kennedy said, "Middle age is a time to aearrange our lives and enjoy the chance to reflect rather than react."
Sep 09, 2011
Tanya Marie
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Fantastic compilation of poems for every stage of a woman's walk through life. Caroline Kennedy's introduction to each section is beautifully written and I felt she could have even written more but what she did share was eloquent and touching. This would be a perfect gift for a dear girlfriend, sister, mother, new bride, grandparent - such a treasure!
Loved reading poems I had never heard of before as well as a few that are favorites from long ago.
Loved reading poems I had never heard of before as well as a few that are favorites from long ago.
Dec 15, 2011
Penny
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Been a long while since I've read any amount of poetry, and I enjoyed this change of pace in my reading. Especially liked the introductions to each section. As might be expected, some of the poems really resonated with me, others were kind of out there - lines like "penguin dust, bring me penguin dust, I want penguin dust" are just way beyond my ken, even in the context of the whole poem. Still interesting to read though!
Jun 29, 2011
Melanie
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This is a beautiful collection of poems which detail a woman's journey through the stages of life. What I appreciated most about this collection was it was a perfect balance of classic and modern poetry. It perfectly summed up a woman's journey in love, marriage, motherhood, growing old, accepting herself, work, and friendship. It captured the stuggles and joys, heartbreaks and triumphs a woman experiences throughout her lifetime.
Aug 14, 2011
Morphidae
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This is rated pretty high for me since it's poetry which is not my normal genre. I got a few keepers - one that brought me to tears (Love by Roy Croft) - but overall I have to say that poetry just isn't my thing. I did try.
Quote:
Grown Up by Edna St. Vincent Millay
Was it for this I uttered prayers,
And sobbed and cursed and kicked the stairs,
That now, domestic as a plate,
I should retire at half-past eight
Quote:
Grown Up by Edna St. Vincent Millay
Was it for this I uttered prayers,
And sobbed and cursed and kicked the stairs,
That now, domestic as a plate,
I should retire at half-past eight
Aug 14, 2011
Lucy
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This 316 page book of poetry all collected by Caroline Kennedy is divided into sections. These signify those periods in a woman's life when she falls in love, marriage, work, friendships, beauty, clothes, etc. The poetry is largely by well known poets with a particular poem focusing on women. I did not find much new in the way of poetry in this book but a lot of reading of some old favorites.
Aug 02, 2011
Today I received a book that I had won on a Goodreads giveaway. The publishing company sent a copy of "She Walks In Beauty" along with the book that I won. As I was only expecting the book that I won, it was a big surprise to find this one also in the box. It sounds wonderful and I'm very excited to have received it. So here is a big THANK YOU to the publishing company for the extra surprise.
Jun 26, 2011
Bdalton
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It is rare where you find a book that would make the perfect gift for so many people. This book would make a great mother's day gift or graduation gift or significant birthday gift. The selected poems include classics or less familar poems.
It's been a long time since I have read poetry so I found this book to be a special treat. It reminded me of my 6th grade summer during which I read poetry and copied out by hand my favorite poems to create my own book of favorites. Each of the More...
It's been a long time since I have read poetry so I found this book to be a special treat. It reminded me of my 6th grade summer during which I read poetry and copied out by hand my favorite poems to create my own book of favorites. Each of the More...
Aug 24, 2011
Robin
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A beautiful book to read and reread again. Each time you read it and come back to it you find another hidden treasure within the same poem and discover a new favorite. It is amazing how it covers a woman's life and all aspects of her life. On the night I received it I carried it around the house with me like a precious gem because it held some many true feelings of my soul. From e.e. cummings' "i carry your heart with me (i carryit it is so beautiful to someone I didn't know such as Roy C
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Aug 25, 2011
Andrea
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A beautiful collections of poems with introductions and some very elegant writing by Caroline Kennedy. There were a few poems that really touched some of my heart strings. I still struggle with reading some poetry and hearing Kennedy's eloquent translation of the meaning was so great. This is a beautiful gift to give to a woman who loves poetry. It would be come a beautiful keepsake!
Jul 08, 2011
Kipahni
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A good selection of poems with a nice little intro from the author on why she decided on each poem.
I would have given it a higher rating except that I am not really into reading poetry unless it is blatently simple and straight forward. Something a step above dr. seuss Cat and the Hat but a step below "Elegy in a Spider's Web"
What to say when the spider
Say when the spider what
When the spider the spider what
The spider does what
Does does di More...
I would have given it a higher rating except that I am not really into reading poetry unless it is blatently simple and straight forward. Something a step above dr. seuss Cat and the Hat but a step below "Elegy in a Spider's Web"
What to say when the spider
Say when the spider what
When the spider the spider what
The spider does what
Does does di More...
May 14, 2011
Carol
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Poems about love and life. Not many familiar to me in the newer poets. Probably because I don't read much poetry. I do like 'Madam and Her Madam' by Langston Hughes.
Sections of the book:
Falling in Love, Making Love (some rather steamy), Breaking Up, Marriage, Work, Beauty, Clothing, Things of the World, Silence and Solitude, Growing Up and Growing Old, Friendship, How to Live.
Sections of the book:
Falling in Love, Making Love (some rather steamy), Breaking Up, Marriage, Work, Beauty, Clothing, Things of the World, Silence and Solitude, Growing Up and Growing Old, Friendship, How to Live.
Dec 13, 2011
Sherry (sethurner)
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This is a perfectly nice anthology of poems selected by Caroline Kennedy. Poems are arranged by theme: Falling in Love, Making Love, Breaking Up, Marriage, Work, Beauty, Clothes and Things of the World, Silence and Solitude, Growing Up and Growing Old Death and Grief, Friendship and How to Live. I hopped skipped and jumped around, reading more or less as I pleased, and enjoyed all the choices I sampled.
