Dazzling in its range, exhilarating in its immediacy and grace, this collection gathers together, from every region of the country and from the pas...
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Dec 16, 2009
Holly
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While this collection does cover a wide swath of poets it seems to have been edited by someone who was going through a bitter divorce. All the poems about relationships are bitter or, at best, bittersweet. No complaints about those selections either, but sometimes I turn to poetry to find words for my happiness and couldn't find them here. Best for a bleaker mood, I guess.
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Jun 26, 2009
Juanita
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So far I am appalled by this anthology and its selectivity: 161 men/ 22 women.(Maybe 23? Initials, even names, sometimes mislead.) 6 African-American authors of this 187 poets. Not Langston Hughes. Not June Jordan, not Lucille Clifton. Not Maya Angelou. And not Marge Piercy. Not Ted Kooser. Not Lyn Hejinian. One Asian-American. Not Jane Kenyon.
No Hispanic-Americans. And 27% of the women have 5 or fewer pages, while only 2% of the men are so slighted.
An excerpt from the " More...
No Hispanic-Americans. And 27% of the women have 5 or fewer pages, while only 2% of the men are so slighted.
An excerpt from the " More...
Jan 12, 2008
M. M. Sana
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This is an awesome book to keep in your library and read a little bit at a time, if you don't read poetry but write it. If you read and write poetry GET THE BOOK!!! It presents different styles of contemporary poetry and you could really learn a lot from it. Also, it has an introduction on each poet before their style is presented. It was a required text and I read parts of it Spring 07 in a creative writing class, then Fall 07 it was required in my poetry class and I read most of it... Afte
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Nov 27, 2008
Jen
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I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! By far the best collection of contemporary poetry today. I read it over and over again. Aslo, a great intro to great poetry.
Dec 12, 2009
Takipsilim
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Some of the most honest and practical verse one would come across, with all of the strengths and weaknesses that such a style brings.
Nov 28, 2008
Jenna
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My absolute favorite anthology of American poetry. Everytime I open this book I find something beautiful and new.
Nov 05, 2011
Irmak
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a great collection to remind you why Anglo-American literature is superior!
Apr 07, 2008
Will
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We used this book in my first poetry class and despite my expanding collection of these authors' collected works, I still enjoy leafing through them here. I think this was my first introduction to a number of amazing poets: Elizabeth Bishop, John Berryman, Richard Wilbur, Denise Levertov, James Dickey, Frank O'Hara, James Merrill, A.R. Ammons, James Wright, Adrienne Rich, Mary Oliver, Louise Gluck...
I reckon I wouldn't know nothin' if'n I ain't a read this pack 'o pomes.
I reckon I wouldn't know nothin' if'n I ain't a read this pack 'o pomes.
Oct 15, 2009
Molly
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This book changed my view of poetry and answered the age old question, "what makes a poem a poem?." Many of my new favorite pieces are from this book.
Nov 02, 2007
Aeisele
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This is a pretty good collection, edited by J.D. McClatchy. There's a ton of good anthologies, but this one has a good smattering of the best American poets after the modern era (the "Pound Era," as it were). It starts with Lowell and Bishop, and goes through Jarrell, Berryman, Warren, Nemerov, Rich, up to a bunch of people I've never heard of. Good collection.
Nov 06, 2009
Brian
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I didn't think I could get back into poetry after I graduated with a BA in English. I was wrong. This stuff is essential. Thank the Good Lord for poets and hip-hop artists for their artistry with the language.
Nov 01, 2011
Tricia
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As an anthology, it's not the strongest I've ever read (or own). But it's got some good favorites in it, worth hanging on to and not sending to half price books!
Mar 10, 2009
Michaela
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Again, I'm no expert on anthology-esque books, but I did love the poems I read in this one. And, the font/typeface was very lovely, as a random remark.
Oct 01, 2011
Izlinda
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Because the book store ordered the wrong book most of us, myself included, got photocopies from our teacher's copy. In a way, that ruined my pleasure of using this book, even though we did save money in the end since we didn't read many poems to make it worth buying.
I found it an alright anthology.
I found it an alright anthology.
Mar 15, 2008
I don't know crap about poetry. Really, it's all blah blah blah to me at this point. But I think I'd like to get to know it better, so if you have any recommendations of some book or poet I might dig, let me know.
Jun 09, 2009
This is an ongoing project, since I generally find reading from anthologies to be deeply dissatisfying, strangely unlike the satisfaction I receive from owning them...
Jun 04, 2009
Currently re-reading selections from John Ashbery on... remembering how much I love Philip Levine, and how disturbing Anne Sexton can be.
Aug 06, 2008
Lauren
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Elizabeth Bishop, Theodore Roethke, James Wright, Sylvia Plath...plenty of my favorites all in one collection.
Feb 12, 2008
BillyBlog
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An editor who rejected my poetry (Jack Grapes, ONTHEBUS) recommended I read this. I did. My poetry got better.
Jun 25, 2008
Adam
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Excellent to use when teaching an Intro Workshop. Excellent survey of big-shots and priced right.
Feb 11, 2012
