A Comprehensive Anthology of American Poetry

by Conrad Aiken (Editor)

Representative selections from the writings of major American poets from the seventeenth century to the present

Genres: Poetry, Fiction

490 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1929

About the author

Known American writer Conrad Potter Aiken won a Pulitzer Prize of 1930 for Selected Poems .

Most of work of this short story critic and novelist reflects his intense interest in psychoanalysis and the development of identity. As editor of Selected Poems of Emily Elizabeth Dickinson in 1924, he largely responsibly established her posthumous literary reputation. From the 1920s, Aiken divided his life between England and the United States and played a significant role in introducing American poets to the British audience.

He fathered gifted writers Joan Aiken and Jane Aiken Hodge.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conrad_...

Reviews

[Jim Manis · Rating 3 out of 5]

From Anne Bradstreet through the year 1944, American poetry was mostly an attempt to sound like Shakespeare or the King James Bible. Not bad examples to emulate, but one seeks a bit of freshness, especially coming from Americans. Outside of Poe, Dickinson, and Eliot not much happened before the end of World War II in American poetry, at least at the level thought worthy of academic study. I had hoped I might stumble upon a genius that history in its foolishness might have overlooked. She or he is not hiding here. Still it's good to have a background in America's most ignored fine art. We all use language. Most of us quite badly. Even bad poets try to find the music in it.

[Chris Gager · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think I've added one of these yet to represent whatever anthology(s) we read at Loomis(high school). Whitman... Dickinson... Frost... Sandburg... cummings... Eliot... Stevens... Song of the Chatttahoochee... E. A. Robinson... Robinson Jeffers... Longfellow... yadda yadda yadda!

[Juliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of poetry was published in 1929 and then updated in 1945 by Conrad Aiken. Aiken was won a Pulitzer (1930), A National Book Award (1954), and was the US Poet Laureate (1951-1952).

I've been thinking a lot lately about what makes a good anthology. This was an excellent selection of its day and time--you can find great poems by American poets from the 17th century through the 20th. A lot of poems about God, death, Greek myths, nature, etc. Pretty standard stuff. You will find Poe, Whitman, Dickinson, Frost, Sandburg, all the usual suspects.

A nice little Americana to have on your bookshelf if, like me, you come across a copy.

But, mostly, dead Anglo dudes. A few women. Jose Garcia Villa made it in. So buy it, read it, but then supplement it with a more modern anthologist who has rediscovered voices that didn't land in this collection.

I've been thinking a lot lately about what makes a great anthology--I was impressed with Connie Willis' collection of Christmas Stories for the Library of American. She did her research and uncovered a myriad of American voices.

[Martin Jee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought it at a used book sale and realized it was really, really old. This is currently about as comprehensive as the New Testament is new. Still, there are poems inside, as is to be expected from an anthology of poetry.