'Staying Alive' is an international anthology of 500 life-affirming poems fired by belief in the human and the spiritual at a time when much in the world feels unreal, inhuman and hollow. These are poems of great personal force connecting our aspirations with our humanity, helping us stay alive to the world and stay true to ourselves. Many people turn to poetry only at unreal times, whether for consolation in loss or affirmation in love, or when facing other extremes and anxieties. 'Staying Alive' includes many of the great modern love poems and elegies, but it also shows the power of poetry in celebrating the ordinary miracle, taking you on a journey around many of the different aspects of everyday life explored in poems. A strong poem is not just for crisis. Such a poem is there for all times, helping us face or embrace daily change and disruption. It will also speak to us when nothing seems to be happening, when the poem's importance is in helping us stay alive to the world and stay true to ourselves. 'Staying Alive' has reached a wider readership than any other anthology of contemporary poetry. It is a landmark in the history of literary publishing. A sequel, 'Being Alive' (2004), and a companion anthology, 'Being Human' (2011), complete this poetry "trilogy".
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'Staying Alive'is a magnificent anthology. I can't think of any other anthology that has introduced me to so many vivid and memorable poems. -- Philip Pullman, Children's writer
A book for people who know they love poetry, and for people who think they don't. -- Helen Dunmore, novelist and poet
A wonderful book - a powerful weapon of happiness -- Sir Richard Eyre, TV and theatre director
An incredible anthology... for inspiration, solace and perspective .. but mostly just for pure pleasure. -- Shirley Manson, musician (Garbage)
Everyone who cares about poetry should own this book. -- Andrew Motion, Poet Laureate
These poems, just words, distil the human heart as nothing else. -- Jane Campion, film director
This unique collection of 20th century poetry from all over the world cannot fail to enrich your life. -- Denis Healey, politician
Truly startling and powerful poems -- Mia Farrow, actor
When you choose your book for Desert Island Discs this should be it. -- Helena Kennedy, QC, human rights lawyer
[Staying Alive] is a relvelation. Buy it. Leave it around the house. Give it to friends. It could keep them alive. -- Sunday Times, June 23 2002
A book for people who know they love poetry, and for people who think they don't. -- Helen Dunmore, novelist and poet
A wonderful book - a powerful weapon of happiness -- Sir Richard Eyre, TV and theatre director
An incredible anthology... for inspiration, solace and perspective .. but mostly just for pure pleasure. -- Shirley Manson, musician (Garbage)
Everyone who cares about poetry should own this book. -- Andrew Motion, Poet Laureate
These poems, just words, distil the human heart as nothing else. -- Jane Campion, film director
This unique collection of 20th century poetry from all over the world cannot fail to enrich your life. -- Denis Healey, politician
Truly startling and powerful poems -- Mia Farrow, actor
When you choose your book for Desert Island Discs this should be it. -- Helena Kennedy, QC, human rights lawyer
[Staying Alive] is a relvelation. Buy it. Leave it around the house. Give it to friends. It could keep them alive. -- Sunday Times, June 23 2002
About the Author
Neil Astley is editor of Bloodaxe Books, which he founded in 1978. His books include two poetry collections and several anthologies, including 'Staying Alive: real poems from unreal times' (2002), 'Pleased to See Me: 69 very sexy poems' (2002), 'Do Not Go Gentle: poems for funerals' (2003), 'Being Alive: the sequel to Staying Alive' (2004), 'Passionfood: 100 Love Poems' (2005), 'Soul Food: nourishing poems for starved minds' [with Pamela Robertson-Pearce] (2007), 'Earth Shattering: ecopoems' (2007) and the DVD-book 'In Person: 30 Poets filmed by Pamela Robertson-Pearce' (2008). 'Being Human', the third anthology of the Staying Alive "trilogy", is due from Bloodaxe in 2011. He has published two novels, 'The End of My Tether' (Flambard, 2002; Scribner, 2003), which was shortlisted for the Whitbread First Novel Award, and 'The Sheep Who Changed the World' (Flambard, 2005). He received an Eric Gregory Award for his poetry and was given a D.Litt from Newcastle University for his work with Bloodaxe Books. He lives in Northumberland.
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First Sentence
THIS SECTION begins with poems that celebrate the joy of living, the beauty of the natural world and the pleasures of the body and the senses. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
THIS SECTION begins with poems that celebrate the joy of living, the beauty of the natural world and the pleasures of the body and the senses. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
67 of 71 people found the following review helpful
By Edward Barry
Format:Paperback
It's official - this is rightly the world's best selling poetry anthology.
As an English teacher currently reading a Masters degree in Creative Writing, I would unreservedly recommend this anthology for two main reasons,
(1)It contains an amazing breadth and depth of contemporary poetry that relates to human experience. So much so that it is the ONLY poetry book I have given as presents to friends who profess no interest in poetry whatsoever. If you want know what all the fuss is about this form of writing then this book is best fitted to meet your curiosity.
(2) Editor Neil Astley has cleverly organised the poetry into loose thematic chapters so the reader is able to access (and compare)treatments of subjects close to their heart.
I have over 20 poetry compilations in my library and have read a lot more- this is the best. It has done what I previously thought impossible in toppling Hughes' and Heaney's 'The Rattlebag' off the top spot.
One slight word of caution, 'Staying Alive' unlike 'The Rattlebag'is definitely for an adult readership, in both sensibility and language.
Can't wait for the sequel 'Being Alive'
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
My boyfriend bought me this book as he loved it. I've not really got in to poetry before, and wasn't aware of many poets names or styles etc. This book opened up a new interest for me, and therefore recommend this to everyone else out there.. If anyone is looking for a good gift for someone??
44 of 47 people found the following review helpful
By Elsie
Format:Paperback
What a wonderful suprise this book has been! I am not normally a fan of modern poetry but after reading the excellent reviews in the national press I decided to give this new anthology a go. Each of the poems in this book have been especially chosen for their ability to stand alone and that makes this a perfect book to leave around the house and dip into. Mine lives on the coffee table and friends and visitors are always dipping in and commenting on one of the marvelous poems within.
The poems are divided into sections like Body and Soul or In and Out of Love, which is great if you approach the book with a particular need, for example, if someone close to you is ill, or if you need to find the words to express a new found love. However, the real beauty of this book is the way the poems talk to one another across the page. Poems on similar subjects, but by different poets, form a dialog between the themselves and allow the reader to contemplate the subject far deeper than if the poem stood alone.
I knew a few of the poets in this volume and have enjoyed some of their classic poems, but even more pleasurable has been discovering the unknown poets who don't make it into the public eye.
What a joy this book has been! Bring culture and conversation to your coffee table now and invest in a copy right away!
66 of 71 people found the following review helpful
By Graham James Mummery
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
Generally, modern poetry has had a bad press. In a poll a few years ago it came out as "gloomy, elitist and irrelevant". As founder and editor of Bloodaxe Books, Neil Astley is in an ideal position to counteract this.
In this book he succeeds magnificently. Here are "greats" of twentieth century poetry. TS Eliot, WH Auden, Robert Graves, Ezra Pound, Robert Frost Ted Hughes and many more. He also includes many important figures magnificently such as the Czech poet, Miroslav Holub (who was also a scientist), the Polish, Zbignew Herbert, the "German", Rainer Maria Rilke as well as the Chilean Pablo Neruda. There are crucial American poets such as Robert Frost, Elizabeth Bishop and James Wright. Plus established living poets who have established their names. Favourites of mine here include Michael Longley, David Constantine, Michael Donaghy, Robert Bly, Maura Dooley, Pauline Stainer, Sharon Olds as well as names beginning to establish their names such Kona McPhee and Joanne Limburg.
All in all it is a wide-ranging selection. It succeeds in its aim of being life affirming and relevant. Here is poetry on modern language reminding us of eternal truths. Dealing with life in a contemporary setting. Organised in sections with titles as "Body and Soul", "War and Peace", "In and Out of Love" it is very user friendly and can either be dipped into or read through. It is an entertaining read too. If you want a book to get an overview view of modern poetry this is the one. With excellent introductions, a useful glossary of poetic terms and bibliographies to follow up on any poets of interest, this is a marvellous place to start understanding modern poetry or to expand your knowledge. It may even change your life too!
In this book he succeeds magnificently. Here are "greats" of twentieth century poetry. TS Eliot, WH Auden, Robert Graves, Ezra Pound, Robert Frost Ted Hughes and many more. He also includes many important figures magnificently such as the Czech poet, Miroslav Holub (who was also a scientist), the Polish, Zbignew Herbert, the "German", Rainer Maria Rilke as well as the Chilean Pablo Neruda. There are crucial American poets such as Robert Frost, Elizabeth Bishop and James Wright. Plus established living poets who have established their names. Favourites of mine here include Michael Longley, David Constantine, Michael Donaghy, Robert Bly, Maura Dooley, Pauline Stainer, Sharon Olds as well as names beginning to establish their names such Kona McPhee and Joanne Limburg.
All in all it is a wide-ranging selection. It succeeds in its aim of being life affirming and relevant. Here is poetry on modern language reminding us of eternal truths. Dealing with life in a contemporary setting. Organised in sections with titles as "Body and Soul", "War and Peace", "In and Out of Love" it is very user friendly and can either be dipped into or read through. It is an entertaining read too. If you want a book to get an overview view of modern poetry this is the one. With excellent introductions, a useful glossary of poetic terms and bibliographies to follow up on any poets of interest, this is a marvellous place to start understanding modern poetry or to expand your knowledge. It may even change your life too!
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Thank goodness Neil Astley had the vision to put this anthology together. Anybody who cares about poetry should buy this book. It will remind you of the great and good and gone and it will introduce you to a new international generation of stars. I gave this 4 stars (for the quality of poetry) and 1 extra star simply for its glowing intensity whilst world poetry for the most part struggles unread in the darkness.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Yvonne Moore
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is one of the best poetry anthologies I have come across. It contains 500 poems divided into 12 sections. These sections include Body and Soul,Bittersweet; Me, the earth, the unviverse; and The Art of Poetry + all the other obvious ones ( love, death, animals, journeys.) The great poets are there: Hughes, Plath, Heaney, Larkin, R S Thomas; Elliot but they don't dominate. I believe there is an eqaul blend of male/ female poets and a large inclusion of poems from across Europe..Catalan,Serbo Croat, French to name but a few. Most poems are accessible but Astley has ensured each section contains at least one " challenging" poem. Some poems are deliciously funny..."Puberty" by Mitchell springs to mind..others quite profound.
Each section comes with an introduction giving helpful contexts to some of the poems. The anthology ends with information about forms used by certain poets and there is a glossary of technical terms.
This antholoogy is essentially for new readers of poetry but I would recommend it to anyone embarking on A level English and beyond. Also to anyone interested in reading " real poems" in 2010.
Each section comes with an introduction giving helpful contexts to some of the poems. The anthology ends with information about forms used by certain poets and there is a glossary of technical terms.
This antholoogy is essentially for new readers of poetry but I would recommend it to anyone embarking on A level English and beyond. Also to anyone interested in reading " real poems" in 2010.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not for me.
I bought this book hoping for an uplifting experience. After reading several poems I realised it was destined for the charity shop.
That is where it went. Read more
That is where it went. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Doreen M. Rose
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Special Book for Special Occasions
I gave this book as a wedding present.
It isn't on any Wedding List that I know of but it's inspiration, provocative ideas and beauty will survive years longer than any... Read more
It isn't on any Wedding List that I know of but it's inspiration, provocative ideas and beauty will survive years longer than any... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Jose Spinks
1.0 out of 5 stars
A confusing hotpotch
I notice that alot of the less positive reviews have got the "thumbs down" or even hostile comments because they are less than 100% impressed with this tome. Read more
Published 2 months ago by minty
5.0 out of 5 stars
Staying Alive
A superb anthology of poems, wide ranging and hugely interesting and inspiring.
I have a personal copy and have bought it for friends.
I have a personal copy and have bought it for friends.
Published 3 months ago by Mrs Elizabeth J Herrington
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gorgeous
Gorgeous poetry - so many different facets that there is something to touch everyone. Love dipping in and out of this.
Published 5 months ago by DianneH
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic
Best collection of poetry I've ever seen. A wonderful book to dip into and discover new poets. Being Alive is also good but not as good as this.
Published 6 months ago by l
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Outstanding Collection
I must admit, I'm reviewing Staying Alive mainly to bump up its star-rating on Amazon, because I've very little to say other than what so many reviewers, here and elsewhere, have... Read more
Published 7 months ago by James Ward
5.0 out of 5 stars
wow
This book has reignited an interest in poetry in me. Neil Astley introduction and notes convey his passion for his life's work and are an inspiration.
Published 12 months ago by jd
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fabulous
Nothing to do with Robin Gibb, but a fabulously eclectic mix of poems. You're unlikely to like them all, but you're bound to love - and be surprised by - something in there.
Published 13 months ago by Frootle
5.0 out of 5 stars
wonderful words
This is by far the best poetry book in my collection. It is a wonderful mix of wisdom, experience, humour, life. Read more
Published 14 months ago by fatima
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