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48 of 52 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
75,000 People Can't Be Wrong, 2 Nov 2004
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'
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36 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A revelation, 19 July 2002
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!
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61 of 67 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Magnificent in scope, content and style, 21 July 2002
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!
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