Anthony Astbury

This year I've been trying to read more poetry. It doesn't usually appeal to me. I tend to be on the literal side of things and so poetry can be a struggle for me. I've been reading this collection for months because I wanted to savor each poem, instead of wolfing them down.

This anthology collects 100 poems, the editor's favorite from each of the poets. It was a wonderful way to get a taste of the various styles of different authors without reading an entire collection from them. It introduced me to some poets I'd never read and gave me new poems from authors I already loved. Here's a couple great lines...

John Donne - "No more can you judge a woman by her teares, than by her shadow, what she weares."

John Hall - "How real are our fears! they blast us still, Still rend us, still gnawing passions fill; How senseless are our wishes, yet how great! With toil we pursue them, with what sweat!"

I didn't love every poem, but there was such a great variety that it provided the perfect sampler. I would highly recommend this collection to widen your appreciation and knowledge of poetry.… (more)