101 Poems That Could Save Your Life

I think there were only about 5 poems here that could actually save my life in a pinch, while considerably more of them might drive me to despair. A misleading title, perhaps, but an interesting admixture of the beautiful with the bad.

An anthology of poetry written with the express purpose of offering literary solace. Although my personal tastes may lead me to choose a different selection of poems, this collection includes both new and some of my favorites. They all offer the kind of emotional support that only great literature can offer.

101 Poems That Could Save Your Life: An Anthology of Emotional First Aid is a collection of poems designed to help people in times of emotional need. This is why there are sections within it called “Divorce” and “Illness”, as well as more commonly useful ones such as “First Wrinkle”. It alternates between humor and something that never quite reaches the melancholy stage. After all, this book is supposed to help, not send more sensitive souls tumbling into depression.

While I am not particularly well-versed in poetry, I did manage to find some poems in this book that I rather like. “Perpetual Motion” by Tony Hoagland, particularly the last three lines (“I am here—/here where the desire to vanish/is stronger than the show more desire to appear.”), struck a chord in me for this particular feeling is a very old friend and, at times, my companion. I’m sure everyone has felt the desire to vanish at one point or another, but it’s more like wanderlust in the poem. Of course, the inability to stay in one place could have to do with either, but, to me, traveling truly is something that speaks of a certain amount of loss, even if it brings a world of possibilities.

“Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep”, whose author is unknown, is precisely what the title implies, a poem of death and loss that somehow manages to be lovely. Perhaps it is because it rhymes nicely or it may simply be the tempo of the words, but I didn’t mind re-reading it any number of times.

On the opposite side of the scale, there is a charming poem by Lord Byron in Don Juan that goes by the name of “Hock and Soda Water” that makes me want to giggle because of the images it brings to mind. The basic gist of it is a friend urging his own friend to get very drunk.

Some of the more mature topics make me recommend this for high schools and above rather than middle schools. While poetry is appropriate for all age levels “Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Down” is perhaps a bit more appropriate for an older group than middle school. show less

The title is a little cheesy, but sometimes you really do just need a poem as "emotional first aid." The selections are atypical and vary from contemporary to classic.