One Hundred and One Famous Poems

A lovely book of poems reflecting the appreciation of the poetry reading public of 1924 America. This book was given to my mother by a close friend, a practice which is also indicative of those times when a book of poetry was considered a welcomed gift. Many of the poems extol nature, others speak in the aftermath of WWI on the sadness of loss of young life, others reflect on the brevity and meaning of life in general and others are happy, wistful celebrations of childhood. Reading the book through, you come repeatedly across famous lines that have made their way into the cultural fabric of the English language. Two examples are: From Milton's Sonnet on His Blindness, "They also serve who only stand and wait." or from Thomas Gray's show more Elegy Written in a Country Church-Yard, "The paths of glory lead but to the grave." It is with nostalgia that we consider the values and standards expressed in these poems of bygone ages. show less

I grew up with this book in the house and have turned to it countless times over the years. Merely by inclusion in this book, a poem became an automatic classic to me. The selection is varied and enjoyable. Although looking at the paperback versions I see pictured in "Popular Covers", it just doesn't seem quite the same as the vintage version I have.

A rather pedestrian collection that nevertheless delivers just because it is poetry and poetry always transcends its own boundaries...a gift of the free box on the corner, and it arrived at just the right page in my life...

I chose this book for one reason only. It gave me the ability to have many of both my husband's and my favorite poems in one place. Better yet it was available as an e-book! So now I have the comfort of poetry everywhere I go. As I read to my husband several weeks ago at the cancer center it was neat to have other patients and staff stopping in to listen and enjoy the poems as well. That moment has made this a cherished possession.

Some solid entries, and others that are not widely distributed anymore. On the other hand, some entries that seem forced or don't need to be here.

I did like the prose supplement, even if it isn't completely topical.

A worthwhile venture into basic poetry for anyone.

I have this book in two editions -- one dating from the early 20th century and another from the 1990s. The earlier one has been read more. There's a certain thrill to read a poem with a little inset portrait of the poet above it, and the poet's dates of birth and death under the picture -- only the date of death is not yet filled in because the poet was alive when the book was published.

A wonderful selection of poems from classic authors. It was thanks to this book that I discovered the beautiful words of Sidney Lanier, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Emily Dickinson, Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. This collection comes in a classy presentation, which suits the poetry that it contains.