The Nation's Favourite Poems

The late TV and radio broadcaster, Dr Michael Mosley, recommended singing as a good brain exercise and more and he suggested reading a poem out aloud was comparable an exercise and was good for cognitive health. So much better to enjoy your daily exercise and reading these 100 poems has been a revelation. I am not convinced that it's done me good but it has certainly not done me harm and it has been, mostly anyway, enjoyable.

This collection of poems comes from a poll conducted to coincide with National Poetry Day 1995.
Many were not familiar and a few of nation's favourites would certainly not be in my own personal 100 favourite poems. I have listed the first 50 poets and poems in the Tags above.

How I wish that poetry had been part of show more home and school life when I was a boy. It wasn't but, happily, Miss Babington's elocution lessons when I was a Naval Cadet at Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, in 1972, left me with a love of poetry and knowledge of how properly to read a poem. Loving poetry leads naturally to a love of words. I never expected a love of poetry to be a result of a naval career but I salute the Senior Service for its so doing. show less

The Nation's Favourite Poems is a solid, conservative selection of 100 poems, as is to be expected given its genesis. The poets are mostly British (with notable exceptions like Robert Frost and Edgar Allan Poe) and many of the poems will already be well-known to the reader, with heavyweights like Kipling (who took the #1 spot), Tennyson and Shakespeare represented. By ranking the poems from 1 to 100, the book has also opened itself to criticism (Kipling's 'If' is a good poem, but probably shouldn't be #1). To be honest, I wasn't overly enamoured with any of the top 10, although 'Dulce et Decorum Est' by Wilfred Owen has always had stopping power, and W.B. Yeats' 'The Lake Isle of Innisfree' struck a chord.

The ones I favoured most were show more the ones I already knew well (e.g. 'Ozymandias', 'The Raven', 'Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night', 'Ulysses', 'High Flight') and there were very few of the lesser-known ones that made me sit up and take notice (Louis MacNeice's 'Prayer Before Birth' being an exception). The poems for children were fun, with Michael Rosen's 'Chocolate Cake' in particular taking me back to my childhood. Essentially, the collection is a good starting point for newbies who want to sample some good, well-known poetry, but for those like me who read a fair bit of poetry it is a rather unnecessary exercise. show less

I have given it such a high rating because there is something for everyone here. Its a lovely collection of poems, all your favourites are in it.
I would recommend for those like me who dont know a lot about poetry but would like to get chance to look at different styles and eras of writing.
It was a book club project, and for me a really clever and inspiring choice.

An enjoyable browse for a newcomer to the world of poetry. The type of book i pick up from time to time from the shelf and flick through to a poem that takes my fancy depending on my mood. Not every one has caught my eye so there are still delights to look forward to. Suprised myself and my family by how much i enjoyed. Not so much of a Philistine as i thought i was. Griff Rhys Jones' name initially highlighted this book to my curiosity and did not disappoint. Something for mostly anyone.

A superb small collection of popular English Poetry, covering poets from 1865 to
modern times. Thoroughly enjoyable.

My welcome to the world of poetry. Rather late in years I fear. This book has opened my eyes to vista's yet unexplored and yearning to be read aloud.

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