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shanviolinlove's review against another edition
5.0
A mesmerizing collection of poets, mainly from the Modernist period, I enjoyed revisiting the works of Roethke, Bishop, Plath, and Sexton, some of my favorites, as well as discovering poets that had slipped under my radar all these years -- Merrill, Lowell, and Berryman. An introductory smattering of poetry for readers who may not be quite as familiar with these works (my husband has now discovered a love for Roethke's words and the joy they evoke in their readers) and for those who want to, as Plath puts it, "taste the words" of favorite poems.
losethegirl's review
informative
reflective
slow-paced
2.0
This was good for what it was — an anthology that surveyed a number of the great American contemporary poets. I found myself bored by a lot of the poems, and was confused by some of the selections. I doubt I’ll be picking this back up, but it was a good learning experience.
artemitch's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not highly read in poetry, but this was an especially wonderful collection for those who are new to reading it and want to get a sense of how great some of the most renowned American poets are. I do like some of the poets more so than others. I'm impressed by Robert Lowell the most, didn't really enjoy John Berryman; some of Sylvia's poems are a hit or miss for me, though I'm enchanted by her style; I think I found a new favorite in both Anne Sexton and James Merrill. I neither like nor dislike Roethke and Bishop, and as for Ginsberg, his poems are long but very ecstatic and spirited. I'm pretty certain that most of the poets here fall into the genre of "confessional poets/poetry," and I truly admire them for putting themselves out there with such raw and intense emotions. Far more than just myself, I'm sure, find this type of poetry easy to relate to or sympathize with.
My two favorite poems from this collection have to be Plath's "Tulips" and Lowell's "The Quaker Graveyard in Nantucket."
My two favorite poems from this collection have to be Plath's "Tulips" and Lowell's "The Quaker Graveyard in Nantucket."
juiesmei's review
4.0
"Our lives are all potentially disastrous, and artists — who live perilously close to the abyss make it possible for us to journey over threatening terrain, to experience its terror, and to return intact."
Picked this up mostly to learn about Sylvia Plath but I'm glad to have been introduced to the works of John Berryman, James Merrill, Elizabeth Bishop and Theodore Roethke as well.
Picked this up mostly to learn about Sylvia Plath but I'm glad to have been introduced to the works of John Berryman, James Merrill, Elizabeth Bishop and Theodore Roethke as well.
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