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dmtague's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a lazy fan of poetry. I don't readily seek it out, but I do love it. I have even tried those "30 day poetry challenges" when I am feeling down and need to express myself in a different way. This was a refreshing book because it provided me with poetry I would probably never read otherwise. The poems were good, and I bookmarked a number of them to go back to and re-read. I would definitely recommend this book and series, as I will continue reading these each year.
sapphisms's review against another edition
2.0
I received this book through NetGalley and Scribner in exchange for an honest review.
The collection of poetry ends at 53%, if you have a NetGalley copy and are worried about how long it'll take you to read it. Like, really, I was wondering how much longer this could be drawn out (because it was just poem after poem of purple prose and circular references- I was just about Over It) when it suddenly ended and I was... surprised? I guess? I mean, I was hoping I'd find more poems I liked, but (even for me, a poetry fanatic)... yeah, severely lacking.
Some of my favorite lines:
* "What could be lonelier, more full of mute ringing than what she's writing. That, and the wine."
* "My cousin cries about a guy, and I say, 'Good, no one likes him anyway.' No, I don't. I say, 'Find someone who'll treat it like an experience.' And if you do and he doesn't, forget about the clove. He'll ask, 'Was I supposed to swallow that?' Answer, 'That's what she said.'"
* "My cousin rolls her eyes, says I don't understand. The time spent convincing the heartbroken you've been heartbroken."
* "I may have been a nontraditional student but I was a traditional person, she said, the way a professor can say intimate things sometimes, as though your face and soul are aglow in one of those magnified (X 10) makeup mirrors."
* "He closed the door and showed me the scars under his shirt where he had been stabbed. He said I had to assume that everyone had such a wound, whether I could see it or not."
* "I spent so much time alone, when I actually turned lonely it was vertigo."
* "I was on the road for so long by myself, I took to reading motel Bibles just for company. Lying on the chintz bedspread before going to sleep, still feeling the motion of the car inside my body, I thought some wrongness in myself had left me that alone."
The collection of poetry ends at 53%, if you have a NetGalley copy and are worried about how long it'll take you to read it. Like, really, I was wondering how much longer this could be drawn out (because it was just poem after poem of purple prose and circular references- I was just about Over It) when it suddenly ended and I was... surprised? I guess? I mean, I was hoping I'd find more poems I liked, but (even for me, a poetry fanatic)... yeah, severely lacking.
Some of my favorite lines:
* "What could be lonelier, more full of mute ringing than what she's writing. That, and the wine."
* "My cousin cries about a guy, and I say, 'Good, no one likes him anyway.' No, I don't. I say, 'Find someone who'll treat it like an experience.' And if you do and he doesn't, forget about the clove. He'll ask, 'Was I supposed to swallow that?' Answer, 'That's what she said.'"
* "My cousin rolls her eyes, says I don't understand. The time spent convincing the heartbroken you've been heartbroken."
* "I may have been a nontraditional student but I was a traditional person, she said, the way a professor can say intimate things sometimes, as though your face and soul are aglow in one of those magnified (X 10) makeup mirrors."
* "He closed the door and showed me the scars under his shirt where he had been stabbed. He said I had to assume that everyone had such a wound, whether I could see it or not."
* "I spent so much time alone, when I actually turned lonely it was vertigo."
* "I was on the road for so long by myself, I took to reading motel Bibles just for company. Lying on the chintz bedspread before going to sleep, still feeling the motion of the car inside my body, I thought some wrongness in myself had left me that alone."
gvenezia's review
4.0
Another solid installation in the series. The introductions and the poems themselves didn’t reveal any particular pattern or theme, but there are plenty of singular, shining moments (see selected quotes below).
David Lehman’s intro focuses on the apocalyptic mood of the times, using Yeats’ “The Second Coming” as an extended metaphor and as a tool for exhibiting what the best poems accomplish technically and thematically.
Hirsch’s intro is like [b:How to Read a Poem and Fall in Love with Poetry|206633|How to Read a Poem and Fall in Love with Poetry|Edward Hirsch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1397635191l/206633._SX50_.jpg|199987] condensed into a few pages. He gives an overview of what poetry is and how contemporary poetry fits within the history of the genre (especially in relation to the last 100 years of Modernism and Postmodernism). There's nothing new or all that insightful here. But apropos of Hirsch, we do get some beautiful descriptions: “Writing fixes the evanescence of sound and holds it against death” (xix).
———
Favorite Quotes
Ugly is the mother of the sublime—dreadful
and magnetic, it sucks you over edges
with the torque of awe, so much like love
it must be love
— “Ugglig” Michelle Boisseau
Someone’s sister in Europe writing her
adultery poems late night, half bottle
of wine pretty much required.
. . .
Maybe the desire of others only
simplifies me, seems generous that way.
It’s the distance, an intimacy
so far from here I get to float invisible
all over, over again like I never
lived this life. What could be
lonelier, more full of
mute ringing than what
she’s writing. . .
—"I Get to Float Invisible" Marianne Boruch
People move, hold forth, rage and love and shrug while we let a world fall through us. And some of it catches.
[From Boruch’s comments, 152]
Who knew this little bit of spillage
contained multitudes of what we all
boil down to? Microorganisms
swim a surface the wet silver
of Poseidon’s eyes. Spiralized lines,
pulsing globules, tiny sacs filled with aspic.
—"A Drop of Seawater Under the Microscope” Amy Gerstler
The maple limb severed
by a December sotrm
still blossoms in May
where it lies on the ground,
its red tassels a message
from the other side,
like a letter arriving
after its writer has died.
—“Afterword” (full poem) Jeffrey Harrison
Those clear eyes are ancient; you’ve done this with billions of others,
but you are my first life, Life; I feel helplessly young.
I’m a kid checking mail, a kid on his cell with his questions:
are we in love, Life, are we exclusive, are we forever?
—“Late Aubade” James Richardson
Let it be seeds.
Let it be the slow tornado of seeds from the oak tree
— “Grief” Taije Silverman
She’s certain, that her name begins with “L”—
Liza, Lacie? Alias, alas,
A lass alike alone and at a loss.
— "Alice, Bewildered” A. E. Stallings
[From Erin Hoover’s comments on her poem about the HBO show Girls and its cultural reception]:
The critical reaction to Girls reminded me of all the ways that women continue to have our actions defined for us by a culture that is extremely hostile if we on’t play the game. So when I say, ‘turn up the lights,’ I mean let’s acknowledge that all of this is complicated, and know that we can hold strong political beliefs and still desire attention and affection from others, sometimes under terms we don’t get to set. Both things are true.” (170-171)
David Lehman’s intro focuses on the apocalyptic mood of the times, using Yeats’ “The Second Coming” as an extended metaphor and as a tool for exhibiting what the best poems accomplish technically and thematically.
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
. . .
And what rough best, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
Hirsch’s intro is like [b:How to Read a Poem and Fall in Love with Poetry|206633|How to Read a Poem and Fall in Love with Poetry|Edward Hirsch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1397635191l/206633._SX50_.jpg|199987] condensed into a few pages. He gives an overview of what poetry is and how contemporary poetry fits within the history of the genre (especially in relation to the last 100 years of Modernism and Postmodernism). There's nothing new or all that insightful here. But apropos of Hirsch, we do get some beautiful descriptions: “Writing fixes the evanescence of sound and holds it against death” (xix).
———
Favorite Quotes
Ugly is the mother of the sublime—dreadful
and magnetic, it sucks you over edges
with the torque of awe, so much like love
it must be love
— “Ugglig” Michelle Boisseau
Someone’s sister in Europe writing her
adultery poems late night, half bottle
of wine pretty much required.
. . .
Maybe the desire of others only
simplifies me, seems generous that way.
It’s the distance, an intimacy
so far from here I get to float invisible
all over, over again like I never
lived this life. What could be
lonelier, more full of
mute ringing than what
she’s writing. . .
—"I Get to Float Invisible" Marianne Boruch
People move, hold forth, rage and love and shrug while we let a world fall through us. And some of it catches.
[From Boruch’s comments, 152]
Who knew this little bit of spillage
contained multitudes of what we all
boil down to? Microorganisms
swim a surface the wet silver
of Poseidon’s eyes. Spiralized lines,
pulsing globules, tiny sacs filled with aspic.
—"A Drop of Seawater Under the Microscope” Amy Gerstler
The maple limb severed
by a December sotrm
still blossoms in May
where it lies on the ground,
its red tassels a message
from the other side,
like a letter arriving
after its writer has died.
—“Afterword” (full poem) Jeffrey Harrison
Those clear eyes are ancient; you’ve done this with billions of others,
but you are my first life, Life; I feel helplessly young.
I’m a kid checking mail, a kid on his cell with his questions:
are we in love, Life, are we exclusive, are we forever?
—“Late Aubade” James Richardson
Let it be seeds.
Let it be the slow tornado of seeds from the oak tree
— “Grief” Taije Silverman
She’s certain, that her name begins with “L”—
Liza, Lacie? Alias, alas,
A lass alike alone and at a loss.
— "Alice, Bewildered” A. E. Stallings
[From Erin Hoover’s comments on her poem about the HBO show Girls and its cultural reception]:
The critical reaction to Girls reminded me of all the ways that women continue to have our actions defined for us by a culture that is extremely hostile if we on’t play the game. So when I say, ‘turn up the lights,’ I mean let’s acknowledge that all of this is complicated, and know that we can hold strong political beliefs and still desire attention and affection from others, sometimes under terms we don’t get to set. Both things are true.” (170-171)
cinereus's review
4.0
As with most anthologies, hit-or-miss now and then, but a lot of winners here! My faves from this collection:
-Whitman, 1841 by Rich Barot
-How the Milky Way Was Made by Natalie Diaz
-Humanity 101 by Denise Duhamel
-My Life by Lynn Emanuel
-A Drop of Seawater Under the Microscope by Amy Gerstler
-Meet Me at the Lighthouse by Dana Gioia
-Reading to My Father by Jorie Graham
-Afterword by Jeffrey Harrison
-Bible Study by Tony Hoagland (probably my favorite overall)
-The Swimmer by John Koethe
-Folding a Five-Cornered Star So the Corners Meet by Li-Young Lee
-Psalm for the Lost by Paul Mariani (read this one out loud!)
-The First Last Light in the Sky by Rowan Ricardo Phillips
-Late Aubade by James Richardson
-Maid Maleen by Anya Silver
-What Piranesi Knew by Susan Stewart (also read this one out loud)
-The Apology by Lee Upton
-Whitman, 1841 by Rich Barot
-How the Milky Way Was Made by Natalie Diaz
-Humanity 101 by Denise Duhamel
-My Life by Lynn Emanuel
-A Drop of Seawater Under the Microscope by Amy Gerstler
-Meet Me at the Lighthouse by Dana Gioia
-Reading to My Father by Jorie Graham
-Afterword by Jeffrey Harrison
-Bible Study by Tony Hoagland (probably my favorite overall)
-The Swimmer by John Koethe
-Folding a Five-Cornered Star So the Corners Meet by Li-Young Lee
-Psalm for the Lost by Paul Mariani (read this one out loud!)
-The First Last Light in the Sky by Rowan Ricardo Phillips
-Late Aubade by James Richardson
-Maid Maleen by Anya Silver
-What Piranesi Knew by Susan Stewart (also read this one out loud)
-The Apology by Lee Upton
cgcpoems's review
I’m generally not an anthology reader — I picked this up as a gift for someone else and then never ended up giving it to them. There were two pieces in here that I really loved. The rest just weren’t my cup of tea. Lovely poems, they just didn’t resonate.
soyboyjames's review
2.0
There are some great poems in here, but there were others I just skimmed or skipped. My biggest takeaway from this read is that I realized that I prefer entire books of poetry written by one poet rather than a collection of individual poems by different poets.
pearseanderson's review
4.0
It's poetry! What can I say. I don't understand it. But some read really nice, and others did not seem notable at all. But they were all higher quality than regular poetry, so that was good. I learned a good bit about form and whatnot. So four stars. Wish I start "getting" poetry soon.
eliza_v_paige's review
2.0
I'm not a massive fan of poetry. I've only started to read it in the last year and I thought this collection would be a nice insight into popular and current poems and poets. I enjoyed some but it was such a small percentage of the collection that I gave it a lower rating. It wasn't a horrible collection but I don't think it was for me. The ones I didn't enjoy were very boring or mediocre. It was pretty meh and there were only like 4 or 5 poems worth reading.
b_p's review
4.0
Overall, I would give this collection a B average (technically an 86.9% avg.) as far as the quality of the poems contained. I know that attempting to quantify poetic effect/value is a ridiculous gesture, but I am simply a ridiculous person. Of course, this is purely based off of my own tastes and will not necessarily reflect your average satisfaction rate.
I have not read too many modern poetry anthologies, but I am starting to do so for two reasons. First, to narrow down my own literary tastes. Second, to improve my own poetry and eventually find a more distinct voice. I find myself in the habit of simply imitating the voices of the poets that I am inspired by from week to week.
The following are my favorites from this collection:
Masterpieces (7)
"Ugglig" by Michelle Boisseau
"Hubert Blankenship" by David Bottoms
"Humanity 101" by Denise Duhamel
"My Life" by Lynn Emanuel
"One Had Lived in a Room and Loved Nothing" by Charles Fort
"The Lady Responds" by Juliana Gray
"Dome of the Hidden Temple" by James Tate
Masterful (10)
"On the Certainty of Bryan" by Olena K. Davis
"The Sadness of Clothes" by Emily Fragos
"Meet Me at the Lighthouse" by Dana Gioia
"As If" by Julie Kane
"Solitaire" by Deborah Landau
"If He Came & Diminished Me & Mapped My Way" by Larry Levis
"Ode While Awaiting Execution" by Thomas Lux
"Psalm for the Lost" by Paul Mariani
"My Father's "Norton Introduction to Literature" (1981)" by Hai-Dang Phan
"Vineyard" by David St. John
Masters Candidates (9)
"O, Esperanza" by Catherine Barnett
"Whitman, 1841" by Rick Barot
"Here I Am" by Martin Espada
"When I turned fourteen my mother's sister took me to lunch and said" by Alexis Rhone Fancher
"A Drop of Seawater Under the Microscope" by Amy Gerstler
"Aubade" by Major Jackson
"Lament" by Debra Marquart
"Late Aubade" by James Richardson
"To Think of How Cold" by Eleanor Wilner
Overall, I would absolutely to highly recommend approx. 35% of the poems contained in this volume.
I have not read too many modern poetry anthologies, but I am starting to do so for two reasons. First, to narrow down my own literary tastes. Second, to improve my own poetry and eventually find a more distinct voice. I find myself in the habit of simply imitating the voices of the poets that I am inspired by from week to week.
The following are my favorites from this collection:
Masterpieces (7)
"Ugglig" by Michelle Boisseau
"Hubert Blankenship" by David Bottoms
"Humanity 101" by Denise Duhamel
"My Life" by Lynn Emanuel
"One Had Lived in a Room and Loved Nothing" by Charles Fort
"The Lady Responds" by Juliana Gray
"Dome of the Hidden Temple" by James Tate
Masterful (10)
"On the Certainty of Bryan" by Olena K. Davis
"The Sadness of Clothes" by Emily Fragos
"Meet Me at the Lighthouse" by Dana Gioia
"As If" by Julie Kane
"Solitaire" by Deborah Landau
"If He Came & Diminished Me & Mapped My Way" by Larry Levis
"Ode While Awaiting Execution" by Thomas Lux
"Psalm for the Lost" by Paul Mariani
"My Father's "Norton Introduction to Literature" (1981)" by Hai-Dang Phan
"Vineyard" by David St. John
Masters Candidates (9)
"O, Esperanza" by Catherine Barnett
"Whitman, 1841" by Rick Barot
"Here I Am" by Martin Espada
"When I turned fourteen my mother's sister took me to lunch and said" by Alexis Rhone Fancher
"A Drop of Seawater Under the Microscope" by Amy Gerstler
"Aubade" by Major Jackson
"Lament" by Debra Marquart
"Late Aubade" by James Richardson
"To Think of How Cold" by Eleanor Wilner
Overall, I would absolutely to highly recommend approx. 35% of the poems contained in this volume.