Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry
- ISBN13: 9780812968873
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
A dazzling new anthology of 180 contemporary poems, selected and introduced by America’s Poet Laureate, Billy Collins.
Inspired by Billy Collins’s poem-a-day program with the Library of Congress, Poetry 180 is the perfect anthology for readers who appreciate engaging, thoughtful poems that are an immediate pleasure.
A 180-degree turn implies a turning back—in this case, to poetry. A collection of 180 poems by the most exciting poets at work today, Poetry 180 represents the richness and diversity of the form, and is designed to beckon readers with a selection of poems that are impossible not to love at first glance. Open the anthology to any page and discover a new poem to cherish, or savor all the poems, one at a time, to feel the full measure of contemporary poetry’s vibrance and abundance.
With poems by Catherine Bowman, Lucille Clifton, Billy Collins, Dana Gioia, Edward Hirsch, Galway Kinnell, Kenneth Koch, Philip Levine, Thomas Lux, William Matthews, Frances Mayes, Paul Muldoon, Naomi Shihab Nye, Sharon Olds, Katha Pollitt, Mary Jo Salter, Charles Simic, David Wojahn, Paul Zimmer, and many more.
For more information: Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry
The premise of this anthology is a poem a day for high school reading, or I might think for a high school reader. It is a wonderful little text. The works are neither simplistic nor obscure and cover the broad range in style and subject of contemporary poetry. Be advised, not all of them are “new” works, and not all important contemporary writers are represented:(Some of the BIG big names are not here). Still, for anyone wanting to develop familiarity with what has been going on in the world of poetry there is a lot of pleasure at a reasonable price.
I rather like the idea that there is no obvious agenda here, nor any pretense of “the best.” Readability seems to be the standard. It is a book for a bus-stop, or the short ride home. It is light and easily portable. I can envision a poem over breakfast, or one to conclude an evening of study. Along those lines, the print is nicely laid out; it’s the sort of book that I can read without my specs – after all my discovery of poetry in high-school was decades ago.
Rating: 5 / 5
Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry
In the introduction, Billy Collins while on a reading tour, stops off at a high school for their Poetry Day. There he is given a copy of the school paper in which a student had written an article about modern poetry. To paraphrase: “Whenever I read modern poetry, I feel like my brother has his foot on my neck at the bottom of a pool” According to the intro., this book would like to make reading poetry more “reader friendly”. Whether the story is true or not, Collins succeeds in his goal
America’s High Poet, Collins, handpicked these selections from such modern masters as Rimbauld, Simic, Salter, Olds, Luz and Levine. Also catching my eye is a superbly sentimental piece entitled “Dead Dog” by John Updike. Collins, often chided and applauded for his simple, open poetry picks his selection along the same vein. This makes Poetry 180 a delightful breeze, a book that keeps your attention and a superbly well rounded work. As a reader I was not left gasping for air, but instead searching for more complete works by some of these fine writers.
Rating: 5 / 5
Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry
I enjoyed the poems in this book very much. It is impossible to pick a favorite, because I loved them all. I really enjoy reading poems about different human experiences. Poetry 180 is filled with almost every human emotion.
I loved the poem entitled Love Poem 1990. It is about a man falling in love at different stages in his life from childhood to old age and how he feels about it. Another one of my favorite poems is entitled May. It is about the painful experience of putting a dog to sleep. The Green One Over There is a wonderful but sad poem about the relationship between a sister and a brother. I could really relate to the way siblings compete as described in this poem. The subject matter of the poems in this book are diverse. I never knew a subject could evoke such emotion. One of these poems is entitled What Would I Do. It is an insightful poem about what a husband would do if his wife cheated on him. The Quest is a excellent poem about a mother’s fear that her daughter will be hurt and the extent she would take to protect her.
I was drawn to some of these poems because of the title. I loved the titles Vegetarian Physics, The Poem of Chalk, 1-800 Hot Ribs, and The Grammar Lesson. These are humorous and descriptive poems I could read over and over just for a laugh. My appreciation for poetry has increased so much. I loved this book.
Rating: 5 / 5
Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry
Billy Collins’ purpose was perfectly met with this collection of “readable” poetry. He says in the introduction that poetry is hard enough to write…why should it be hard to read? I totally agree with him. Good poetry is not poetry that is obscure with “hidden” meaning…it is poetry that I can relate to..poetry that makes my heart do a little dance. These poems in Poetry 180 do just that. “No. 6″ is the poem that has my name on it…and I never ever get tired of reading it. Get this book and pick out “your” poem. If you’re sick of poetry that means nothing to you and makes you feel illiterate and dumb…this anthology will give you all the poems you’ve wished you could find.
Rating: 5 / 5
Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry
Poetry 180 is both impressive and disappointing. Collins has assembled a volume of accessible, contemporary poetry. It is poetry that will easily convince teens (and the general poetry-impaired public)that poetry can speak directly to them without the academic trappings of analysis. This is an admirable goal, admirably met. I was, however, surprised that little attention was given to the poetry with which teens are familar. There certainly are lyrics that standup well to literary analysis and could show teens that poetry is active in their lives outside the pages of a book.
A criteria for Collins was that the poems could be understood read over a loudspeaker during home period – another goal well met. However, in this context I would expect more overtly oral poetry – Caribbean and Native American poets, for example.
However, I have one serious complaint about the collection – complaint not just differing expectations. In this anthology I read 180 high quality, contemporary poems. Each one of them worthy of the time it took to read them. However, at the end of the book none of them stood out in my mind – not even a line or an image. They are all ultimately forgettable poems. None speak to a reader in a manner that says “This is why there is poetry. This is what can be said only through poetry. This speaks what I was feeling.”
Rating: 4 / 5
Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry