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Rating: 
Summary: My review of Poetry 180
Review: 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:
Summary: A Totally Enjoyable Read
Review: 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:
Summary: A Totally Enjoyable Read
Review: 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:
Summary: Don't know much about what poets to read?
Review: 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: 
Summary: A haphazard selection
Review: There are a gazillion poetry anthologies on the market, some better, some worse, some quite comprehensive, some eclectic with a discernible slant. Billy Collins, a rather entertaining and usually smart poet (although often lacking in depth), has done himself and poetry a disservice here by hurling his name into the crowded field of anthology editors with this haphazard selection that's neither comprehensive nor eclectic -- it's just superficial. This is one book money is wasted on; for poetry lovers, I would recommend any of the recent editions of the "Best American Poetry" series instead (especially those of 2000 and 2003), or the excellent collection "Poetry Daily: Poems from the World's Most Popular Poetry Website".
Rating:
Summary: A haphazard selection
Review: There are a gazillion poetry anthologies on the market, some better, some worse, some quite comprehensive, some eclectic with a discernible slant. Billy Collins, a rather entertaining and usually smart poet (although often lacking in depth), has done himself and poetry a disservice here by hurling his name into the crowded field of anthology editors with this haphazard selection that's neither comprehensive nor eclectic -- it's just superficial. This is one book money is wasted on; for poetry lovers, I would recommend any of the recent editions of the "Best American Poetry" series instead (especially those of 2000 and 2003), or the excellent collection "Poetry Daily: Poems from the World's Most Popular Poetry Website".
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