Rating: 
Summary: Great Value
Review: The poems are listed in chronological order of author birthdate which gives an interesting perspective of the history of the english language. It has two indices that list the poems by author and first line which can be very handy when you are trying to find something. It does not contain any modern work still in copyright, but has most of my favourites (Daffodils, The Traveller, Shall I compare thee..., Kubla Khan, The Ancient Mariner, The Jaberwocky).
Rating:
Summary: Praise of a wonderful anthology of poetry
Review: Unless this anthology of poetry has been seriously altered since 1965, (that being the edition I borrowed from my mother four years ago and do not plan to return), it a wonderful collection. I have returned to old favorites and discovered poets and poems countless times in its yellowing pages. Whenever I travel it has a place in my bags, wherever I stay it has a place on my shelve until sheer age and use make it fall apart.
Rating:
Summary: Words, Glorious Words!
Review: When a friend of mine wanted to know what volume of poetry I could recommend, adding the caveat that he wasn't going to wade through a thousand pages. I immediately thought of this book, 'Immortal Poems of the English Language', edited by Oscar Williams. This is an absolutely superb anthology. The poetry is arranged chronologically by poet - it begins with Chaucer and contemporary anonymous compositions, and proceeds through the various literary time periods to the present day. All of the greats are to be found here: Chaucer, Shakespeare, Byron, Yeats, Wordsworth (the list can go on and on) as well as some lesser-known but nonetheless great versifiers such a Peele, Cowley, and Landor. These are pieces of the English language, from the Middle English of Chaucer (presented without translation or notes) quickly getting to more modern recognisable texts. The poets come from all around the world; English as a literary language was carried forth by the British Empire, and English poetry now belongs, as a product and as an instrument of creativity. As befits his status as the greatest of English poets, Shakespeare has more pages than any other (29 pages), and some pieces come from the plays rather than his poetry proper. Some poets of giant stature (Chaucer, the first poet in the anthology) seem to get short-shrift here (none of the Canterbury Tales is included; Longfellow and Elizabeth Barrett Browning have less than one page each). However, taken as an accessible, overall compilation, this gives a great insight into the pattern of development of a poetical language. Being available as a portable paperback, this book has been a frequent travel companion. One of the things I traditionally do on airline flights is to pull out this volume and memorise poems; over the course of time I have memorised hundreds of poems, all from this text. Perhaps the one thing I would wish for would be a bit more biography about the poets themselves (they appear only as names and dates; one can place them with other poets into time periods). This would, however, significantly increase the size of the volume. Williams has provided a very brief essay on the importance of poetry. Williams himself is represented as a poet in these pages. While one can quibble at the exclusions and inclusions, it is true that no anthology can ever be complete, and that is true of this one. One unfortunate thing is that it has not been updated to include poets of the past thirty years. It is true that it is difficult to determine what poetry will be honoured and enduring, a nod to some of the more acclaimed poets of this generation would be a welcome addition. If one is going to have but one book of poetry, it would not be a far stretch of the imagination to believe that it might be this one, and that the owner would be well-served for the acquisition.
Rating:
Summary: Words, Glorious Words!
Review: When a friend of mine wanted to know what volume of poetry I could recommend, adding the caveat that he wasn't going to wade through a thousand pages. I immediately thought of this book, 'Immortal Poems of the English Language', edited by Oscar Williams. This is an absolutely superb anthology. The poetry is arranged chronologically by poet - it begins with Chaucer and contemporary anonymous compositions, and proceeds through the various literary time periods to the present day. All of the greats are to be found here: Chaucer, Shakespeare, Byron, Yeats, Wordsworth (the list can go on and on) as well as some lesser-known but nonetheless great versifiers such a Peele, Cowley, and Landor. These are pieces of the English language, from the Middle English of Chaucer (presented without translation or notes) quickly getting to more modern recognisable texts. The poets come from all around the world; English as a literary language was carried forth by the British Empire, and English poetry now belongs, as a product and as an instrument of creativity. As befits his status as the greatest of English poets, Shakespeare has more pages than any other (29 pages), and some pieces come from the plays rather than his poetry proper. Some poets of giant stature (Chaucer, the first poet in the anthology) seem to get short-shrift here (none of the Canterbury Tales is included; Longfellow and Elizabeth Barrett Browning have less than one page each). However, taken as an accessible, overall compilation, this gives a great insight into the pattern of development of a poetical language. Being available as a portable paperback, this book has been a frequent travel companion. One of the things I traditionally do on airline flights is to pull out this volume and memorise poems; over the course of time I have memorised hundreds of poems, all from this text. Perhaps the one thing I would wish for would be a bit more biography about the poets themselves (they appear only as names and dates; one can place them with other poets into time periods). This would, however, significantly increase the size of the volume. Williams has provided a very brief essay on the importance of poetry. Williams himself is represented as a poet in these pages. While one can quibble at the exclusions and inclusions, it is true that no anthology can ever be complete, and that is true of this one. One unfortunate thing is that it has not been updated to include poets of the past thirty years. It is true that it is difficult to determine what poetry will be honoured and enduring, a nod to some of the more acclaimed poets of this generation would be a welcome addition. If one is going to have but one book of poetry, it would not be a far stretch of the imagination to believe that it might be this one, and that the owner would be well-served for the acquisition.
Rating:
Summary: I just had to say...
Review: When I saw the first review I just had to say that I did the same thing. Except the copy I "borrowed" was the first printing Cardinal did in 1952. Only half of my copy is intact and I think it's time to get a new one. Very worthwhile.
Rating: 
Summary: Portable and cheap, in immortality sleep
Review: Your title confounds me putting you at a distant,
A pedestal of immortality, but I want you in the here and now; in the existent.
Assigning you 4-stars is akin to the betrayal of a friend.
For your dog-eared pages has backpacked peaks with me; your spine water-stained with a tendency to distend.
But you try too hard capturing poets and poetry alike through the ages.
There is too much of you and too little of Cummings, of Lowell, of Whitman among the other sages.
There is no poet's life and who and where
There is only the poet's strife and your title's cavalier.
But I dog you no further down for your dog-eared pulp has brought me much not leaving my wallet forsaken,
For in your ambition you have failed not to include Housman, Santayana, and Aiken.
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