Description
A wonderfully readable anthology of our greatest poetry, chosen by the author of A Little History of Poetry
“Does anyone know more about poetry than John Carey? Almost certainly not.”-The Times
A poem seems a fragile thing. Change a word and it is broken. But poems outlive empires and survive the devastation of conquests. Celebrated author John Carey here presents a uniquely valuable anthology of verse based on a simple principle: select the one-hundred greatest poets from across the centuries, and then choose their finest poems.
Ranging from Homer and Sappho to Donne and Milton, Plath and Angelou, this is a delightful and accessible introduction to the very best that poetry can offer. Familiar favorites are nestled alongside marvelous new discoveries-all woven together with Carey’s expert commentary. Particular attention is given to the works of female poets, like Christina Rossetti and Charlotte Mew. This is a personal guide to the poetry that shines brightest through the ages. Within its pages, readers will find treasured poems that remain with you for life.







Being Alive
Words the Turtle Taught Me
Pretend You Don't Know Me
Soemps
Steep Tea
Ten Poems About Music
Surrealist Poetry
Then Come Back
Over the Moon
Centres of Cataclysm
This Is Yarrow
Luck Is the Hook
Comic Poems
The Tamarit Poems
Somewhere Else Entirely
Hansel and Gretel
Dog Poems
States of Happiness
New and Selected Poems. Volume One
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats
Collected Poems and Drawings of Stevie Smith
Selected Poetry
The Moon Before Morning
Hallelujah for 50Ft Women
Spiritlands
River Lane
Ten Poems for Summer
Peace Poems and meditations on peace
The Genre of Silence
A Frank O'Hara Notebook
Let Us Compare Mythologies
I May Be Stupid But I'm Not That Stupid
Strong in the Rain
Funny Ha-Ha, Funny Peculiar: A Book of Strange and Comic Poems