The Norton Anthology of Modern and Contemporary Poetry

The title for this review says it all. The Norton Anthologies are the absolute quintessential books for any literature lover. They are worth every penny of the cost.

I have acquired many Norton Anthologies and poetry anthologies in my time as a student, and this is by far one of the best. Great information about each poet, good selection of poems, and some wonderful critical essays and other texts by poets are also included. A must have for anyone studying or interested in poetry.

The second edition of this text was very good; the third edition is exceptional. the introductory essay on modernism in the first volume is worth the purchase of the book and the essays accompanying each poet are extremely valuable. the third edition has, in addition to the poetry, some seminal critical essays (such as t.s. eliot's "tradition and the individual talent"). i love this anthology and greedily devoured the whole 1000 page first volume this past month (july 2005) while on vacation. I am a third of the way through the second volume. a notable difference between the second and third editions is that the basic introduction to verse forms (meter etc.) has been ommitted from the third edition. i always liked this essay and wish that the editors had retained it as an appendix. lastly, robinson jeffers' poem "shiva" was dropped from the third edition, which i took as a bit of a loss.

The Norton anthology of Modern Poetry has now been updated and re-edited by Jahan Ramazani, and to excellent effect. The anthology now is split into two volumes, Modern and Contemporary (which here means poets who came of age slightly before or after WWII). Not only has the anthology been expanded, but importantly a poetics section has been added (the last 100+ pages of each volume), which includes Eliot's "Tradition and the Individual Talent" and Mina Loy's "Feminist Manifesto", parts of Pound's "Blast", and other important works. This is a smart move, and adds much to the anthology's usefulness. The Modern section begins with "precursors": Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Thomas Hardy, G. M. Hopkins. It is nice to see these giants featured prominently; it adds much to the value of the set, and the collection of their works is broad and satisfying. The section then moves on to AE Housman, Yeats, etc. up to Theodore Roethke, Spender and Keith Douglas. The Contemporary volume (slightly thicker, though both are over 1000 pages) takes off from there and includes experimental poets and those of more diversified backgrounds, such as Michael Palmer, Li-Young Lee, and Agha Shahid Ali. Introductory sections to both volumes provide broad overviews of poetic movements (Objectivist, Imagist, etc). While written in a very clear style that will not scare off beginners, these are actually well-researched and thought-through overviews that will be useful to serious students of poetry as well. The packaging is, in my opinion, attractive and sleek: two well designed volumes housed in a cardboard case. The paper is a bit thin and smooth (I suppose it's hard to fit 1000 pages into such relatively slim volumes), but has actually proved most durable. The typeface is compact but fully clear and legible - not at all squished together. In short, the design is very pleasing, such that I find these volumes a pleasure to read and consult whenever I need to.A year since purchasing this two-volume set, I still believe this is the best anthology of modern and contemporary English-language poetry currently on the market, and an excellent value despite its hefty price tag. I'm sure many will find disappointments here and questionable decisions - but that holds true for almost any anthology. More people will find something to celebrate here - a remarkable selection of two centuries of great poetry in the English language.A note for teachers: It occurs to me that this volume could be well-suitable for a serious college-level course on poetry (or a very advanced high school course). For those looking for a teaching volume that includes drama and fiction sections, consider Kennedy and Goia's "Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry and Drama."

The Norton anthology of Modern Poetry has now been updated and re-edited by Jahan Ramazani, and to excellent effect. The anthology now is split into two volumes, Modern and Contemporary, which here means poets who came of age before or after WWII. Not only has the anthology been expanded, but importantly a poetics section has been added (the last 100+ pages of each volume), which includes Eliot's "Tradition and the Individual Talent" and Mina Loy's "Feminist Manifesto", parts of Pound's "Blast", and other important works. This is a smart move, and adds much to the anthology's usefulness.The Modern section begins with "precursors": Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Thomas Hardy, G. M. Hopkins. It then moves into AE Housman, Yeats, etc. up to Theodore Roethke, Spender and Keith Douglas. The Contemporary volume (slightly thicker, though both are over 1000 pages) takes off from there and includes experimental poets and those of more diversified backgrounds, such as Michael Palmer, Li-Young Lee, and Agha Shahid Ali.I'm sure many will find disappointments here and questionable decisions - but that holds true for almost any anthology. More people will find something to celebrate here - a remarkable selection of two centuries of great poetry in the English language.