101 Poems That Could Save Your Life - Daisy Goodwin

Advantages: Good for the soul, great for the bedside table!
Disadvantages: 101 poems might not be enough ...

The book cover tells you 'Prozac has side effects, drink gives you hangovers, therapy's too expensive; for a quick and effective relief for all your emotional ailments, try a poem'. OK, so a poem isn't the ideal fix in the face of adversity or a moment of crisis, but this book is a precious pick me up. Although not a huge lover of poetry, I love reading, and some of the poets here have written words to touch the soul and warm the heart. This book ...
...generation. It takes some of the best poems from over the last 100+ years, written by a poet who's 'been there too' and provides a consolatory word or humorous line for many an ailment. The book has an 'emotional index' with entries ranging from 'Bad Hair Day' to 'Friendship', 'The Parent' to 'Adultery', 'Christmas' to 'The Morning After' and a whole section of 'Instant Moral Fibre'. There are classic poems from the likes of Emily Dickinson and ... Read review

Advantages: cheers you up
Disadvantages: you're left wanting more

After watching the programmes on television, telling us of tales of love and more recently Christmas poems, I wasn't surprised to find a whole stack of books edited by Daisy Goodwin on the shops shelves. But this is a good thing. This is a woman who understands and has been to places that we have all visited and some that we would rather not remember, and in this book there is a poem for every occasion. Ones that let us grieve and mourn, such a ...
...infamous Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep to poems that make us realise that maybe life isn't as bad as it seems like Streemin by Roger McGough and Loss by Wendy Cope. This book has it covered with poems that make you laugh and cry, and even a section called "Don't let the B******s Grind You Down." It holds within its small binding a cornucopia of poems some that you may know, others you may not, but with each section is an explanation and an insight, ... Read review

Advantages: Cheerful.
Disadvantages: None

Here are some of my poems I hope you will like. I write poems for fun and amusement. Reg the Rat Reg the rat lives in a cage He dines on salmon, beef and sos-age He greets you with a friendly chirp A swish of the tail and a noisy burp. He's a fine looking fellow with His whiskers shiny and bright And his sleek, creamy coat It's an awsome site. In his warm comfy bed He's in rat luxury With porage for breakfast And crumpets for tea. By ...
...wet, damp and soggy Muddy, gooey, soft and boggy. Fog and rain, mist and showers, Cloudy and dull, without the flowers. Wrapped up tight against the cold, Wooly hats and scarfs unfold. What is this? Cold hits my eye, A snowflake from the sky. Thicker and faster, it flows, it grows It glows, it snows! Look around the scene has changed, Nature has been rearranged. Everywhere a lovely site, It's crisp, it's fresh, it's bright, it's white! ... Read review

Advantages: Refreshing blend of modern and classic poems
Disadvantages: 101 poems still isn't enough ...

...This is the second anthology book edited by Daisy Goodwin. Taking the idea of the first book (101 Poems that could save your life), Goodwin has explored the theme, and produced this book which is 'designed to help you get through the stresses of modern life'. Admittedly, it's not going to fix your problems or alleviate your worries, but if you enjoy reading, then there are several entries in this book that can make you chuckle when you least expect it. This book is arranged to help you find the right poem at the right time, by organising the poems like a book of hours. Starting with 'Getting up', it then moves to other morning traumas, such as 'Stepping on the scales' or 'Looking in the mirror'. As the day progresses, sections cover everything from 'Office Politics' (very funny) to 'School Run', 'Love Struck' to 'Credit... Read review

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