The Nation's Favourite Poems - Griff Rhys Jones

Advantages: Something for every poetical taste
Disadvantages: You wont like every poem.

...two types of books. There's the kind you make time for - a pot of strong hot tea, a blanket, and a prime spot on the sofa with your feet curled under you. And then there's the other kind - books that are so meaningful that you can't just read through them, but rather have to read a little at a time, and then sit back and digest the words, sounding them out in your head and putting your own meaning to them. Poetry books fall into the second category, ...
...are the books that cover my bathroom windowsill, the books I grab for when I'm sitting in the bath and don't have much time to read, or (rather disgustingly, I know) read when I'm sitting on the toilet! I think probably most people have a favourite poem of some kind, be it something inspirational, such as Rudyard Kipling's 'If', something that helps you through hard times, or even just a silly limerick that makes you giggle. So, as both a writer ... Read review

Advantages: lovely collection
Disadvantages: How can there be any disadvantages to poetry

...efficient media, and indeed with the good people of ciao, we are often seeing polls of one kind or another, Top 5 Christmas films, Top 10 songs of all time. At the turn of the millennium a poll was undergone to find the top 100 pieces of music of all time, and aside from a token appearance by Mozart, Bach and Beethoven the words ‘of all time’ my as well have been replaced with ‘in the last 50 years, and I very much doubt that half of the voters were ...
...is refreshing to know that the Nations favourite poems have no such modernist prejudice as they range fairly over the past 500 years and every one deserves to be there. This book was first published in 1996, following a nationwide poll that you may recall was featured on BBC2 for a while to find our favourite poems and is a wonderful collection. There is something about poetry, we have some wonderful writers of it here on ciao but in the hands of ... Read review

Advantages: A varied collection of great Poets and great Poetry in one book.
Disadvantages: If you like Poetry, none at all!

♥ The nations favourite poems. ♥ "With a forward by Griff Rhys Jones" The best popular anthology ever printed in Britain" Auberon Waugh Published by the BBC Worldwide Ltd. Paperback edition first publication 1996. ISBN: 0 563 38782 3 Hardback edition first published in 1998. ISBN: 0 563 38487 5 All copyright remains with the individual authors. This anthology was printed and bound by Martin's the printers Ltd. Berwick-upon-Tweed. The ...
...mean something totally differant to the next person. There is no right or wrong interpretation when reading poetry, it is purely personal. It is a Universal language with power and impact, imagery and wordpainting. And within this book you will find the Great poets, and some of the best poems ever written. This anthology of poetry was the direct result of a poll taken in Great Britain to find out which poem was the Nations favourite, and subsequently ... Read review

Advantages: Nicely organised collection of great poetry
Disadvantages: Doesn't provide much detail about each poet/poem

...versatile and diverse, which reflects the minds of the nation. This anthology is really more for pleasure than study, because it doesn't contain much commentary. The poems are organised in order of rating, and Rudyard Kipling's 'If' is the first entry. My personal favourite is Shakespeare's Sonnet 116, but there are also some great pieces by the likes of Yeats, Carol Ann Duffy and Matthew Arnold. The anthology is wide-ranging, but it is clear to ...
...many of the poems are by well-reputed, canonical poets. There is a sprinkling of the contemporary, but very little of the very contemporary. When I read poetry, the thing that strikes me first is the form, and the content comes second. But it is the content that has the more powerful, lasting impact on me. By this I mean the sentiments that the poet seeks to express from her heart, through her pen. This anthology has provided a way for me to satisfy ... Read review