The Best Poems of the English Language: From Chaucer Through Robert Frost

A great anthology, with a great introduction and a great index. And don’t even get me started on the poets and poems…

As a homeschooling mom… getting the kids to read poetry and become fluent in speech is not always easy. We use this book and read aloud at meal times and not only do the littles get to hear some great poetry spoken, the older kids get practice on something that forces their brains to work and read what is written. This is a great collection of poems and a great fun read for us.

Uma monumental antologia da poesia inglesa, acompanhada de pequenas notas sobre cada autor. Praticamente todos os grandes poetas da língua inglesa estão nessa antologia.

Bloom's compilation is gold and his essay on the art of reading poetry is a compulsion for all poetry lovers

Harold Bloom's 'The Best Poems of the English Language' is a veritable treasure trove of poetic gems. It's a carefully curated collection that showcases the richness and diversity of English poetry. It's like a guided tour through a museum of fine art - enlightening, inspiring, and deeply satisfying. Can't beat a collection of poetry curated by Falstaff himself!

Where this anthology scores over all others is in Harold Bloom’s brilliant mini essays on each of the poets he has chosen, which immeasurably enhance the enjoyment and understanding of the poems themselves. To cite one example, he analyses the ways which Whitman employs his different poetic identities (the Self, the Soul, the Real Me or Me Myself) in “Song of Myself” and how his Soul is revealed variously as Night, Death, the Mother and the Sea in a way that so illuminates our reading of the poems.There are countless anthologies of poems that possibly include even more of everyone’s school favourites but none with this easily digested wealth of wisdom and instruction attached. For that reason I would recommend any lover of poetry to add this wonderful volume to their collection. And at 900+ pages it is a steal at the price.