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Classic Poems to Read Aloud
Classic Poems to Read Aloud by James Berry; illustrations by James Mayhew is an all-inclusive thematic anthology of over 150 poems brings together a marvelous array of writings, from Shakespeare and Tennyson to modern poets such as Robert Frost and Ted Hughes to the works of Caribbean, African, and Native American poets. A delightful way for children and adults to spend time together.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
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116 people want to read
About the author
James Berry
95 books16 followersJames Berry, OBE, Hon FRSL (1924-2017) was a black Jamaican poet and writer who settled in England in the 1940s. His poetry is notable for using a mixture of standard English and Jamaican Patois.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 23, 2015
I received this book when I was about eleven, and have read and reread it ever since. Some of the poems are sad, some are funny, but all have rhythm and a gorgeous sound once read out loud. I didn't get all the poems from the start, but that never stopped me trying to make up my own meaning, taking poems literally for what they were, beautiful rhythmic pieces I could read to myself as softly or as loudly as I wanted. This book was an inspiration and introduced me too m favorite poet, Shel Silverstein.
June 25, 2020
This is one of those books that is a bit on the deceiving side when you just skim through it. I was excited by what I was seeing as poetry and thought it would make for a great complement to my other go-to poetry book since there seemed to be a more cultural variety than what I normally see such as with some talks from Native American leaders, some religious inclusions, etc. But that isn't what I actually found once I got to reading the actual book.
My first suggestion that I wouldn't like the book came through reading the introduction of the book. One of the sentences suggested that "the literary canon that acknowledges, celebrates and emphasizes only white people's experiences in print does not apply here". Why does this have to be the focal of the introduction? Most of my experiences with poetry anthologies is that even though the cultural background may be restricted, especially on really older compilations, the thought isn't about skin color experiences but on how poetry makes you feel - rich emotions, the wonders of nature, love and life in all its various forms. True poetry will convey the reader no matter how long ago it may have been written.
Anyway if we were to look into the actual diversity of this book it seems to hit borderline. For a feat the book includes poets from at least 21 different cultural locations and that only increases if you count two Native American tribes, four African groups and three major religions also having parts of their lore shared within the pages. But of the 103 poets included the majority are Welsh, Scots, Irish, Greek, Danish, British-French, British-American, English and some white Americans with the combined total of the last two groups already forming over half of the poets included. And out of the 103, only thirteen females are included in the line-up, which makes me wonder why Maya Angelou wasn't included. Furthermore the only thing that came from Asia were the religious scriptures and the Chinese proverbs, which is sad when you think about haikus.
Plus if you just look at it with some of the names you wouldn't be able to tell where these poets were from and I think if the book really wanted to be diverse then they could have included a bit of a blurb explaining why this poet was chosen, their cultural influences and where they are from. At least you would be learning more about these diverse poets.
The selections themselves with the exception of the classics, which have been heavily fallen back upon, are mediocre at best. Unlike Louis Untermeyer's 1962 treasury that held both treasured classics and newbies side-by-side that intrigued me such as the trick poem "I Saw a Peacock With A Fiery Tail", nothing really new spoke to me. As such it just felt like reading a batch of poems someone randomly set before you, especially when you read parts like all three parts of Buddhist scriptures and they are just repeating the other pieces with a slight word change.
There were two styles of illustrations going on. The most included illustrations were black-and-white line sketches. There were a few pretty ones but otherwise they weren't too remarkable as well to really help set the tone for this book. And occasionally you would find a colored inset set-in. Although they were bright and gave the book some color most of these were also mediocre with a few only truly standing out to give the book a higher push.
In the end although it was a decent book and a good introduction to some non-local poets you may not have heard of before I just can't say I would recommend it for a poetry fallback. To me I can definitely say I know better compilations are out there.
My first suggestion that I wouldn't like the book came through reading the introduction of the book. One of the sentences suggested that "the literary canon that acknowledges, celebrates and emphasizes only white people's experiences in print does not apply here". Why does this have to be the focal of the introduction? Most of my experiences with poetry anthologies is that even though the cultural background may be restricted, especially on really older compilations, the thought isn't about skin color experiences but on how poetry makes you feel - rich emotions, the wonders of nature, love and life in all its various forms. True poetry will convey the reader no matter how long ago it may have been written.
Anyway if we were to look into the actual diversity of this book it seems to hit borderline. For a feat the book includes poets from at least 21 different cultural locations and that only increases if you count two Native American tribes, four African groups and three major religions also having parts of their lore shared within the pages. But of the 103 poets included the majority are Welsh, Scots, Irish, Greek, Danish, British-French, British-American, English and some white Americans with the combined total of the last two groups already forming over half of the poets included. And out of the 103, only thirteen females are included in the line-up, which makes me wonder why Maya Angelou wasn't included. Furthermore the only thing that came from Asia were the religious scriptures and the Chinese proverbs, which is sad when you think about haikus.
Plus if you just look at it with some of the names you wouldn't be able to tell where these poets were from and I think if the book really wanted to be diverse then they could have included a bit of a blurb explaining why this poet was chosen, their cultural influences and where they are from. At least you would be learning more about these diverse poets.
The selections themselves with the exception of the classics, which have been heavily fallen back upon, are mediocre at best. Unlike Louis Untermeyer's 1962 treasury that held both treasured classics and newbies side-by-side that intrigued me such as the trick poem "I Saw a Peacock With A Fiery Tail", nothing really new spoke to me. As such it just felt like reading a batch of poems someone randomly set before you, especially when you read parts like all three parts of Buddhist scriptures and they are just repeating the other pieces with a slight word change.
There were two styles of illustrations going on. The most included illustrations were black-and-white line sketches. There were a few pretty ones but otherwise they weren't too remarkable as well to really help set the tone for this book. And occasionally you would find a colored inset set-in. Although they were bright and gave the book some color most of these were also mediocre with a few only truly standing out to give the book a higher push.
In the end although it was a decent book and a good introduction to some non-local poets you may not have heard of before I just can't say I would recommend it for a poetry fallback. To me I can definitely say I know better compilations are out there.
July 16, 2019
This anthology consists of about 160 poems arranged in eleven thematic chapters. As the title suggests, the theme of the collection is poems that have a beauty of sound about them. As one might expect, this means there are a lot of metered and rhymed poems. However, one would be wrong to think that no free verse works were included. One might also assume that “classic poems” means that none of them were written by poets living from the latter half of the 20th century onwards. But, in addition to the pieces by the anthologist, Berry, there are a number of such authors, including: Shel Silverstein, Kit Wright, and Sylvia Plath. Most of the poems are short form poems that range from less than a page to two pages. Of the the longer poems, those that are more than a few pages are excerpted.
This is a great collection to introduce children to poetry, though it was clearly meant for all ages. It has a number of poems that have the requisite silliness to appeal to youngsters written by poets such as Ogden Nash, Lewis Carroll, A.A. Milne, Hilaire Belloc, and others. And, of course, the selected poems are pleasing to the ear for reading aloud. Furthermore, it has line drawn illustrations, though not linked to every poem.
Some of my favorites that are included in this collection are: Blake’s “The Tiger,” Lord Byron’s “She Walks in Beauty,” Coleridge’s “Kubla Khan,” Dickinson’s “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” Kipling’s “If,” Carroll’s “The Mad Gardener’s Song” and “Jabberwocky,” Shakespeare’s “St. Crispin’s Day Speech” [from “Henry V,”] and Whitman’s “Oh Captain! My Captain!” However, it was also pleasing to find many poems that I hadn’t read a hundred times (or even once) before in the anthology as well.
I highly recommend this book for poetry readers, especially those who are interested in the sound quality of poems or those who are looking to introduce a child to poetry.
This is a great collection to introduce children to poetry, though it was clearly meant for all ages. It has a number of poems that have the requisite silliness to appeal to youngsters written by poets such as Ogden Nash, Lewis Carroll, A.A. Milne, Hilaire Belloc, and others. And, of course, the selected poems are pleasing to the ear for reading aloud. Furthermore, it has line drawn illustrations, though not linked to every poem.
Some of my favorites that are included in this collection are: Blake’s “The Tiger,” Lord Byron’s “She Walks in Beauty,” Coleridge’s “Kubla Khan,” Dickinson’s “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” Kipling’s “If,” Carroll’s “The Mad Gardener’s Song” and “Jabberwocky,” Shakespeare’s “St. Crispin’s Day Speech” [from “Henry V,”] and Whitman’s “Oh Captain! My Captain!” However, it was also pleasing to find many poems that I hadn’t read a hundred times (or even once) before in the anthology as well.
I highly recommend this book for poetry readers, especially those who are interested in the sound quality of poems or those who are looking to introduce a child to poetry.
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March 13, 2022I've often struggled with reading and making sense of poetry, sometimes it's not as intuitive for me - I can experience these difficulties trying to really get into it. But this was a lovely collection!
I especially liked this one short poem about a jellyfish: so lovely.
Visible, invisible,
a fluctuating charm
an amber-tinctured amethyst
inhabits it, your arm
approaches and it opens
and it closes; you had meant to catch it and it quivers;
you abandon your intent.
- Marianne Moore
I especially liked this one short poem about a jellyfish: so lovely.
Visible, invisible,
a fluctuating charm
an amber-tinctured amethyst
inhabits it, your arm
approaches and it opens
and it closes; you had meant to catch it and it quivers;
you abandon your intent.
- Marianne Moore
August 23, 2025
This book is more of a coffee table book than a deep dive into poetry. It does have a wide mix of well-known and lesser-known works. Some of the poems are enjoyable and memorable, while others don’t land as well—though poetry is always subjective and what resonates with one reader may not with another. It’s a nicely put-together collection that works best for browsing, sharing a few pieces aloud, or leaving out for guests to discover.
March 26, 2020
Best general collection of poems I've ever come across, with gorgeous illustrations.
September 17, 2023
Love the illustrations, the choices, etc. didn't have this when I was a kid but I wish I had.
May 21, 2025
some certified bangers in there.
pablo neruda’s love poem is #1 though.
onto his collection next.
pablo neruda’s love poem is #1 though.
onto his collection next.
October 29, 2013
In the introduction of this book, James Berry tells the author that he was eager to include non-white and non-English poetry. Although there are still plenty of the 'classic' white English authors (Shelley, Sassoon, Byron, Wordsworth, Blake are just a few), there are also traditional tribal poems from the Dinka of Africa, the Navajo of America, from Muslim poets, black American poets writing in the era of the Great Depression and many other cultural and historical perspectives.
As this book exhorts its readers to read aloud, it would be ideal in assembly or with the class, to read a 'poem of the day' each morning. It could also be used to great effect in a drama or literacy lesson focusing on dramatic and expressive reading. Reading poems aloud can be a great jumping-off point for discussions on how rhyme, rhythm and other poetical devices are used to give effect. The poems are from a wide range of historical periods; they could be easily used to add interest to a history or geography lesson, or to focus on poets of a particular culture or social group - for example during Black History Month or other activities focusing on non-white cultures and social groups.
This book contains so many classic famous poems (and other texts), it's a great addition to any bookshelf. There are extracts from the Rime of the Ancient Mariner; it also contains Ozymandias, Psalm 57 from the King James Bible, Tiger, Tiger, The Charge of the Light Brigade, Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream speech, If..., Jabberwocky, many of Shakespeare's sonnets...the list is surpisingly long for a book which also contains so many examples of poetry from other cultures and nations.
Some of these poems will be too advanced to share with most primary classes; Shakespeare's sonnets being a good case in point. Nevertheless, it's still an ideal book for the primary classroom; Lewis Carrol, Michael Rosen and AA Milne are featured, along with many other children's authors.
As this book exhorts its readers to read aloud, it would be ideal in assembly or with the class, to read a 'poem of the day' each morning. It could also be used to great effect in a drama or literacy lesson focusing on dramatic and expressive reading. Reading poems aloud can be a great jumping-off point for discussions on how rhyme, rhythm and other poetical devices are used to give effect. The poems are from a wide range of historical periods; they could be easily used to add interest to a history or geography lesson, or to focus on poets of a particular culture or social group - for example during Black History Month or other activities focusing on non-white cultures and social groups.
This book contains so many classic famous poems (and other texts), it's a great addition to any bookshelf. There are extracts from the Rime of the Ancient Mariner; it also contains Ozymandias, Psalm 57 from the King James Bible, Tiger, Tiger, The Charge of the Light Brigade, Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream speech, If..., Jabberwocky, many of Shakespeare's sonnets...the list is surpisingly long for a book which also contains so many examples of poetry from other cultures and nations.
Some of these poems will be too advanced to share with most primary classes; Shakespeare's sonnets being a good case in point. Nevertheless, it's still an ideal book for the primary classroom; Lewis Carrol, Michael Rosen and AA Milne are featured, along with many other children's authors.
September 24, 2019
An eclectic collection of poems from authors around the world, grouped by categories the editor selected. I was familiar with many by such poets as Robert Burns, Lord Byron, John Keats, Sir Walter Scott, Shakespeare, Edward Lear, Shel Silverstein, Ogden Nash, and Jack Prelutsky. Many were new to me.
October 17, 2012
Book was ok, i didn't really like it too much. Some of the poems where nice but other poems where too hard to understand and read out loud. I wouldn't recommend, but i do like the fact that there where many different kinds of poems.
July 7, 2016
Dissapointed!
August 10, 2014
I have used Poems in this book to compete in the NFL (National Forensics League). It has many poems; some popular and some unpopular.
July 29, 2016
It has been mine since childhood and I will never give it up
September 27, 2016
This was one of my childhood books, and I never forgot it. I read it over and over until it fell apart. Not every poem was a favorite, but I can recite "The Jaguar" by Ted Hughes to this day.
April 29, 2020
Meh. Lots of great poems included, but, to me, including multiple passages from longer works such as the Bible, the Quran, and Shakespeare is kind of a cop out.
January 13, 2023
It had some classics I remember...glad I read this book!
December 17, 2017
I usually LOVE reading poems, but this book was not such a good one. It didn't have the most amazing poems in it and I felt that a lot of them made no sense. It is a book of poems the author personally liked so I guess it's a preference sort of thing, but I personally I would not recommend this book to anyone.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews