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Staying Alive: real poems for unreal times
Staying Alive is an international anthology of 500 life-affirming poems fired by belief in the human and the spiritual at a time when much in the world feels unreal, inhuman and hollow. These are poems of great personal force connecting our aspirations with our humanity, helping us stay alive to the world and stay true to ourselves. Many people turn to poetry only at unreal times, whether for consolation in loss or affirmation in love, or when facing other extremes and anxieties. Staying Alive includes many of the great modern love poems and elegies, but it also shows the power of poetry in celebrating the ordinary miracle, taking you on a journey around many of the different aspects of everyday life explored in poems. A strong poem is not just for crisis. Such a poem is there for all times, helping us face or embrace daily change and disruption. It will also speak to us when nothing seems to be happening, when the poem's importance is in helping us stay alive to the world and stay true to ourselves. Staying Alive has reached a wider readership than any other anthology of contemporary poetry. It is a landmark in the history of literary publishing. A sequel, Being Alive (2004), and a companion anthology, Being Human (2011), complete this poetry "trilogy".
496 pages, Paperback
First published June 27, 2002
290 people are currently reading
2385 people want to read
About the author
Neil Astley
40 books39 followersNeil Astley is editor of Bloodaxe Books, Britain’s leading poetry imprint, which he founded in 1978. His own books include novels, poetry collections and anthologies, most notably the Bloodaxe Staying Alive trilogy. He is also a trustee of Ledbury Poetry Festival and Newcastle Centre for the Literary Arts, and a development committee member of Cúirt International Festival of Literature in Galway, Ireland.
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April 2, 2023
'Poetry cannot be defined, only experienced.'
-Christopher Logue
Poetry is a miracle of the ineffable painted in words. 'Everybody wants to be able to paraphrase the content of the poem,' wrote Former US Poet Laureate Charles Simic (The Monster Loves His Labyrinth), 'except the poet.' Poetry is like lowest common denominator when dividing reality, an abstract approach at the mechanisms of existence. To explain it is to defeat the purpose, to take pliers to the wings of a butterfly and reduce beauty to dust. It is in vain we try to explain poetry, because it is the job of poetry to explain us. Staying Alive is an indispensable anthology that demonstrates the vast varieties of language seeking to assess the most pressing questions of life in the most marvelous ways. Edited by Neil Astley, this collection contains an impressively expansive list of poets from all over the globe (the original printing by Bloodaxe Books is preferred to the American reprint by Miramax Books, the latter substituting more American poets in place of European personnel) and is sure to suggest a new poet to even the biggest poetry devotees while refreshing them on why their favourite poets astonished them in the first place. Divided into twelve sections, each with a brief and valuable introductory essay from the editor, Staying Alive addresses many angles at understanding the subject matter of the anthology's title. The supplementary material--essays, a page of quotes about poetry and a textbook-worthy glossary of poetic terms--are an added gem to this already wonderful collection. This belongs on the shelf of any lover of poetry.
'Poetry is truth seen with passion.'
-W.B. Yeats
What Staying Alive succeeds at most is reaffirming our drive to live on, to press through, to stand tall despite the ever-present darkness in life. The poems contained within aren't necessarily an optimistic or positive collection as much as they are an empowering collection. The whole of an emotional spectrum is covered, but the reader is never left to wallow in the dark but rise above it. Even through pages of the more heartwrenching poems the reader comes out with a feeling akin to the refreshing release of a good cry but not one that is ever twee or overtly sentimental. This is a reminded or why we love poetry and love existing. For me, it was a grand reaffirmation of why I consider poetry to be my preferred art medium. During my absence from Goodreads, I'd taken to a new hobby of posting poems on trees around my local downtown. As my hobby grew (eventually taking on a shared life through social media), so did my love for poetry and my drive to find more poets and poems to post. It became an expression of life, a way to send out smoke signals to anyone who would find the poems interesting that said not so much of 'I am here,' as 'you are not alone.' We may never find the answers to life, but poetry is a valuable way of finding more beautiful ways to ask the questions. And the more we ask the questions, the more we value the life for which we ask our questions. Staying Alive is not only an extraordinary array of fantastic writers but also a reminder that poetry matters, life is beautiful, and that you are not alone in this world.
5/5
'Poetry is that / which arrives at the intellect / by way of the heart.'
-R.S. Thomas
-Christopher Logue
Poetry is a miracle of the ineffable painted in words. 'Everybody wants to be able to paraphrase the content of the poem,' wrote Former US Poet Laureate Charles Simic (The Monster Loves His Labyrinth), 'except the poet.' Poetry is like lowest common denominator when dividing reality, an abstract approach at the mechanisms of existence. To explain it is to defeat the purpose, to take pliers to the wings of a butterfly and reduce beauty to dust. It is in vain we try to explain poetry, because it is the job of poetry to explain us. Staying Alive is an indispensable anthology that demonstrates the vast varieties of language seeking to assess the most pressing questions of life in the most marvelous ways. Edited by Neil Astley, this collection contains an impressively expansive list of poets from all over the globe (the original printing by Bloodaxe Books is preferred to the American reprint by Miramax Books, the latter substituting more American poets in place of European personnel) and is sure to suggest a new poet to even the biggest poetry devotees while refreshing them on why their favourite poets astonished them in the first place. Divided into twelve sections, each with a brief and valuable introductory essay from the editor, Staying Alive addresses many angles at understanding the subject matter of the anthology's title. The supplementary material--essays, a page of quotes about poetry and a textbook-worthy glossary of poetic terms--are an added gem to this already wonderful collection. This belongs on the shelf of any lover of poetry.
'Poetry is truth seen with passion.'
-W.B. Yeats
What Staying Alive succeeds at most is reaffirming our drive to live on, to press through, to stand tall despite the ever-present darkness in life. The poems contained within aren't necessarily an optimistic or positive collection as much as they are an empowering collection. The whole of an emotional spectrum is covered, but the reader is never left to wallow in the dark but rise above it. Even through pages of the more heartwrenching poems the reader comes out with a feeling akin to the refreshing release of a good cry but not one that is ever twee or overtly sentimental. This is a reminded or why we love poetry and love existing. For me, it was a grand reaffirmation of why I consider poetry to be my preferred art medium. During my absence from Goodreads, I'd taken to a new hobby of posting poems on trees around my local downtown. As my hobby grew (eventually taking on a shared life through social media), so did my love for poetry and my drive to find more poets and poems to post. It became an expression of life, a way to send out smoke signals to anyone who would find the poems interesting that said not so much of 'I am here,' as 'you are not alone.' We may never find the answers to life, but poetry is a valuable way of finding more beautiful ways to ask the questions. And the more we ask the questions, the more we value the life for which we ask our questions. Staying Alive is not only an extraordinary array of fantastic writers but also a reminder that poetry matters, life is beautiful, and that you are not alone in this world.
5/5
'Poetry is that / which arrives at the intellect / by way of the heart.'
-R.S. Thomas
March 4, 2025
Staying Alive is a very difficult book to review. Some have given it 5 stars; some have given it one star. Oddly, both of these can be accurate assessments. You could say it is the only book of poetry you will ever need. Or you could say it is a book of poetry for people who don't read poetry. Both of these are ... nearly true. It is a huge anthology, edited by the British publisher, editor and writer Neil Astley, who founded the publishing company, "Bloodaxe books". Neil Astley had already been editing and publishing poetry for nearly 30 years when he published this one. After its publication in 2002, Staying Alive became the world's best selling poetry anthology.
In his introduction, Neil Astley states,
"Most people think contemporary poetry is either boring and either irrelevant or pretentious and superficial."
He set himself a task to make poetry more accessible to the general public, and also to be "life affirming and directly relevant to all our lives".
It has to be said first of all, that Staying Alive is a huge book of poetry, with tiny print. In a way it is a compendium of 20th century poetry. It is surprising, then, that Neil Astley went on to compile two further volumes. It may have been better to divide the initial volume into parts, and in retrospect, perhaps to include some from the later volumes. It is also distracting to have two or three poems by completely different authors on facing pages. Perhaps though, this is always a slight drawback of anthologies.
On the other hand, I have heard this feature commended, and expressed as "the way the poems talk to one another across the page", with one reader liking the fact that various poems on similar subjects, but by different poets, "form a dialogue between themselves and allow the reader to contemplate the subject far deeper". Perhaps other readers do like the challenge of a variety of views clashing together. I merely find it confusing, myself.
However, if you are a beginner to reading poetry, or someone who is about to study the area, and wanting to get an overview view of modern poetry, perhaps this would be the book to choose. For those mildly interested in the area, it can be dipped into. At the back is an index of first lines, but just before that is a list of all the poets included, which I found more useful. The 13 and a half page hotchpotch list of poems and writers (by page number) at the start did not help me get an impression of the book at all. Many names were unfamiliar, others were just that - names.
Testing the usefulness of this book as a sort of "primer", I tried the list at the back out, with names of five poets whom I had not come across before Goodreads, and whom I now like. They were Mary Oliver, Wislawa Szymborska, Anna Akhmatova, Derek Walcott and Pablo Neruda. (Another person would no doubt choose a different five.) However, I was heartened to find each of the five represented by one or two poems. Equally, the more famous English language poets of the 20th century such as Robert Graves, Seamus Heaney, Philip Larkin, W.H. Auden, Ezra Pound, Robert Frost, Ted Hughes, T.S. Eliot, R.S. Thomas, and many more all have works included.
Staying Alive contains 500 poems divided into 12 sections. These sections are entitled: "Body and Soul, Roads and Journeys, Dead or Alive, Bittersweet, Growing Up, Man and Beast, In and Out of Love, My People, War and Peace, Disappearing Acts, Me, the Earth, the Universe, and The Art of Poetry". It is debatable whether these sections are particularly useful, although perhaps the thematic divisions make particular sections more appealing to an individual reader in specific circumstances. The different stances each poet takes on each loosely connected theme, means that a reader may be able to access those which best match their experience or world view, or if you like, those which "speak" to them.
All the poems deal with life in a contemporary setting, and are poems which relate to some aspect of human experience, but remind the reader of eternal truths. They appear to be chosen for their accessibility. This does mean that sometimes the style or concerns of each individual poet, are not very well represented by the specific poem or poems which have been chosen. Perhaps in this sense, it is of limited use for someone studying the area - except as an introduction to a poet, to give a slight flavour of their work. It is an extremely wide-ranging selection.
Following the rather bemusing list of poems at the front, there is an introduction in which Neil Astley explains what he is trying to achieve. Each of the twelve sections also has its own brief introduction, plus there is a useful glossary of technical poetic terms at the back.
Perhaps my difficulty with this book is my dislike of the "bitty" sort of anecdotal books which seem very popular; the sort where items seem to finish before they get started. I like something with a story, or a factual book with a little more substance, to get my teeth into. I also tend to prefer to read a collection of poems by the same author, finding it very difficult to switch my mood at will. It seems impossible to read a poem by Sylvia Plath for a few moments, and then follow it with one by Carol Ann Duffy, and fully devote one's attention to each in turn. If you recognise this in yourself, then you too may find it impossible to read through this book in an appreciative and fully engaged way.
On consideration though, I may keep this book. It is almost a reference book, in that it provides a "first glimpse" at so many poets. The further compilations Neil Astley made are entitled "Being Alive"(2004) and "Being Human"(2011). I don't really feel the need to keep these "follow-ups". The three books form a trilogy, and he has also now selected 100 poems from the entire collection of 1500, as a "'Staying Alive' travel companion".
Perhaps that edited one would suit me better. Staying Alive does appear to be a hotchpotch of unconnected thoughts. Also, some of the poems I expected to be there, by the more famous poets, were not the ones selected. It is a physically large and cumbersome book, with tiny print which is not particularly attractive. In no way is is a coffee table book, despite it being one to dip into. It is a book probably selected as an ideal gift for a bookish friend ... and one which stays on their bookshelves, never read and rarely consulted.
All in all this has to stay at 3 stars. It's a bit of a curate's egg.
In his introduction, Neil Astley states,
"Most people think contemporary poetry is either boring and either irrelevant or pretentious and superficial."
He set himself a task to make poetry more accessible to the general public, and also to be "life affirming and directly relevant to all our lives".
It has to be said first of all, that Staying Alive is a huge book of poetry, with tiny print. In a way it is a compendium of 20th century poetry. It is surprising, then, that Neil Astley went on to compile two further volumes. It may have been better to divide the initial volume into parts, and in retrospect, perhaps to include some from the later volumes. It is also distracting to have two or three poems by completely different authors on facing pages. Perhaps though, this is always a slight drawback of anthologies.
On the other hand, I have heard this feature commended, and expressed as "the way the poems talk to one another across the page", with one reader liking the fact that various poems on similar subjects, but by different poets, "form a dialogue between themselves and allow the reader to contemplate the subject far deeper". Perhaps other readers do like the challenge of a variety of views clashing together. I merely find it confusing, myself.
However, if you are a beginner to reading poetry, or someone who is about to study the area, and wanting to get an overview view of modern poetry, perhaps this would be the book to choose. For those mildly interested in the area, it can be dipped into. At the back is an index of first lines, but just before that is a list of all the poets included, which I found more useful. The 13 and a half page hotchpotch list of poems and writers (by page number) at the start did not help me get an impression of the book at all. Many names were unfamiliar, others were just that - names.
Testing the usefulness of this book as a sort of "primer", I tried the list at the back out, with names of five poets whom I had not come across before Goodreads, and whom I now like. They were Mary Oliver, Wislawa Szymborska, Anna Akhmatova, Derek Walcott and Pablo Neruda. (Another person would no doubt choose a different five.) However, I was heartened to find each of the five represented by one or two poems. Equally, the more famous English language poets of the 20th century such as Robert Graves, Seamus Heaney, Philip Larkin, W.H. Auden, Ezra Pound, Robert Frost, Ted Hughes, T.S. Eliot, R.S. Thomas, and many more all have works included.
Staying Alive contains 500 poems divided into 12 sections. These sections are entitled: "Body and Soul, Roads and Journeys, Dead or Alive, Bittersweet, Growing Up, Man and Beast, In and Out of Love, My People, War and Peace, Disappearing Acts, Me, the Earth, the Universe, and The Art of Poetry". It is debatable whether these sections are particularly useful, although perhaps the thematic divisions make particular sections more appealing to an individual reader in specific circumstances. The different stances each poet takes on each loosely connected theme, means that a reader may be able to access those which best match their experience or world view, or if you like, those which "speak" to them.
All the poems deal with life in a contemporary setting, and are poems which relate to some aspect of human experience, but remind the reader of eternal truths. They appear to be chosen for their accessibility. This does mean that sometimes the style or concerns of each individual poet, are not very well represented by the specific poem or poems which have been chosen. Perhaps in this sense, it is of limited use for someone studying the area - except as an introduction to a poet, to give a slight flavour of their work. It is an extremely wide-ranging selection.
Following the rather bemusing list of poems at the front, there is an introduction in which Neil Astley explains what he is trying to achieve. Each of the twelve sections also has its own brief introduction, plus there is a useful glossary of technical poetic terms at the back.
Perhaps my difficulty with this book is my dislike of the "bitty" sort of anecdotal books which seem very popular; the sort where items seem to finish before they get started. I like something with a story, or a factual book with a little more substance, to get my teeth into. I also tend to prefer to read a collection of poems by the same author, finding it very difficult to switch my mood at will. It seems impossible to read a poem by Sylvia Plath for a few moments, and then follow it with one by Carol Ann Duffy, and fully devote one's attention to each in turn. If you recognise this in yourself, then you too may find it impossible to read through this book in an appreciative and fully engaged way.
On consideration though, I may keep this book. It is almost a reference book, in that it provides a "first glimpse" at so many poets. The further compilations Neil Astley made are entitled "Being Alive"(2004) and "Being Human"(2011). I don't really feel the need to keep these "follow-ups". The three books form a trilogy, and he has also now selected 100 poems from the entire collection of 1500, as a "'Staying Alive' travel companion".
Perhaps that edited one would suit me better. Staying Alive does appear to be a hotchpotch of unconnected thoughts. Also, some of the poems I expected to be there, by the more famous poets, were not the ones selected. It is a physically large and cumbersome book, with tiny print which is not particularly attractive. In no way is is a coffee table book, despite it being one to dip into. It is a book probably selected as an ideal gift for a bookish friend ... and one which stays on their bookshelves, never read and rarely consulted.
All in all this has to stay at 3 stars. It's a bit of a curate's egg.
November 18, 2017
I enjoyed this anthology, overall, though I would have made some different choices about what to include and what to leave aside. The selection of poems ranges from fantastic to okay, but of course these matters are subjective. I did not find the introductions to each section enhanced the reading, but it may do so for others. I learnt something about myself whilst reading this, though, which is that I do not like my poems organised into tidy categories; so, while the poems themselves are worthwhile, I find it dull to have them sectioned like this and prefer randomness and the element of having stumbled upon something wonderful, like a fresh blossom in a ruined forest.
October 12, 2011
Poetry is very hard to review and even harder to anthologize. Many editors are guided by tradition. The same old poems turn up time and time again. Most poetry doesn't sell well, so what editor would take a risk on including poets most readers have never heard of? This means that finding fresh, good poems is really hard and can be expensive.
Enter Neil Astley, an extraordinary man and the founder of Bloodaxe Books. He has spent a lifetime devoted to other people's poetry. Unlike many literary men, he has an open mind, vast experience, breathtaking vision and colossal self-assurance.
It was in this book that he first gave us the benefit of that unusual combination of qualities. Staying Alive is a large book, well-organised, stimulating, surprising and accessible. It was published in 2002 and is still fresh.
It was followed in 2004 by Being Alive and in 2008 by Being Human, both equally good and equally vital. Many people buy all three.
These poems are varied and various, consistently good, and striking without being difficult or obscure. I particularly like the way Neil places poems with contrasting viewpoints side by side. It is typical of his approach, inclusive, balanced and pluralistic. If reading so much poetry can lead to this kind of enlightenment, let's all read more poetry.
Here is one that plays with the contrasts and contradictions within a single word and is almost therefore representative of the whole collection:
Lightness
It was your lightness that drew me,
the lightness of your talk and your laughter,
the lightness of your cheek in my hands,
your sweet gentle modest lightness;
and it is the lightness of your kiss
that is starving my mouth,
and the lightness of your embrace
that will let me go adrift.
Meg Bateman
Translated from the Gaelic by the author.
Enter Neil Astley, an extraordinary man and the founder of Bloodaxe Books. He has spent a lifetime devoted to other people's poetry. Unlike many literary men, he has an open mind, vast experience, breathtaking vision and colossal self-assurance.
It was in this book that he first gave us the benefit of that unusual combination of qualities. Staying Alive is a large book, well-organised, stimulating, surprising and accessible. It was published in 2002 and is still fresh.
It was followed in 2004 by Being Alive and in 2008 by Being Human, both equally good and equally vital. Many people buy all three.
These poems are varied and various, consistently good, and striking without being difficult or obscure. I particularly like the way Neil places poems with contrasting viewpoints side by side. It is typical of his approach, inclusive, balanced and pluralistic. If reading so much poetry can lead to this kind of enlightenment, let's all read more poetry.
Here is one that plays with the contrasts and contradictions within a single word and is almost therefore representative of the whole collection:
Lightness
It was your lightness that drew me,
the lightness of your talk and your laughter,
the lightness of your cheek in my hands,
your sweet gentle modest lightness;
and it is the lightness of your kiss
that is starving my mouth,
and the lightness of your embrace
that will let me go adrift.
Meg Bateman
Translated from the Gaelic by the author.
January 7, 2008
In the times when I feel alone in my experience and separated from humanity, I turn to this book for succor, and every time I find something that echoes my experience and I am comforted. I think that Neil Astley did a remarkable job of editing this book. I find the organizational flow instinctive and compelling and very, very unusual for a poetry book.
February 29, 2008
An amazing collection, truly worth its title. Like every anthology, there were some poems I liked better than others, but I found a lot that I REALLY loved.
"And the Days Are Not Full Enough"
And the days are not full enough
And the nights are not full enough
And life slips by like a field mouse
Not shaking the grass.
- Ezra Pound
"And the Days Are Not Full Enough"
And the days are not full enough
And the nights are not full enough
And life slips by like a field mouse
Not shaking the grass.
- Ezra Pound
January 20, 2012
Oooh, I've been a long time getting round to starting this! It became my 'bag book' as poetry is good for those small moments - you can read just one poem and then close your eyes and savour it in relatively brief moments such as waiting at a petrol station (alas I cannot read on the move) However I also had time to read whole sections at once.
I love the title of this book and was encouraged by the way it is organised into themes with introductions to each section with just the right level of detail and explanation. I liked that there was quite a mixture of poems, including many translated from other languages and I think most or at least many previously unknown to me.
However, if I am honest, the way I feel about this anthology is rather like some sceptical people do about healthy living to 'Stay Alive' ie they claim it just makes it feel longer (and not in a good way). Make no mistake - there were many poems I enjoyed and I see that I have popped in extra bookmarks to be able to go back to some. I also learned more about poetry through the references to form in the introductions to each section, and from the glossary. I am not one of those Amazon reviewers who all but say "But it doesn't rhyme!" or "But these are about depressing subjects!" But I expected (I think I had every right from the title) to find this a profoundly life-affirming read, as poetry often is, and for me, it wasn't.
I thought this might be a book which would have to be part of my permanent collection so perhaps the bonus is that this can now go to someone else and I bet the next person to read it will feel differently.
I love the title of this book and was encouraged by the way it is organised into themes with introductions to each section with just the right level of detail and explanation. I liked that there was quite a mixture of poems, including many translated from other languages and I think most or at least many previously unknown to me.
However, if I am honest, the way I feel about this anthology is rather like some sceptical people do about healthy living to 'Stay Alive' ie they claim it just makes it feel longer (and not in a good way). Make no mistake - there were many poems I enjoyed and I see that I have popped in extra bookmarks to be able to go back to some. I also learned more about poetry through the references to form in the introductions to each section, and from the glossary. I am not one of those Amazon reviewers who all but say "But it doesn't rhyme!" or "But these are about depressing subjects!" But I expected (I think I had every right from the title) to find this a profoundly life-affirming read, as poetry often is, and for me, it wasn't.
I thought this might be a book which would have to be part of my permanent collection so perhaps the bonus is that this can now go to someone else and I bet the next person to read it will feel differently.
May 7, 2015
For a few years I'd been keeping a notebook full of my favorite poems, where I'd carefully copy the poem in so that I'd have it with all my other poems I could describe as old and best friends. I can't remember how I came across this book in the first place--I may have been drawn in simply by the cover, which is an intensely charged photo of a girl's face--but I knew it was for me the moment I opened the first page and found Mary Oliver's poem "Wild Geese" at the very beginning, before the table of contents. These are modern poems from a refreshingly international spectrum of writers, and they're grouped--intriguingly--into subject area rather than geography, time period, or author. That could be a limiting arrangement, but Astley has taken great care to make sure that the poems in each category are brilliantly diverse. Even within subject areas there's a fantastic range of emotion and expression, so expect the occasional broken heart poem in the chapter on romantic love and the occasional poem full of hope in the war chapter.
My usual method of marking favorite poems is to fold down a corner of the page. I started that with Staying Alive and found that the book got so misshapen that I had to resort to actually marking up the pages. I stooped to desecration and ACTUALLY MADE MARKS IN IT because the good poems are SO good that I didn't want to waste time on dross when I could be reading the dozens--hundreds--of amazing poems in the book. There IS some dross, as with any anthology, but I find that a poet who's written a dud in one chapter will have a gem two pages later or on some entirely different subject. Poets have no more than a handful of poems apiece and there are hundreds.
What most strikes me about this book is that Astley has a fantastic ear for a particular tone, regardless of subject. What you can expect flipping to any poem in the book is similar to that picture on the cover--eloquence disguised as simplicity, where only one word is used when more than one aren't necessary and the free verse line breaks are distinct without being choppy. (There are also metered poems, which are typically sneaky in meter and you don't realize they're metered until halfway through when you start to wonder why you're hearing these chimes in your head. If you're a free verse person, the metered poems won't annoy you, and vice versa.) The best word I can use for it is "lucid," which gives the right sense of letting the light through but doesn't convey the honesty of emotion that characterizes so many of these poems. Many of the people who provide blurbs (some of whom are quite surprising celebrities, like Van Morrison) comment on the immediacy of these poems, but I think the better word is that they're essential. Over and over you'll be struck between the eyes by one and your breathing will change and you will think, yes, exactly, that, that exactly. As the subtitle says--these are real. And so many of them--both those that I knew before and so many that I didn't--have become essential to me.
Do whatever you need to to get a copy of this book (which is unfortunately out of print, although there are rumors that it'll be back in print soon) and treat it kindly, because you can expect to keep it for a long, long time. I carry it with me when I travel for delays and lonely hotel rooms. I keep it next to my bed. It is simply the best poetry anthology that I have ever read.
My usual method of marking favorite poems is to fold down a corner of the page. I started that with Staying Alive and found that the book got so misshapen that I had to resort to actually marking up the pages. I stooped to desecration and ACTUALLY MADE MARKS IN IT because the good poems are SO good that I didn't want to waste time on dross when I could be reading the dozens--hundreds--of amazing poems in the book. There IS some dross, as with any anthology, but I find that a poet who's written a dud in one chapter will have a gem two pages later or on some entirely different subject. Poets have no more than a handful of poems apiece and there are hundreds.
What most strikes me about this book is that Astley has a fantastic ear for a particular tone, regardless of subject. What you can expect flipping to any poem in the book is similar to that picture on the cover--eloquence disguised as simplicity, where only one word is used when more than one aren't necessary and the free verse line breaks are distinct without being choppy. (There are also metered poems, which are typically sneaky in meter and you don't realize they're metered until halfway through when you start to wonder why you're hearing these chimes in your head. If you're a free verse person, the metered poems won't annoy you, and vice versa.) The best word I can use for it is "lucid," which gives the right sense of letting the light through but doesn't convey the honesty of emotion that characterizes so many of these poems. Many of the people who provide blurbs (some of whom are quite surprising celebrities, like Van Morrison) comment on the immediacy of these poems, but I think the better word is that they're essential. Over and over you'll be struck between the eyes by one and your breathing will change and you will think, yes, exactly, that, that exactly. As the subtitle says--these are real. And so many of them--both those that I knew before and so many that I didn't--have become essential to me.
Do whatever you need to to get a copy of this book (which is unfortunately out of print, although there are rumors that it'll be back in print soon) and treat it kindly, because you can expect to keep it for a long, long time. I carry it with me when I travel for delays and lonely hotel rooms. I keep it next to my bed. It is simply the best poetry anthology that I have ever read.
December 8, 2013
Love it. Yeats's "When You Are Old" feels so fresh facing Zbigniew Herbert's "Conch". Poetry is timeless, borderless. It's refreshing to pick up an anthology that crosses boundaries and eras easily. Let Osip Mandelstam sit on the page across from Sylvia Plath, let Robert Graves share a page with Ingeborg Bachmann. It's refreshing. And there are loads of great poems here, it's a useful resource.
Here's the prose poem "Conch" by Zbigniew Herbert:
In front of the mirror in my parents' bedroom lay a pink conch. I used to approach it on tiptoes, and with a sudden movement put it against my ears. I wanted to surprise it one day when it wasn't longing with a monotonous hum for the sea. Although I was small I knew that even if we love someone very much, at times it happens that we forget about it.
Here's the prose poem "Conch" by Zbigniew Herbert:
In front of the mirror in my parents' bedroom lay a pink conch. I used to approach it on tiptoes, and with a sudden movement put it against my ears. I wanted to surprise it one day when it wasn't longing with a monotonous hum for the sea. Although I was small I knew that even if we love someone very much, at times it happens that we forget about it.
November 13, 2011
On page 254 :))))
Love: Beginnings
They're at that stage where so much desire streams between them,
so much frank need and want,
so much absorption in the other and the self
and the self-admiring entity and unity they make --
her mouth so full, breast so lifted, head thrown back
so far in her laughter at his laughter
he so solid, planted, oaky, firm, so resonantly factual
in the headiness of being craved so,
she almost wreathed upon him as they intertwine again,
touch again, cheek, lip, shoulder, brow,
every glance moving toward the sexual, every glance away
soaring back in flame into the sexual --
that just to watch them is to feel again that hitching in the groin,
that filling of the heart,
the old, sore heart, the battered, foundered, faithful heart,
snorting again, stamping in its stall.
-- C K Williams
Love: Beginnings
They're at that stage where so much desire streams between them,
so much frank need and want,
so much absorption in the other and the self
and the self-admiring entity and unity they make --
her mouth so full, breast so lifted, head thrown back
so far in her laughter at his laughter
he so solid, planted, oaky, firm, so resonantly factual
in the headiness of being craved so,
she almost wreathed upon him as they intertwine again,
touch again, cheek, lip, shoulder, brow,
every glance moving toward the sexual, every glance away
soaring back in flame into the sexual --
that just to watch them is to feel again that hitching in the groin,
that filling of the heart,
the old, sore heart, the battered, foundered, faithful heart,
snorting again, stamping in its stall.
-- C K Williams
March 7, 2016
I keep two copies of this book: one to share when I make a new poetry-loving friend and one for me. I've given away a dozen or more copies. This anthology is a fabulous read for poetry lovers and also for those just dipping their little toe into poetry to see if they like it. It's filled with a diverse assortment of contemporary poets, classic poets and old favorites. A great anthology introduces you to talented poets you've never heard of before. This book does that and so much more. I'd give it an entire constellation of stars if I could. It's my number one favorite poetry anthology, an old friend I turn to again and again!
July 1, 2019
One of the best poetry anthologies I have read and which thoroughly deserved its popular success. Full of gems, some from poets you know, and many from poets you don't.
Every home should have a copy.
Every home should have a copy.
January 30, 2022
Enjoyed this anthology! Read most of it last year but finished it a few days ago. Obviously poetry is very subjective, but I've never read a collection that I've enjoyed so many poems from.
Have to confess, I skipped most of the animal poems 'Man and beast' chapter. God knows I don't care about horses.
Have to confess, I skipped most of the animal poems 'Man and beast' chapter. God knows I don't care about horses.
February 16, 2013
As a classicist specializing in Latin poetry, I have long mocked poetry written in English. Latin as a language can do things English simply cannot, and I always felt English-writing poets were trying to compensate for this lack by making their poems either indecipherable, obscure messes or so over-the-top and formless as to be no more poetry than a teenager's angst-ridden diary entry. Well, numquam posterea! (Never again!)
A friend gave me a copy of Staying Alive, and I am glad to report that I have finally seen the light. There *are* great modern poets out there composing meaningful, rich verses--poems crafted with enough skill that the reader must still do some work or re-reading, but direct and lush enough to be enjoyable at first pass.
I'm not sure I can heap enough praise onto Neil Astley, the editor of Staying Alive, not only for his careful selection of the poems in this volume but also for his organization of them. First, the poems are grouped by general subject matter (growing up, for example, or love, or journeys), which establishes a consistent place for the reader to stand as they move through the group. More impressive to me, however, is how Mr. Astley has deftly woven the poems together within their groupings. In this way, the poems form a dialogue with one another and allow the reader smooth transitions within the group. One moment you're reading about the glories of romantic love, and the next moment you're immersed in the vitriolic poems of scorned lovers, but due to Mr. Astley's skillful arrangement, you hardly notice you've gone over the hill and off into the ditch. Such a feat could only have been accomplished by a person with the utmost knowledge of the current poetry landscape.
The poems themselves were clearly selected for their power. True to its title, this anthology is brimming with poems that resonate with the human experience. No matter how you are feeling, there is a poem here to help you make sense of it and know that you are not alone. Although I read the collection from front to back, I can guess that this is also a perfect book to pick up and choose from at random or by going to a specific section. Mr. Astley has ensured that you will find exactly what you need. Nor are these the stodgy old poems that fill many required reading lists in schools (though I do love some of those too). These verses are down-to-earth yet exquisitely beautiful, consummately modern in word while being timeless in theme.
As a final note, the introductory essays (by the talented Mr. Astley), the concluding essay, the glossary, and the suggestions for further reading make this anthology truly indispensable. And like any poetry book worth its salt, Staying Alive includes an alphabetized index of titles and first lines.
What an unexpected joy to have my misconceptions about modern poetry shattered so completely. As mentioned in the concluding essay, most of the general public's ideas on poetry are at least two hundred years out of date, with mine being more around the two thousand year mark! If you're interested at all in catching up to the here and now, you must put Staying Alive on your bedside table.
A friend gave me a copy of Staying Alive, and I am glad to report that I have finally seen the light. There *are* great modern poets out there composing meaningful, rich verses--poems crafted with enough skill that the reader must still do some work or re-reading, but direct and lush enough to be enjoyable at first pass.
I'm not sure I can heap enough praise onto Neil Astley, the editor of Staying Alive, not only for his careful selection of the poems in this volume but also for his organization of them. First, the poems are grouped by general subject matter (growing up, for example, or love, or journeys), which establishes a consistent place for the reader to stand as they move through the group. More impressive to me, however, is how Mr. Astley has deftly woven the poems together within their groupings. In this way, the poems form a dialogue with one another and allow the reader smooth transitions within the group. One moment you're reading about the glories of romantic love, and the next moment you're immersed in the vitriolic poems of scorned lovers, but due to Mr. Astley's skillful arrangement, you hardly notice you've gone over the hill and off into the ditch. Such a feat could only have been accomplished by a person with the utmost knowledge of the current poetry landscape.
The poems themselves were clearly selected for their power. True to its title, this anthology is brimming with poems that resonate with the human experience. No matter how you are feeling, there is a poem here to help you make sense of it and know that you are not alone. Although I read the collection from front to back, I can guess that this is also a perfect book to pick up and choose from at random or by going to a specific section. Mr. Astley has ensured that you will find exactly what you need. Nor are these the stodgy old poems that fill many required reading lists in schools (though I do love some of those too). These verses are down-to-earth yet exquisitely beautiful, consummately modern in word while being timeless in theme.
As a final note, the introductory essays (by the talented Mr. Astley), the concluding essay, the glossary, and the suggestions for further reading make this anthology truly indispensable. And like any poetry book worth its salt, Staying Alive includes an alphabetized index of titles and first lines.
What an unexpected joy to have my misconceptions about modern poetry shattered so completely. As mentioned in the concluding essay, most of the general public's ideas on poetry are at least two hundred years out of date, with mine being more around the two thousand year mark! If you're interested at all in catching up to the here and now, you must put Staying Alive on your bedside table.
February 1, 2018
As someone on the hunt for good poetry, I was irritated to only now find this anthology - have I been living under a rock? The editor Neil Astley has come to my attention in the last months, and I have been so pleased with his work that I am hunting all of it down, bit by bit. An excellent anthology, this. The kind I like are not easy to find - ones with new but meaningful writing in it, and which introduce a lineup of poets whose work I can pursue on my own.
A sample:
Begin
Begin again to the summoning birds
to the sight of the light at the window,
begin to the roar of morning traffic
all along Pembroke Road.
Every beginning is a promise
born in light and dying in dark
determination and exaltation of springtime
flowering the way to work.
Begin to the pageant of queuing girls
the arrogant loneliness of swans in the canal
bridges linking the past and future
old friends passing though with us still.
Begin to the loneliness that cannot end
since it perhaps is what makes us begin,
begin to wonder at unknown faces
at crying birds in the sudden rain
at branches stark in the willing sunlight
at seagulls foraging for bread
at couples sharing a sunny secret
alone together while making good.
Though we live in a world that dreams of ending
that always seems about to give in
something that will not acknowledge conclusion
insists that we forever begin.
Brendan Kennelly
A sample:
Begin
Begin again to the summoning birds
to the sight of the light at the window,
begin to the roar of morning traffic
all along Pembroke Road.
Every beginning is a promise
born in light and dying in dark
determination and exaltation of springtime
flowering the way to work.
Begin to the pageant of queuing girls
the arrogant loneliness of swans in the canal
bridges linking the past and future
old friends passing though with us still.
Begin to the loneliness that cannot end
since it perhaps is what makes us begin,
begin to wonder at unknown faces
at crying birds in the sudden rain
at branches stark in the willing sunlight
at seagulls foraging for bread
at couples sharing a sunny secret
alone together while making good.
Though we live in a world that dreams of ending
that always seems about to give in
something that will not acknowledge conclusion
insists that we forever begin.
Brendan Kennelly
April 27, 2011
I bought this book while in a poetry-consuming fit, and it holds true to its title. I have since read it countless times, in happiness and in sadness, on planes, in the bathtub, out loud to friends and acquaintances, half-drunk, all the way drunk, stone sober, and everything in between. Its pages are a mess of spilled red wine and water stains, and I think nearly every poem is marked with a post-it note, a makeshift bookmark or a dog-ear, half of which don't belong to me.
This book is invaluable to anyone who loves poetry, or anyone who wants to love poetry. There is a sentiment in here for every situation. In all the times I've read it, an undiscovered gem has popped out at me, even if I've read that poem 47 times before.
This book is invaluable to anyone who loves poetry, or anyone who wants to love poetry. There is a sentiment in here for every situation. In all the times I've read it, an undiscovered gem has popped out at me, even if I've read that poem 47 times before.
April 28, 2013
I have had this book for about seven years now. I don't think that I will ever 'finish' it. It is a constant companion, as are many of the poetry books on my shelves. This one has a definate melancholic tilt throughout but don't let that put you off. The poems in the pages of this anthology are a celebration, a dance, a whirl through the landscapes of life, and poetry having no real bounds goes beyond too. I love this book. It is a real treasure and resource for me and my life. Bloodaxe books are a wonderful trove of exciting contemporary poetry publishing.
November 6, 2020
I've had this book for almost 15 years. It has notes, highlighted passages and pages dog eared. It has poems for every situation that you need help expressing or exposing your feelings about. I will keep this book forever.
May 21, 2019
I have yet to read this cover to cover, but it is my favourite poetry anthology at the moment. Packed full of beautiful poems that remind me why I like poetry and why I like being alive - often the same reasons.
November 16, 2014
A fantastic selection of poems. I'm sure I'll be dipping in and out of this volume for many years to come.
March 1, 2015
My favorite anthology of contemporary poems.
February 15, 2021
I sure wish this book had lived up to its intriguing title. Sadly, aside from a few gems, I found this vaunted book of poetry, including the highly romantic introduction, to be disappointing. Admittedly, I don’t read a lot of poetry, which is exactly why I wanted to read this book. Although the subject by chapter organization was interesting, the pages left me wanting.
Here is one short gem, anyway, by Irish poet Eibhlin Nic Eochaidh
How to Kill a Living Thing
Neglect it
Criticize it to its face
Say how it kills the light
Traps all the rubbish
Bores you with its green
Continually
Harden you heart
Then
Cut it down close
To the root as possible
Forget it
For a week or a month
Return with an axe
Split it with one blow
Insert a stone
To keep the wound wide open
Here is one short gem, anyway, by Irish poet Eibhlin Nic Eochaidh
How to Kill a Living Thing
Neglect it
Criticize it to its face
Say how it kills the light
Traps all the rubbish
Bores you with its green
Continually
Harden you heart
Then
Cut it down close
To the root as possible
Forget it
For a week or a month
Return with an axe
Split it with one blow
Insert a stone
To keep the wound wide open
August 24, 2021
A great collection of poems and curated in a way that really brings the most out of them. This is especially helpful for those wanting to read poetry for the first time. I found it a great introduction to contemporary poetry. I would also advice to read it in order, as Neil Astley did an incredible job by putting it in the order it is in.
December 22, 2024
A wonderful anthology that contains a fair few classics as well as lots of poems that are completely new to me.
August 27, 2023
Lots of poems
April 22, 2012
I first saw this anthology mentioned on thebrowser.com, in the segment that I follow religiously where experts recommend five books on a particular topic.
There is a lot of great stuff here. The poems are divided by category, and the anthologist has done a great job in selection - poets are largely from the UK and USA, but there are also quite a few translated poems, even one from Gaelic! My only complaint would be that some of the poems are not included in their entirety, for instance he often chose some segments of longer poems. I think it would have been better to be more selective, and include the entirety of everything selected.
While some of the themes aren't my favorite (I tend to skim through nature-poems, child-poems, and death-poems), the organization of the anthology made it easy to enjoy.
I wish I could just copy everything I loved into this review, but it would simultaneously fill pages and violate copyright. I will include the titles of my favorites, and leave you to discover them for yourself. A few of my favorites were already familiar to me, but I couldn't stand to leave them off my list.
One more thing - these are intended to be uplifting and life-affirming, but that shouldn't scare you away. They aren't sugar-coated or unrealistic, or even always upbeat. Just full of honesty.
Wild Geese by Mary Oliver (link is to video of Oliver reading)
Happiness by Raymond Carver (my favorite bit is the last stanza)
Entirely by Louis MacNeice
History by Maura Dooley (read by poet)
The Journey by Mary Oliver (fast forward to 1:10)
Yes by Muriel Rukeyser
And the Days are Not Full Enough by Ezra Pound
Last Night by Sharon Olds
In Defense of Adultery by Julia Copus
And They Were Both Right by Kapka Kassabova
Lightness by Meg Bateman
Inscription by Sophia de Mello Breyner
Places We Love by Ivan V. Lalic
Eating Poetry by Mark Strand (link is video of Strand reading)
Late Fragment by Raymond Carter
There is a lot of great stuff here. The poems are divided by category, and the anthologist has done a great job in selection - poets are largely from the UK and USA, but there are also quite a few translated poems, even one from Gaelic! My only complaint would be that some of the poems are not included in their entirety, for instance he often chose some segments of longer poems. I think it would have been better to be more selective, and include the entirety of everything selected.
While some of the themes aren't my favorite (I tend to skim through nature-poems, child-poems, and death-poems), the organization of the anthology made it easy to enjoy.
I wish I could just copy everything I loved into this review, but it would simultaneously fill pages and violate copyright. I will include the titles of my favorites, and leave you to discover them for yourself. A few of my favorites were already familiar to me, but I couldn't stand to leave them off my list.
One more thing - these are intended to be uplifting and life-affirming, but that shouldn't scare you away. They aren't sugar-coated or unrealistic, or even always upbeat. Just full of honesty.
Wild Geese by Mary Oliver (link is to video of Oliver reading)
Happiness by Raymond Carver (my favorite bit is the last stanza)
Entirely by Louis MacNeice
History by Maura Dooley (read by poet)
The Journey by Mary Oliver (fast forward to 1:10)
Yes by Muriel Rukeyser
And the Days are Not Full Enough by Ezra Pound
Last Night by Sharon Olds
In Defense of Adultery by Julia Copus
And They Were Both Right by Kapka Kassabova
Lightness by Meg Bateman
Inscription by Sophia de Mello Breyner
Places We Love by Ivan V. Lalic
Eating Poetry by Mark Strand (link is video of Strand reading)
Late Fragment by Raymond Carter
February 6, 2017
This book was recommended to me as an introduction into the world of poetry. As a person whose only real exposure to poetry before this anthology was that of Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss, this was a great, although daunting, experience.
I found over the days that I read this that I tend to gravitate toward shorter poems, or poems that are structure uniquely, over those that span pages or have no margin breaks. So as a result, I may have unfairly judged a portion of this book, as I tended to dismiss certain poems that didn't draw me in by the first stanza.
But there were a few outstanding poems in here that really touched me, either by expanding my worldview, or by referencing something I am intimately familiar with, yet painting it in a beautiful new way. A few favorites include:
"Saint Animal" and "Animal Languages" by Chase Twichell
"Choose" and "Grass" by Carl Sandburg
"Sadie and Maud" by Gwendolyn Brooks
"The door" by Miroslav Holub
"America" by Tony Hoagland
"The door: anticipation of wisdom" by Kapka Kassabova
"The Journey" by Mary Oliver
"Things" by Fleur Adcock
"The Execution," "An Exchange of Gifts," "This Is What I Wanted to Sign Off With,"and "Canadian Love Song" by Alden Nowlan
"Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas
"Snow" by Kapka Kassabova (which had my favorite line - "Why care whether birth and death are merely points when life is not a straight line")
Overall, I enjoyed my time reading it, even though it may have been a bit difficult for me to get into. Many thanks to Ellie, the person who lent me her copy and recommended I read it :)
I found over the days that I read this that I tend to gravitate toward shorter poems, or poems that are structure uniquely, over those that span pages or have no margin breaks. So as a result, I may have unfairly judged a portion of this book, as I tended to dismiss certain poems that didn't draw me in by the first stanza.
But there were a few outstanding poems in here that really touched me, either by expanding my worldview, or by referencing something I am intimately familiar with, yet painting it in a beautiful new way. A few favorites include:
"Saint Animal" and "Animal Languages" by Chase Twichell
"Choose" and "Grass" by Carl Sandburg
"Sadie and Maud" by Gwendolyn Brooks
"The door" by Miroslav Holub
"America" by Tony Hoagland
"The door: anticipation of wisdom" by Kapka Kassabova
"The Journey" by Mary Oliver
"Things" by Fleur Adcock
"The Execution," "An Exchange of Gifts," "This Is What I Wanted to Sign Off With,"and "Canadian Love Song" by Alden Nowlan
"Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas
"Snow" by Kapka Kassabova (which had my favorite line - "Why care whether birth and death are merely points when life is not a straight line")
Overall, I enjoyed my time reading it, even though it may have been a bit difficult for me to get into. Many thanks to Ellie, the person who lent me her copy and recommended I read it :)
February 9, 2011
A very good anthology. Many books of poetry err on the side of the same establishment-tested, mother-approved poems -poignant, for sure- that have already been fed down your throat somewhere else, and this isn't one of them. This one is more like a very personal tour of what's been retained as worthwhile, after one person's years and years of reading. Instead of Good Poetry In Capitals, it's good poetry in lowercase. Even the layout makes me happy: some pages are suggestions: - if you liked this, read that. Some pages are history lessons: someone who liked this, wrote that. That being said, the same strengths and weaknesses of all anthologies apply: where you can learn about many authors you might like in relatively few pages, it's hard to get to know and understand any one voice in depth. While the number of different points of view makes grouping around a theme interesting, the same factor makes the sum total rather slow to digest. The book lends itself nicely to jumping around randomly. I recommend as worth it.
January 6, 2021
A deep and enlightening anthology - I started reading this during my university course. The most captivating thing about this anthology is its versatility. There are a wide range of themes and subject matters within the array of eclectic poems; the poetry is most definitely relatable and thought-provoking. I rekindled my admiration for this anthology this year. The sub-heading of the anthology is shockingly apt: “real poems for unreal times.” In this anthology, there are some poems that will make you chuckle at a witty remark, some poems that will bring back emotions of grief/loss and some poems that will conjure emotions of being grateful and being present. The poetry in this anthology captures the importance of simplicity in our everyday lives. I must admit - various poems did touch a nerve for me and were difficult to read (with watery vision!) They evoked a passionate force of capturing humanity at its most vulnerable state.
A must read in your lifetime.
A must read in your lifetime.
July 23, 2010
Full of gut-punching verse, this collection finds your pressure points and keeps pressing. While a few of the expected familiars make their appearances, this is no ivory tower waxing philosophical on the nature of pain. This is poetry of the people: gritty, accessible, and direct. My only wish is that this were offered in hard-bound edition. The cover illustration is dreadful, and I expect my copy will fall apart not from suspect binding but over-use. I understand that Mr. Astley published a sequel to this anthology, I plan on purchasing this as well.
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