She Walks in Beauty: A Woman's Journey Through Poems

by Caroline Kennedy

In She Walks in Beauty, Caroline Kennedy has once again marshaled the gifts of our greatest poets to pay a very personal tribute to the human experience, this time to the complex and fascinating subject of womanhood. Inspired by her own reflections on more than fifty years of life as a young girl, a woman, a wife, and a mother, She Walks in Beauty draws on poetry's eloquent wisdom to ponder the many joys and challenges of being a woman. Kennedy has divided the collection into sections that signify to her the most notable milestones, passages, and universal experiences in a woman's life, and she begins each of these sections with an introduction in which she explores and celebrates the most important elements of life's journey. The collection includes works by Elizabeth Bishop, Sharon Olds, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Mary Oliver, Pablo Neruda, W. H. Auden, Adrienne Rich, Sandra Cisneros, Anne Sexton, W. S. Merwin, Dorothy Parker, Queen Elizabeth I, Lucille Clifton, Naomi Shahib Nye, and W. B. Yeats. Whether it's falling in love, breaking up, friendship, marriage, motherhood, or growing old, She Walks in Beauty is a priceless resource for anyone, male or female, who wants a deeper understanding and appreciation of what it means to be a woman.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Anthologies, Book Club, Feminism, Audiobook, Womens

333 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 5, 2011

About the author

Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Caroline Bouvier Kennedy is an American author and attorney. She is the daughter and only surviving child of U.S. President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. An older sister, Arabella, died shortly after her birth in 1956. Brother John F. Kennedy, Jr. died in a plane crash in 1999. Another brother, Patrick Bouvier Kennedy died two days after his birth in 1963.

Reviews

[Mary-Lisa Russo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life is a moving story, and we move forward in life and every breath, every step we take, culminates in a new experience we add to our story over time. And that is certainly what our lives amount to: a cumulated tapestry of our journey, an ongoing poem that is deep and meaningful and rich, uniquely ours to shape and pave as we see fit within the complexity of our experiences.

I purchased a paperback copy of New York Times Bestseller, "She Walks In Beauty- A Woman's Journey Through Poems", back in January, 2021 and read it over time, at my leisure. When I came across it, something told me to purchase a physical copy. I am happy to report I am glad I did so. This book is a treasure, endowed with an arsenal of poems spanning a woman's life journey depicting different facets of her existence and her place within her evolving story.​

​The book is beautifully laid out in categories introduced by Caroline Kennedy and a number of pages are illustrated with black and white peonies, adding to the overall feminine tone of the book. It clocks in at 332 pages yet it feels lightweight and did not place any hand holding fatigue on me while reading. I find Caroline Kennedy's detailed introduction to each section a personal touch which connects with the reader.

As an avid, poetry reader and writer, I can appreciate the mosaic of thoughts and feelings conveyed in the poems depicted in this book as they unfold throughout a woman's life journey from childhood through to old age. These are not poems just stuck together. They are carefully chosen to reflect an expanding timeline.

​I can also appreciate the unique styles from various poets that come together to create a deeply meaningful anthology that speaks to the reader. I enjoyed reading work from well known and lesser known poets. Discovering new writing talent is always a bonus for an avid reader. As we age and time marches on, I believe our sensitive side is triggered by our experiences and the world around us and everything and everyone within it becomes more and more meaningful to us.

You do not have to be a writer yourself to appreciate these poems. Anyone can enjoy this book which makes it a keeper. I thought of a diamond after I finished reading it. It has many facets to it and so does a woman's journey for the struggles, the triumphs, the gains, the losses and the joys are all laid out in this book. It reminded me that with each step we take, we do "walk in beauty."

Definitely a keeper.

Have a wonderful day,
Mary-Lisa Russo

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first heard about this book when I watched Caroline Kennedy mix it up, poetry-wise, with Stephen Colbert on The Colbert Report. Intrigued, I was glad to see the book appear on the new book shelves at my local library. Checked it out and loved it. Caroline Kennedy edited this book and wrote the introductions for each of the sections of poems. Included in this volume are poems about the various phases of women's lives--Falling in Love, Breaking Up, Marriage, Work, Motherhood, Friendship, Growing Up and Growing Old--to name just a few. What I loved best about this book is that it includes some of my favorite poems and has introduced me to some fabulous poets. While I have to return this book to the library this week, I will be stopping by a book store and picking up a copy for my personal library.

[Alena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not a regular poetry reader so I was attracted to the way this anthology is structured by topic. Caroline Kennedy has compiled a wide variety of styles and authors and grouped them according to the "phases" of a woman's life, from birth through death. My favorite sections were about friendship, love and letting go. And truly, there were some entries that just stopped me in my tracks as I read and re-read words that touched my heart.

But I'm stingy with my rating because there were too many that just bored me and quite a few longer entries that I skipped entirely.

Overall I think this is a great way for non-poetry lovers to digest poetry in understandable ways.
Plus, I was able to meet a reading challenge for January. Bonus.

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would have given this book one and a half stars, but just before the end, I found "Love" by Roy Croft included in the poems. My husband and I had Croft's poem read at our wedding, along with "The Love Chapter in Corinthians" which is also in this book. Croft's "Love" is the single best description of the way two people in love should feel about each other. Every time I read "Love" I am reminded of that old adage about marriage, "Be friends first." It is so true!
Kennedy compiled poems that she believes represent women. I love poetry. I love all forms of literature. But I think it's possible to find literature that just doesn't speak to us. Literature is an art form. I think it's similar to the way we can love music, but hate listening to gospel singers, or death metal. Art is subjective. To that end, Kennedy's book just didn't speak to me the way I thought it would. There are a few poems sprinkled in among those "silent" ones that did resound in me: "Love", and "The Love Chapter in Corinthians" which I mentioned, but also, "Survivor" by Roger McGough, "The Summer Day" by Mary Oliver, and "A Word to Husbands" by Ogden Nash. For the most part though, the best parts of Kennedy's book aren't the poems, but the chapter intros. It is in these that we get to hear Kennedy's voice, her experiences, and her thoughts on the poems. In some ways, each introduction is a poem in itself.

[Isabella Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

i fuckin love poetry man

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of poems compiled by Caroline Kennedy based on the stages of a woman’s life. I liked the layout of this book. She begins each section with some personal reflections that I really enjoyed. This is a very diverse collection with classics from Shakespeare, the Bible, etc., as well as many contemporary selections.

Kennedy started this project around the time she turned 50. She said, “Reading poems can help bring clarity and insight to emotions that can be confusing or contradictory.” Being at the cusp of middle-age myself, this anthology particularly resonated with me. I came unglued when I read “High School Senior,” a mother’s reflections on her 17-year-old daughter’s last year at home before college. As Kennedy says, “the personal is universal.”

I enjoyed the majority of these poems.

From the humorous and dysfunctional—

Jamesian
Their relationship consisted
In discussing if it existed.

From Summer with Monika
Away from you
I feel a great emptiness
a gnawing loneliness

With you
I get that reassuring feeling
Of wanting to escape.

To the indulgent—
Chocolate
By Rita Dove

Velvet fruit, exquisite square
I hold up to sniff
Between finger and thumb—
How you numb me
With your rich attentions!
If I don’t eat you quickly,
You’ll melt in my palm.
Pleasure seeker, if I let you
You’d liquefy everywhere.
Knotted smoke, dark punch
Of earth and night and leaf,
For a taste of you
Any woman would gladly
Crumble to ruin.
Enough chatter: I am ready
To fall in love!

To the wise and profound--

From Emerson From a Letter to His Daughter: “Finish every day and be done with it.”

From Dickinson: “Parting is all we know of heaven, And all we need of hell.”


And my all-time favorite love poems/verses—

1 Corinthians 13

William Shakespeare--Sonnet 116

Elizabeth Barrett Browning—Sonnett XLIII: How Do I Love Thee?

Emily Dickinson—Wild Nights—Wild Nights!

To My Dear and Loving Husband by Anne Bradstreet

Love by Roy Croft

[ℓуηη_σƒ_νєℓαяιѕ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't read poetry often, so I like to throw some in there every now and then. I struggle to find stuff I like though, unfortunately. This collection is no exception. I give it 2.5-3 stars

I of course loved the Emily Dickinson, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and Emerson poems (3 of my favorite poets), and Shakespeare as well. But the majority of stuff in this anthology wasn't for me. The parts I found most interesting were actually the author's written thoughts the introduced each no section. I really liked those personal pieces, and she helped explain some of those poems I could grasp anything from.

Overall this anthology was a struggle for me. There were poems that made references to things & places only that port or their close friends would understand; there were poems that were all over the place like a bag of cats set loose; and some that just left me scratching my head. Or I was just plain bored. \_(:0)_/

I did like some of them though: Bra Shopping by Parnesha Jones had me laughing over some of the lines and nostalgia it brought to mind. Patterns by Amy Lowell was so tragic and sad 😢 Lineage by Margaret Walker put me in mind of my own grandmothers, and the strong, able women they were. The Female of the Species by Rudyard Kipling is quite an empowering piece for women and I loved that feeling of fierceness it portrays. And lastly I'll mention Ithaka by Constantine P. Cavafy, which I also loved because it's dramatic, emboldening, and draws on ancient Greek mythology for inspiration. That's also a win with me.

I definitely enjoyed parts of this computing poetry, but as a whole it just didn't do anything for me. I'll continue my perusal of poems, always searching for those ones that ring true to my personal life and that set my imagination free :)

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of poems from Caroline Kennedy. Each 'chapter' includes an introduction by her, and then a smattering of poems covering a single topic. They are: Falling in Love; Making Love; Breaking Up; Marriage; Love Itself; Work; Beauty, Clothes and Things of This World; Motherhood; Silence and Solitude; Growing Up and Growing Old; Death and Grief; Friendship; and How to Live. It was a very good collection of poems. Some were familiar classics, and some I had never heard before. All were pleasing. Just because this book is called 'A Woman's Journey Through Poems' does not mean a man could not enjoy it, although it is geared towards women. The poems are written by both men and women, and there is old poetry and new. I was disappointed she did not include a chapter on education. It seemed neglectful. Also, Ms. Kennedy has a somewhat traditional outlook on the world and the lives of women, and that comes through here. I was hoping for at least one or two poems that were 'edgy' or more non-conformist. Overall, an enchanting collection, and one I would highly recommend.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love good poetry and I just forget to add it to my daily life. This is a lovely collection subtitled "A Woman's Journey Through Poems" and it's edited by Caroline Kennedy who selected the poems and wrote an intro to each of the sections. She chose beautifully a mixture of old and new, serious and light-hearted alike. I first read some of these poems when I was a child and they are like old friends revisiting me again. Comforting and delightful. Some of them were new to me and it's always such a treat to find words that express a thought that's been mulling around in your head looking for the right words. Like this little charmer called "Survivor" by Roger McGough:
"Everyday
I think about dying.
About disease, starvation,
violence, terrorism, war,
the end of the world.
It helps
keep my mind off things."

[Liz Lem · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved that the poetry selections were for women at all stages of life. It’s feminism at its core that women are different than men and that women are just as varied and three dimensional as men.

I listened to the Audible version of the book and loved the performances of the poems. Caroline Kennedy’s voice is not of ‘voice over’ quality but I respect who she is and her life’s journey.

There’s nothing like an excellent poem to connect me to my spirit and emotions. And this book is full of them.

[Rachel Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in my book club that I am a part of, back when it was poetry month. I just realized I never left a review.

Our book club had us read 2 sections of our choosing, and then we all read the last section. I am, personally, NOT a big fan of poetry, so it was hard for me to really get into the flow of the words and rhythm of it all. (flashbacks to bad English classes in high school overanalyzing poetry and breaking down all the rhymes and structure)

There were a few that I really liked, and I think if you are a fan of poetry, this will be a great collection for you to add.

[Camie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compendium of poetry featuring favorites of Caroline Kennedy bearing themes coinciding with the phases of a woman’s life.
C P Cavafy’s circa 1911 poem Ithaca , which reminds us that ones journey through life is as important as ones destination, has long been a personal favorite of mine 3.5 stars

[hannah rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

some of the poems i couldn’t relate to bc they were literally about like…marriage lol but the ones about like breakups and falling in love were super slay! my first time reading much much older poetry that i actually understood/enjoyed which was nice.

[Alarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were certainly some stellar poems in this collection. A few, particularly “The Journey” by Mary Oliver, covered the theme beautifully. For me, however, this collection didn’t deliver on its promise. Women throughout history have been defined by men, by culture, and by government. I was hoping for more modern poems about the lives of modern women, grappling with the demands of jobs and home, primarily written by women. I don’t mind reading poems by Byron, Keats, Shelley, Tennyson, Marlowe, etc., etc., the usual men who monopolize anthologies, I just don’t think they have a place in “a woman’s journey.” As Mary Oliver said, “…there was a new voice,/which you slowly/recognized as your own.”

Some of the poems by men still worked with the theme, e.g., Gallway Kinnell’s “After Making Love We Hear Footsteps” and “From ‘Clearances,’ In Memoriam M.K.H. (1911-1984),”in which Seamus Heaney recalls the intimacy of peeling potatoes with his mother. “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning is one of my favorite poems, but I found in jarring in an anthology about women’s roles. The Duke in the monologue murdered his wife and blames the victim for deserving it.

Rant over, I’d give the section “Growing Up and Growing Old” five stars for focusing more on the female point of view and taking us on a journey. A few poems that really spoke to me were “You Begin” by Margaret Atwood, “Courage” by Anne Sexton, and on a lighter note about the angst of adolescence, “Bra Shopping” by Parneshia Jones.

I actually bought this book because it had a poem by Jo McDougall. In “Companion,” she takes a wry look at Grief as a rude house guest who “claimed the only bath” and “repapered the rooms.”

[Abby Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of poems celebrating womanhood has surprised me, since I am not particularly enamoured of either the Kennedys or of the artform of poetry in general. This is a lovely balance of Biblical, classic and modern poems, of lines that are familiar ("I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you") and those that were not but struck me all the same ("Are those your children? Yes."). It has poems after my own heart, from an ode to the sexy red dress, to a tribute to a girl's most faithful friend: her dog. Although I have not loved all of the poems I have worked my way through here, they have all made me pause, and ponder. Because this anthology is organized according to the major milestones of a woman's life (marriage, friendship, motherhood, aging), this would be the perfect gift for a woman in transition, whether it is a new mom or especially a woman approaching middle age. 4.5 stars.

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely. A book to savor slowly and to return to.

[Emily Casella · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was gifted this book for graduation last year by a nice man who works at the library named Mr. Yancy, (he even signed it). I don't like poetry too much, but I thought I would give a whirl, because Bethany said I would never read it haha. But overall the author uses other people's poetry form a collection of time periods and locations and women and men writers. She puts them into sections where she gives a brief description of her life at a certain time. It can be very cliched and cringy sweet at times and I don't think I was going to make it through the romance and marriage but luckily it moved on to friendship and death. There was seven poems out of 316 pages worth that I liked and found interesting and different. There was even one with reference to Nude Descending Stair Case. Which I'm only assuming is reference to the Marcel Duchamp painting.

[Tara ☆ Tarasbookshelf · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a painfully awkward collection of poetry that took me way too long to put aside and stop torturing myself by not finishing.
Two reluctant stars because it's a pretty design and there are a few poems, out of the many questionable selections, that I actually enjoyed. I think poetry is extremely subjective and what resonates with one person won't necessarily represent the life experience or preferences of another. That being said, this book did not resonate with me at any level, despite being a woman who loves poetry. The author's introductions to each rather oddly broken up section, I found to be shallow, saccharine and limited, much like the poems themselves.

[Kristen Iworsky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed many of the poems, but rolled my eyes at many of the introductions. For example, “This book began as a collection of poems for middle-aged women—something no one wants to be.” Ummm... really? I have a whole list of things I wouldn’t want to be and being middle aged isn’t one of them.

[rosemary paulson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was BEAUTIFUL. A collection of poems from different authors all about womanhood. Absolutely beautiful and tear jerking. Perfect book at the perfect time (first day of spring break on the beach)!

[Crysta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely anthology. I dipped into this nearly every day over the last few months, reading one or two at a time. Kennedy organizes the poems thematically (marriage, work, falling in love, grief, motherhood, etc) which provides an interesting vehicle through which to compare. And she assembles a great roster of poets, from the ancients to the moderns. I was pleasantly surprised to find many old favorites -- but discovered some new ones, too.

[Michelle Schlag · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this collection of poems! A great selection, compiled in a way that is enjoyable to read.

[Matthew Chapman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice enough poems. A lite pleasure.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this collection of poems selected by Caroline Kennedy. Liked her insights she shares in the prefaces to each section. This is a great book to give as a gift to friends and family!

[joseph zilvinskis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice collection

[Ronda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find that lately poetry is speaking to me in a way that it hasn't for years. This book, like almost every collection, had poems I didn't like at all, but it also had many that I loved. There is a huge variety of styles and themes, and I have enjoyed making my way slowly through it. It introduced me to a few authors I hadn't encountered before, which is always exciting.

[Sidna · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful book! I'm not into poetry and would never have chosen to read this book if my book discussion group had not selected it. I almost always buy our book club selections, but I didn't want to spend $25 for this one so I got it a few days ago from the public library. I thought I would read Caroline's comments and read a few of the poems, but I read the entire book in almost one sitting.

For people of a certain age, Caroline seems like one of our children. I was in high school when her father was elected President and in college when he was assassinated. Even though I was not a Democrat, like everyone else, I was fascinated by our handsome, young President and his growing family. I watched every minute of the funeral proceedings on tv and my heart broke for his widow and young children. I considered Caroline's brother John to be our Prince William.

For someone who has been famous almost from the minute she was born, Caroline has managed to keep a low profile. She divided this book into 12 different topics and writes about her own life at the beginning of each topic and discusses some of the poems in each section. Reading this book, I am proud of the woman she has become. She tells some funny stories about growing up, talks about her own marriage, and discusses issues she has faced in raising her children, and other things that have happened in her life that are common to all women. She mentions her parents, but she doesn't need to tell us a lot about them since we already know them. Even though she has money to buy anything she wants, she seems like a very down-to-earth person. She gives you the impression that you could discuss anything with her over a cup of coffee.

Our discussion leader for the book has selected one poem we are going to discuss in depth and has already told us what it is so we can be prepared. She also asks that those of us who want to discuss our favorite poems from the book. To my surprise I found 5 or 6 poems I really enjoyed.

I definitely recommend this book, even if you just read Caroline's comments and don't read the poems.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book #14 of the 2016 Reading Challenge. Theme: A poetry book.

Although this was a beautifully written book, I still will never enjoy reading poetry. It was hard to get through a lot of the poems. The introduction to each grouping of poems was beautifully written by the author and that was actually my favorite portion of the book.

"When I was younger, I thought my task was to forge ahead and succeed as an individual. But growing older has helped me realize that our success lies in our relationships— with the family we are born into, the friends we make, the people we fall in love with, and the children we have. Sometimes we struggle, sometimes we adapt, and at other times we set a course for others to follow. We are all leaders and followers in our lives. We are constantly learning from and teaching one another. We learn, too, that the most important work is not done by those who seem the most important, but by those who care the most."

"Falling in love is a series of moments in which the ordinary becomes extraordinary. Those moments are not continuous, but the sense of union with another person is just about the best thing there is."

"In the past thirty years, women have become defined by what we do, as well as by whom we love."

"Our mothers are our first teachers, and we teach others the same lessons we learn from them. As a child, when your mother believes in you, you believe in yourself, and when that happens, there is nothing you can’t do. As a mother, that is the greatest gift we can give to a child."

"The people who are happy being alone are often the people everyone wants to be around"

"One of the most important qualities in a friendship is that it makes each of us into a better person."

"The lifers who, even seven states away, are the porches where we land"

[Lacey Louwagie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to this one as part of my immersion in poetry in April. The subtitle of the anthology is, "A woman's journey through poems," which made me think that it was going to be a collection of women poet's giving voice to women's lives. Instead, it has at least as many male poets writing ABOUT women as women speaking to their own experiences, and many of these poems fall prey to romanticizing womanhood, seeing women once more through "the male gaze." As such, it contained a lot more platitudes and cliches than authentic representations of a woman's journey.

The Modern Scholar "Understanding Poetry" collection I also listened to in April talked about how poetry is "meant" to be read aloud. But I don't think an audiobook is the best way to experience poetry, nonetheless. I found myself not paying attention to the poems that didn't grab me, and then wishing I had a printed version so I could savor the few that did. I do want to find a printed copy of the anthology so I can read a particular poem about friendship that really spoke to me, but other than that, the poetry here doesn't seem particularly worth revisiting.

[DW · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had no idea the author was the daughter of JFK (the bio inside the back cover doesn't mention it at all) until I saw one brief mention that "my mother wore it at my father's Inaugural Ball." Not many fathers have Inaugural Balls.

Some poems I liked:
Unfortunate Coincidence by Dorothy Parker (oh, so cynical)
may i feel said he by e. e. cummings (evokes a lot in so few words, though I don't understand his use of parentheses)
Bra Shopping by Parneshia Jones (so accurate)
Vietnam by Wislawa Szymborska (woman claims not to know anything, except that those are her children)
lumpectomy eve by Lucille Clifton ("one breast comforting the other")
Don't Quit by unknown ("it's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit")

I also like the famous "What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why" by Edna St. Vincent Millay and the title poem by Lord Byron, though I tend to be too impatient to slow down enough to read them properly.

I found it weird that there were separate sections in the book for Falling in Love, Making Love, Breaking Up, Marriage, and Love Itself. Five sections, just for love, out of thirteen.