The Best American Poetry 1998

by John Hollander (Editor), David Lehman (Series Editor)

The appearance of The Best American Poetry every September is an eagerly awaited rite of fall -- as evidenced by soaring sales and terrific reviews. The popularity of the series is "ample proof that poetry is thriving" (The Orlando Sentinel), and this year's volume will dazzle and delight, instruct and inspire. Under the guiding vision of master poet John Hollander -- one of America's most erudite literary minds -- The Best American Poetry 1998 spotlights the imaginative power and insight of our finest poets at the fin-de-siècle. Diverse in form and method, the poems display an unwavering nobility of expression, maintaining the uncompromising artistic standards essential to The Best American Poetry tradition as it enters its second decade. With a foreword by series editor David Lehman and with comments from the poets illuminating their work, The Best American Poetry 1998 will lead you on an exhilarating and inspiring literary adventure.

Genres: Poetry, Anthologies

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐ / 5

Overall, I would give this collection a B- average (technically an 83.8% avg.) as far as the quality of the poems contained. I know that attempting to quantify poetic effect/value is a ridiculous gesture, but I am simply a ridiculous person. Of course, this is purely based on my own tastes and will not necessarily reflect your average satisfaction rate.

Masterpieces (10)
Joseph Harrison, The Cretonnes of Penelope
Anthony Hecht, Rara Avis in Terris
Edward Hirsch, The Lectures on Love
Brigit Pegeen Kelly, The Orchard
John Koethe, The Secret Amplitude
Rebecca McClanahan, Making Love
J. D. McClatchy, Descartes's Dream
Heather McHugh, Past All Understanding
Eric Ormsby, Flamingos
James Tate, Dream On

Masterful (8)
Dick Allen, The Cove
Billy Collins, Lines Composed Over Three Thousand Miles from Tintern Abbey
Daryl Hine, The World Is Everything That Is the Case
Carolyn Kizer, Second Time Around
Kenneth Koch, Ballade
Philip Levine, Drum
Robert Pinsky, Ode to Meaning
Alan Shapiro, The Coat

Masters Candidates (10)
John Ashbery, Wakefulness
Anne Carson, TV Men: Antigone (Scripts 1 and 2)
Denise Duhamel, The Difference Between Pepsi and Pope
Lynn Emanuel, Like God
Donald Hall, Letter with No Address
Karl Kirchwey, Roman Hours
Phillis Levin, Ontological
Robert Mezey, Joe Simpson [ 1919-1996]
Thylias Moss, The Right Empowerment of Light
Susan Wheeler, Shanked on the Red Bed

Overall, I would absolutely to highly recommend approx. 37.3% of the poems contained in this volume.

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some absolute masterpieces in here. Others I didn't care for. Still others I need to go back to because of their difficulty. The guest editor this time, John Hollander, chose several long poems. Only one I really had a problem with that was 30 pages long and didn't seem to be much of a good poem. But I always give the benefit of the doubt when it comes to modern poetry.

[Gretchen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Late 90s poetry ran LONG. And not in a good way. Also kind of pretentious, to be honest. The Antigone one was okay and I liked one about a half-open door that went on for three or four pages but not enough to remember the name if that tells you anything. So no. Not really great poetry.

[Ke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of it is longer than I thought. I'm surprised that some are longer than I thought. There are also classic and biblical references. There is a lot of nature. Some food. Some philosophical.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three or four poems worth rereading.

[sage · Rating 3 out of 5]

3. 5 stars

Took me 3 months to get through, but I pushed myself yesterday to read the majority so I could finish it today. I really enjoyed it for the aspect of reading American poetry released in 1998, actually. There were many poems, or lines from poems, that continue to stick out to me, and I need to go back and tab them and unfold all my doggy ears pfft. While this was not something I'd have picked up on my own, I'm glad I read it.