"A Journey of Poems is a highly original anthology of verse, selected especially for its appeal to young people. The main preoccupations of the poet-his love of life and experience, his joy in discovery, his awareness of individual and social weaknesses, his obsession with fate and with time, his wish for a good life and an honorable end-are pointed up by the thematic arrangement of the book.
Poets of the past-Browning, Coleridge, Emerson, Kipling-and modern poets Frost, Auden, MacLeish, Humphries, Jeffers-are represented in this collection which will open the way to better understanding and fuller enjoyment of poetry."
This book was my dad's, which I snared some years ago on a visit home. Because it was a small, thin book of poetry, I recently took it on a plane trip because it so easily fit in my purse. However, due to its age - published in 1964 - it immediately began to deteriorate and keeping it together, literally, was a delicate job as its brittle yellowed pages crinkled apart in my fingers.
But reading it was a joy. The poems are of old - classics that used to be taught in high schools - many of which I have never read. I enjoyed the poems' depth and re-read several for the pure pleasure of their sound and movement.
Many of the poems stuck with me, but one of my favorites was Snake, by DH Lawrence. (Look it up! It's wonderful!)
This anthology was specifically compiled for students at Phillips Exeter Academy, a male, high school audience. Poems were included, not because they were famous, but because previous students were enthusiastic about them or found them at least puzzling enough to be worth discussion. They are not elementary, but remain accessible. An excellent way to generate continued interest in poetry. Perhaps other educational bodies should adopt this technique with their own selections!