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The Best-Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis loved literature, especially poetry. Once you can express yourself, she wrote, you can tell the world what you want from it. Now, Caroline Kennedy shares her mothers favorite poems by such renowned authors as William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, e.e. cummings, and Robert Frost. The book also includes a poem written by Jacqueline Kennedy and is illustrated with photographs of the Kennedy clan. This is a wonderful volume for reading aloud or by yourself and a meaningful gift or keepsake for Mothers Day.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2001
35 people are currently reading
828 people want to read
About the author
Caroline Kennedy
40 books147 followersLibrarian’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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews
August 2, 2008
A wonderful book! This is the kind of book you should buy and add to your permanent collection. Not only is it a great collection of peoms, it give the reader an insight into Jackie Kennedy. It turns out that she was a real fan of literature--something that I didn't know.
February 17, 2022
3.5 Stars
I don't read a lot of poetry and don't really feel that I have the tools to review it. All I can say is that I know what I like when I read it. I'm not someone who is going to devote a lot of time to dissecting a poem and wrenching every ounce of meaning from it. I had enough of that in school.
I can't even remember what prompted me to add this title to my to-read list but it's been on there since June 2007. I was excited to finally find a copy at the library.
I liked a little more than half the poems presented in this collection, at a guess. I was familiar with a few poets and even specific poems already (Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, William Carlos Williams, etc.) but more of them were new to me.
There are seven sections in the book, each featuring poems fitting a theme. The sections were entitled America, First Poems [poems for children], Adventure, Escape, Romance and Love, Reflection, and In Her Own Words, which featured a couple of Mrs. Kennedy-Onassis's own writings. Some of the selections seemed odd for the theme. For example, Merry-Go-Round by Langston Hughes is in the Adventure section. I read that as a condemnation of the Jim Crow South, not any great adventure. The Romance section consists almost entirely of Elizabethan poetry, based on an event held in JFK's White House focused on that very theme. It seems odd to limit such a universal topic to such a very specific timeframe. But most placements did make sense to me.
There are casual photos of the Kennedy family scattered throughout the book. I've never been particularly intrigued with the family but those who are will surely enjoy these pictures as an added bonus.
This is a mixed bag for me, as most anthologies are, but it was nice to pick up this slim volume and read a few poems over breakfast. It's inspired me to grab another poetry collection from the library and try to continue the practice.
I don't read a lot of poetry and don't really feel that I have the tools to review it. All I can say is that I know what I like when I read it. I'm not someone who is going to devote a lot of time to dissecting a poem and wrenching every ounce of meaning from it. I had enough of that in school.
I can't even remember what prompted me to add this title to my to-read list but it's been on there since June 2007. I was excited to finally find a copy at the library.
I liked a little more than half the poems presented in this collection, at a guess. I was familiar with a few poets and even specific poems already (Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, William Carlos Williams, etc.) but more of them were new to me.
There are seven sections in the book, each featuring poems fitting a theme. The sections were entitled America, First Poems [poems for children], Adventure, Escape, Romance and Love, Reflection, and In Her Own Words, which featured a couple of Mrs. Kennedy-Onassis's own writings. Some of the selections seemed odd for the theme. For example, Merry-Go-Round by Langston Hughes is in the Adventure section. I read that as a condemnation of the Jim Crow South, not any great adventure. The Romance section consists almost entirely of Elizabethan poetry, based on an event held in JFK's White House focused on that very theme. It seems odd to limit such a universal topic to such a very specific timeframe. But most placements did make sense to me.
There are casual photos of the Kennedy family scattered throughout the book. I've never been particularly intrigued with the family but those who are will surely enjoy these pictures as an added bonus.
This is a mixed bag for me, as most anthologies are, but it was nice to pick up this slim volume and read a few poems over breakfast. It's inspired me to grab another poetry collection from the library and try to continue the practice.
July 18, 2021
Once again, Caroline Kennedy proves herself as a master anthologist. Here she lovingly presents her mother's favorite poetry. It is fair to say Mrs. Onassis had a excellent eye for poetry.
Ms. Kennedy's introductions to the various sections of the book are invaluable in providing insights into why her mother loved these poems, and, equally important, how her mother taught her to love them too.
Ms. Kennedy's introductions to the various sections of the book are invaluable in providing insights into why her mother loved these poems, and, equally important, how her mother taught her to love them too.
May 29, 2025
I continue to exercise my poetry muscle with the reading of The Best Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis which is compiled by Caroline Kennedy. The book is sectioned by theme such as America,first poems,escape,romance. Included as well are a few poems penned by JKO. A dozen or so photos are sprinkled throughout the text which I thoroughly enjoyed. CK also inserts a few comments between poems which made the book feel like a friend sharing something special from the heart. This is a lovely book to hold and spend time parsing the poetry selections, one to be revisited again.
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August 31, 2025I always thought I didn’t like poetry… now I know that I don’t 😂
While I’m certain that I will never read another poetry book again, there was one poem that really stood out.
“Let America Be America Again” by Langston Hughes was powerful and shows the absurdity of MAGA in that America historically has never been great for minorities.
While I’m certain that I will never read another poetry book again, there was one poem that really stood out.
“Let America Be America Again” by Langston Hughes was powerful and shows the absurdity of MAGA in that America historically has never been great for minorities.
September 11, 2019
This is a delightful little book of mostly familiar poems. The book is interspersed with reflections of the life of Jackie and her family and takes one back to a time when occupants of the White House actually read and appreciated fine poetry.
December 29, 2017
This is not a reflection so much on the choice of poetry included, as just my lack of love for poetry. Sad, but I found myself bored, annoyed, or disengaged through most of the book. There was the occasional poem that piqued my interest or touched my heart, but they were few and far between. And since I have no particular love for the Kennedy family, that didn't help me relate or attach to them. One thing I noticed was that I was much more likely to FEEL something for a poem if I had heard it before, so maybe it is all about exposure. If I had been more exposed to poems as a child, I would feel differently. I think it was awesome how they recited and memorized poetry in their family. So I'm not blaming the author, I'm blaming my parents. JUST KIDDING!!!! Is it too late for my children? I need to make a goal to read them more poetry. And not just Shel Silverstein.
July 16, 2017
The re read process took a long time, almost a year. I really enjoyed reading it sporadically because I was reading the poems out loud to my baby girl. I wanted to share the poetry with her even though she's too little to understand.
January 30, 2020
I marked my favorites for my own records.
* Let American be America Again
* Basho - An old silent pond...
* The Owl and the Pussycat
* Annabel Lee
* Hope Is the Thing with Feathers
* Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
* Sonnets 18, 29, and 116
* When a Beggar Beholds You
* Death be not Proud
* Ozymandias
* Ode on a Grecian Urn
* Acquainted with the Night
Many of these were already favorites of mine, but I discovered some new poems that I really enjoyed.
* Let American be America Again
* Basho - An old silent pond...
* The Owl and the Pussycat
* Annabel Lee
* Hope Is the Thing with Feathers
* Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
* Sonnets 18, 29, and 116
* When a Beggar Beholds You
* Death be not Proud
* Ozymandias
* Ode on a Grecian Urn
* Acquainted with the Night
Many of these were already favorites of mine, but I discovered some new poems that I really enjoyed.
April 25, 2020
It was fun to read the variety of poems and see a glimpse into the Kennedy home through each chapter's introduction. I was in awe of how poetry was often read, recited, and written in their homes. Is that common with aristocrats? I can't image poetry being part of any White House events with the current administration.
December 9, 2025
When power leads man towards arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man's concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of his existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.
January 2, 2021
A great collection of some of the greatest poems ever written. It is nice to have one book of some of the best poems ever written. The book should be be titled “Now, that’s what I call Poetry”.
April 23, 2020
Caroline Kennedy has curated a lovely, small collection of poems. I think she strikes the perfect balance between providing context and insights into her mother's life and letting the poems speak for themselves. The selection included many favorites from my childhood and the familiarity was comforting. This was also my first exposure to some of the poems Jacqueline Kennedy wrote herself.
"All the changes in the world, for good or evil, were first brought about by words."
"Read for escape, read for adventure, read for romance, but read the great writers...they touch your imagination and your deepest yearnings."
"All the changes in the world, for good or evil, were first brought about by words."
"Read for escape, read for adventure, read for romance, but read the great writers...they touch your imagination and your deepest yearnings."
May 3, 2018
The Best Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was selected and introduced by Caroline Kennedy. Her opening paragraph is a testimony to the value of poetry in our lives.
She said: “One of the greatest gifts my brother and I received from my mother was her love of literature and language. In this anthology I have tried to include poems that reflect things that were important to her-a spirit of adventure, the worlds of imagination and nature, and the strength of love and family. There are poems to read with children, poems for readers just starting out on their own, and poems for those who have never thought poetry was for them.”
She said of her mother, “Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis loved literature, especially poetry and said, “Once you can express yourself you can tell the world what you want from it” She also said her mother was a true romantic and responded to the poetry of love.
Caroline’s choice of what poems to begin the book, listed below, when read together tell you much about both her mother and her.
America the Beautiful by Katharine Lee Bates
John F. Kennedy His Inauguration by Robert Frost
The Gift Outright by Robert Frost
Paul Revere’s Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
I hear America Singing by Walt Whitman
Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes
Brown River, Smile, by Jean Toomer
She writes of poems that she had been taught to recite when she was about 3 years old. In a section titled Adventure poems of the love of heroic adventure are included. Sections titled Escape and Reflection bring thoughts that show “A Poem comes to us almost like a message in a bottle ….and can carry thoughts from other times or places.
The last section is her mother “In Her Own Words”. She said English teachers changed her life and that she also said, “read for escape, read for adventure, read for romance, but read the great writers”.
A great book.
She said: “One of the greatest gifts my brother and I received from my mother was her love of literature and language. In this anthology I have tried to include poems that reflect things that were important to her-a spirit of adventure, the worlds of imagination and nature, and the strength of love and family. There are poems to read with children, poems for readers just starting out on their own, and poems for those who have never thought poetry was for them.”
She said of her mother, “Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis loved literature, especially poetry and said, “Once you can express yourself you can tell the world what you want from it” She also said her mother was a true romantic and responded to the poetry of love.
Caroline’s choice of what poems to begin the book, listed below, when read together tell you much about both her mother and her.
America the Beautiful by Katharine Lee Bates
John F. Kennedy His Inauguration by Robert Frost
The Gift Outright by Robert Frost
Paul Revere’s Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
I hear America Singing by Walt Whitman
Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes
Brown River, Smile, by Jean Toomer
She writes of poems that she had been taught to recite when she was about 3 years old. In a section titled Adventure poems of the love of heroic adventure are included. Sections titled Escape and Reflection bring thoughts that show “A Poem comes to us almost like a message in a bottle ….and can carry thoughts from other times or places.
The last section is her mother “In Her Own Words”. She said English teachers changed her life and that she also said, “read for escape, read for adventure, read for romance, but read the great writers”.
A great book.
April 21, 2020
I bought this book not necessarily because I'm a fan of Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis, but because it was hard cover WITH A RIBBON MARKER and only a dollar at the used book store. I was sure there would be some gems in it and I was right.
Although a few poem choices seem self-indulgent (with meaning for the Kennedys but for no one else), many of these are well-loved classics. The second half was especially good, introducing me to some lesser known but beautiful poetry.
Caroline writes, "Occasionally, a poem comes to us almost like a message in a bottle. When we are facing difficult times in our lives, when it may be hard to hear or see things clearly, a poem can carry thoughts from other times or places, from those who have similar challenges, and whose ability to articulate their experiences can bring moments of insight and calm."
Exactly right! This is a lovely book that I hope to read and enjoy many times.
Although a few poem choices seem self-indulgent (with meaning for the Kennedys but for no one else), many of these are well-loved classics. The second half was especially good, introducing me to some lesser known but beautiful poetry.
Caroline writes, "Occasionally, a poem comes to us almost like a message in a bottle. When we are facing difficult times in our lives, when it may be hard to hear or see things clearly, a poem can carry thoughts from other times or places, from those who have similar challenges, and whose ability to articulate their experiences can bring moments of insight and calm."
Exactly right! This is a lovely book that I hope to read and enjoy many times.
June 14, 2014
Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis loved great language, great writers and so poetry. Her daughter picked some of her mother's most loved poems for this book, even there are few ones written by herself at the end. Especially the last one "Meanwhile in Massachusetts" I liked with a beautiful photograph in the background. On it you see her first husband, John F. Kennedy, in a distance walking away from us and enjoying the landscape. Love it! - It's a really nice book for all of those who are interested in Mrs. Kennedy-Onassis and of course all of those who love words and poetry.
July 25, 2008
I honestly never really had an appreciation of poetry until I got this book. Jackie O epitomizes grace to me in a lot of ways and I was eager to see what poets had influenced her. It's divided into chapters like adventure and love so you can retreat to a particular section when I'm feeling a particular mood. I read a few poems a night before I go to bed. Believe me, it's much more relaxing and thought-provoking than letting the TV be the last thing you take in before you go to sleep :)
January 31, 2016
I have always loved Jacqueline Kennedy and enjoy reading and learning more about her. I found this gem of a book for .59 at a Thrift store. I read some over the weekend but this will be a book I will always be reading. It contains best loved poems of Jackie, some poems she wrote and some of the most beautiful black and white family photographs. I find it very relaxing to read it. Each section is preceded with an introduction by Caroline. If you are a Jackie fan this is a must have!
November 27, 2010
I recently decided that I want to read (and perhaps memorize) more poetry and this seemed like a good collection to start with. It did not to disappoint. There was enough variety so as to make it a good introduction for those readers who may be unfamiliar or uncomfortable with poetry. Pretty good. I would defiantly recommend.
October 28, 2009
I read "there are the Days when Birds come back" by Emily Dickenson for the first time. The introductions to the sections were enjoyable. And especially her own poem - Meanwhile in Massachusetts was particularly good.
May 25, 2016
This book made me appreciate poetry more. My love for the Kennedy family grows more and more each time I read a book or article on them. This book gave me a better insight on Jackie herself.
June 5, 2021
My best childhood friend gave this poetry collection book to me 15+ years ago as a teenager and it has remained one of the top picks in my book collection so much so that if I don't know what book to take with me on a trip, it'll be this one and a novel, or this and the Tao Te Ching.
It's the type of poetry collection that has classics mixed with more modern works, in many different moods and styles. Back when I first got it from my friend, this was the first place I read Langston Hughes's "Let America Be America Again", which is a piece I come back to often and which has changed my life. It still is sharp with truth. There's e.e. cummings, Milton, John Donne, Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Elizabeth Bishop in here. I'd say besides "Let America..." my other favorites are: "He wishes for the cloths of heaven" by W.B. Yeats, "St. Crispin's Day speech" excerpt from Shakespeare, and "Somewhere I have never travelled" by e. e. cummings.
My one big criticism is the VERY small proportion of women poets (17 /110 poems) and non-Western poets and Black and Indigenous poets in this collection (10/110, none of them women). It's very heavily (old or dead) white men. For all those flaws, it was a great introduction when I was younger.
It's the type of poetry collection that has classics mixed with more modern works, in many different moods and styles. Back when I first got it from my friend, this was the first place I read Langston Hughes's "Let America Be America Again", which is a piece I come back to often and which has changed my life. It still is sharp with truth. There's e.e. cummings, Milton, John Donne, Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Elizabeth Bishop in here. I'd say besides "Let America..." my other favorites are: "He wishes for the cloths of heaven" by W.B. Yeats, "St. Crispin's Day speech" excerpt from Shakespeare, and "Somewhere I have never travelled" by e. e. cummings.
My one big criticism is the VERY small proportion of women poets (17 /110 poems) and non-Western poets and Black and Indigenous poets in this collection (10/110, none of them women). It's very heavily (old or dead) white men. For all those flaws, it was a great introduction when I was younger.
June 19, 2020
This book is one of my favourite collections of poetry. Reading it never fails to make my spirit soar with the infinite possibilities of life. It's like being young again with all of life ahead of you. My favourites include "Ulysses" (Tennyson) ,"Ithaca" (C.P Cavafy), "The Hill" (Rupert Brooke). This collection also introduced me to Langston Hughes, truly one of the great American poets. I have since gone on to read a collection of his works, and I am grateful to Caroline Kennedy for the introduction.
I think it is a fine tribute to her mother; regardless of how one feels about "The Kennedys", it is hard not to admire how Jacqueline led the country in mourning for JFK with grace and dignity, how well she raised her two children after the loss of JFK, how she kept her own counsel and maintained her privacy and sense of self in the face of an onslaught of intrusive media attention.
The book is a clue to her strength - her love of literature fed her soul, and she never lost herself in the noise and confusion around her. A wonderful book and a wonderful tribute by Caroline Kennedy to her mother, Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis.
I think it is a fine tribute to her mother; regardless of how one feels about "The Kennedys", it is hard not to admire how Jacqueline led the country in mourning for JFK with grace and dignity, how well she raised her two children after the loss of JFK, how she kept her own counsel and maintained her privacy and sense of self in the face of an onslaught of intrusive media attention.
The book is a clue to her strength - her love of literature fed her soul, and she never lost herself in the noise and confusion around her. A wonderful book and a wonderful tribute by Caroline Kennedy to her mother, Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis.
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May 1, 2021The book The Best-Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis introduced by Caroline Kennedy is really quite profound. Her taste in poetry shows that she loves rhythm and flow that is quite intricate. Not only does she like the technique of the writing but the storys and the meaning behind everything. In her collection of poems that she has, she has one about the United States that talks about what it is made of and not just talking about the American dream. The emotion behind each one of these masterpieces is exceptional; here is one of the poems, ”Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the Centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity”(This is by William Butler Yeats). She had a great selection of poems and by reading the book you could tell that she related to each and every one of them. I would give this book 9 out of 10 because it had amazing poems in it but they weren’t hers.
Things fall apart; the Centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity”(This is by William Butler Yeats). She had a great selection of poems and by reading the book you could tell that she related to each and every one of them. I would give this book 9 out of 10 because it had amazing poems in it but they weren’t hers.
January 22, 2018
This is a lovely collection of some wonderful poems, divided into sections: America, First Poems, Adventure, Escape, Romance and Love, Reflection, and In Her Own Words. I like Caroline Kennedy's reflections about her mother and the love for literature which she passed on to her children. The whole Kennedy "Camelot" myth thing is really overdone, but I do love certain things about how Jackie made the White House a place of art and culture.
There are some terrific poems in this little collection, and some are my favorites from long ago. It was fun to re-read some of them. It's been too long!
There are some terrific poems in this little collection, and some are my favorites from long ago. It was fun to re-read some of them. It's been too long!
January 1, 2018
A thoughtfully curated collection of poems beloved by Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis and put together by her daughter Caroline. I rediscovered some old favorites like Keats's "Ode on a Grecian Urn" and Yeats's "Second Coming" and found some less familiar ones I love now, too, like "Merry-Go-Round" by Langston Hughes and "The Passionate Shepherd to his Love" by Christopher Marlowe. Caroline Kennedy mentions in the introduction that "one of the greatest gifts I received from my mother was her love of literature and language." Yes, a magnificent gift.
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August 20, 2025I found this in my Dad's office. I have been in quite the reading slump unfortunately and figured maybe this could just get me started a little bit. I had no idea how much the Kennedy's loved poetry. I am glad I do now. I actually really enjoy reading poetry oddly enough. Loved how the poems were separated by different sections. So beautiful! What a beautiful way to honor your mother by sharing what she loved with the world.
I will not rate this book because it is a very personal book - an ode from a daughter to her mother.
I will not rate this book because it is a very personal book - an ode from a daughter to her mother.
September 3, 2018
On the one hand this book is clearly unforgivable, 3000 years of capital A art repurposed as hagiographic Kennedy kitsch. It's the equivalent of a Mona Lisa ashtray or a Venus de Milo dashboard wobbler.
On the other hand, the selection of poetry is largely unexceptionable (if utterly safe). If this book tricks someone who would never read Yeats or Byron into reading Yeats or Byron, why should I stand in their way with my sneers?
On the other hand, the selection of poetry is largely unexceptionable (if utterly safe). If this book tricks someone who would never read Yeats or Byron into reading Yeats or Byron, why should I stand in their way with my sneers?
April 23, 2024
5+++ stars! It's strange that I have owned both a hard bound & cd recorded version of this book for many years & have not ever reviewed it! Very strange! I really love this marvelous collection & I refer to it quite regularly. It is splendid to listen to! If you are only going to read one poetry book in April for National Poetry Month, you can not go wrong in making this your choice! Or if you need a good captivating one to introduce you to reading poetry, make this your choice!!
March 26, 2018
There are so many good memories connected with these poems- themes of childhood, nature, wonder, beauty, and love, but also the serious questions of war, hate, fighting, death and human parker passions. I felt touched by some, amused by others, not clear on all, but generally moved to feelings of emotional connection with the scenes the poet was creating with his words.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews