Poetry Says It Better: Poems to Help You Wake Up

by Ellen Burstyn (Author, Narrator)

Read by Ellen Burstyn

The legendary Academy Award–winning actress reflects on her love affair with poetry and makes us believers.

In this beautiful book, Ellen Burstyn celebrates poetic magic and shares her favorite works. Now into her nineties, Ellen reveals she had an evangelical response to learning poetry even as a child and would memorize and recite the works of Edna St Millay to envelope herself in the poet’s deeper emotional landscape. As she continued her epic rise through film and theater—eventually winning an Oscar, a Tony, a BAFTA, and an Emmy—poetry gave voice to her experience as no other literary art form could. She never went anywhere without her curated “poetry pack.” No matter where she was in the world, while waiting on set, in rehearsal, on a train, or just relaxing, she found comfort in verse.

For nearly nine decades, poetry has led Ellen on a life of adventure, from a pilgrimage to Rumi’s birthplace to a friendship with Maya Angelou, during which the poet read her work in Ellen’s movie trailer, to selecting the poems to join her in love, in motherhood and in grief.

Featuring work by W.B. Yeats, Edna Vincent St. Millay, Rainer Maria Rilke, William Wordsworth, Edgar Allan Poe, William Ernest Henley, and others, Poetry Says It Better is a perfect daily companion for everyone looking to deepen and add meaning to their life experience. Throughout, Burstyn’s charming voice and luminous insights help readers meet her in this poetic celebration—soul to soul.

Genres: Poetry

6 pages, Audible Audio

First published April 28, 2026

Reviews

[2raccoonsinacoat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely perfect book for anyone interested in poetry but who feels intimidated or uncertain where to start (which is so relatable).

Having the mom from The Exorcist share her favorite poems and what they mean to her was not something I knew I needed in my life. I’ve known Ellen Burstyn was a GOAT since I was a kid but I for real wish she were my grandmother. In this, Burstyn shares some of her favorite poetry and how they impacted her life. I absolutely love the variety she presented. There were some well-known names, like Poe and Millay, but she also shares some lesser-known writers and even some that are just her friends. Her worldliness is inspiring and I loved how she tied her travels and spiritual studies in with poetry from around the world. For new readers, she does a wonderful job of introducing the art of reading poetry without being high falutin or woo-woo.

Overall, this book made me think more deeply about poems I already knew, introduced me to some I didn’t, and inspired me to be a more present, kind human.

Thank you to HarperOne and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Jessica Milliner · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this collection of poems and thoughts, Ellen explains many things about her favorite poetry collections from poets. She gives a detailed explanation of how she used these poems to recite them repeatedly—allowing her to have a little bit of something. Reading a collection of poetry was something I truly enjoyed. This book impresses me more because Ellen used these poems as a way to express herself and everything around her.

[Katharine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost gave up on Ellen Burstyn's Poetry Says it Better so many times just because HER part of the writing was so poor. But, then I would read another poem I hadn't heard of before that I really enjoyed and decided I would give it just one more chance. And, that's how I finally got through it.

I would have enjoyed the book much more if Burstyn had just written a forward explaining that these were some of her favorite poems, and why, then published the quite excellent and varied poetry collection for the remainder of the book. But, her rather breathless, very short comments between the verses provided little insight or relevant information and mostly just got in the way. Example, why would she decide to include commentary along the lines of, "Dear Reader, I originally wasn't going to include the following poem, but picked it up and read it again and decided I should. So, here it is." It almost sounded like she was using talk-to-type software and dictating whatever came into her head that moment as she sorted through a shoebox of random copied poems. Yes, there were some random biographical morsels thrown in. But, the emphasis here is on random.

Anyway, the poems were excellent, and I now have 6 books of poetry waiting for me at the library that Burstyn introduced me to. I am very much looking forward to reading them, at least.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think what makes a good poet a good poet is that they’ve found a way to express themselves with their true voice. from Poetry Says It Better by Ellen Burstyn

This is more than a collection of favorite poems and more than a memoir. Ellen Burstyn shares her love of poetry through the poems that shaped her life.

Burstyn’s wide knowledge of poetry spans from the nursery rhyme that showed her that ‘words can play’ to contemporary poets who express ideas and experiences that bring her peace.

Reading “Invictus” at age sixteen while living in a dysfunctional family in Detroit was the beginning of her ‘real education,” she writes. The last lines encouraged her to take control over her life: “I am the master of my fate,/I am the captain of my soul.”

She includes poems I read in high school and some of my favorite poets and introduced me to poets new to me.

Each poems is offered through the lens of personal stories from her life and career, illustrating how the poem affected her.

I love poetry…I’m writing this book for people who don’t. Why? Becasue I think they are missing out on something good…good for their hearts…from Poetry Says It Better

There is much wisdom shared in these pages.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.

[Holly Slick · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I thought this would be a book of poems written by Ellen Burstyn, but it's really an anthology of poems she likes, although she does include a poem she wrote when she was only 15 years old. Ellen left home when she was 18 and she took a pack of poems with her to keep her inspired. As we all know now, she became a famous actress. She was also a model. She has several poems in here by Edna St. Vincent Millay, that leads me to believe that Millay is her favorite poet, but she doesn't directly say that herself. The best thing for me about this book is that I really liked all the poems in here that she chose. It's like we have the same taste in poetry.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do yourself a favor and listen to this one on audio as its read by multi-award winning actress and lifelong poetry lover Ellen Burstyn in her indomitable and passionate voice. Sprinkled with nuggets of wisdom the actress has gleaned over her 93 years, this book is both a collection of her favorite poems and stories of the life she lived according to the tenets she took away from poets like Maya Angelou, W.B. Yeats, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Rainer Maria Rilke, Mary Oliver, William Wordsworth, Edgar Allan Poe, Rumi, William Ernest Henley, and others. Brave, hopeful and movingly heartfelt performance piece that should be a must read for any true poetry lover. HIGHLY recommended! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

[Dallas Strawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I liked this little book. It came in the mail unexpectedly at the bookstore I work at today as an advanced reader copy, and I just flipped through the whole thing. I don't consider myself a poetry lover, but I have a deep respect for Ellen Burstyn; what a remarkable career she's had. This collection of poetry offers vignettes about Ellen's life and her thoughts on the famous poems that she's chosen to highlight throughout the book. I especially enjoyed her story about working with the late great Maya Angelou on a film set, but I won't spoil it for you! Poetry lovers and Burstyn fans alike should enjoy this!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I requested this book from Net Galley because I want to expand my knowledge and exposure to poetry and this book did that beautifully. There are old and new poets and they hail from all parts of the world. I didn't care for much of the commentary, not knowing the author or having any connection to her, but it definitely served its purpose in broadening my poetical education and for that I am grateful.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a treasure. Conversational in its delivery made it so accessible and easy to become completely absorbed. Like how a summer afternoon spent in conversation with longtime friends in a pleasant setting seems to make time stop and your longing for that to be true almost possible.

I am eager now to listen to the author reading her chosen poems in the audiobook edition.

I hope it is available in large print format so I can share it with my own favorite octogenarians and above.

[Shannon A · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection that surprised me because I thought at first that Burstyn had written the poems. To my delight, this collection is of the poems that carried her through the many stages of love, loss and life. It’s a celebration of how poetry can be both a reflection and a guide in these turbulent times.

[Keely · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some may not agree with this, but: I thoroughly enjoyed the commentary. It adds to the poem when you can actually grasp the context and direction of the poem. The fact that the author had personal relationships with many of the poets adds greater depth to the commentary as well.
I think I’ll read more books like this. I enjoyed it.

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The elderly acclaimed actress shares her favorite poems, along with her thoughts on them and memories of her life that they connect to. She seems to embrace Buddhism and the more cliched older poems especially, but there were some that I loved.

I read a digital copy of this book for review.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love poetry, love anthologies, did not love Ellen Burstyn’s commentary on the poems. It took me out of the poetry and didn’t really add to the experience.

[Sharon Robinson]

Found in AARP Magazine