101 Poems That Could Save Your Life: An Anthology of Emotional First Aid

by Daisy Goodwin

Prozac has side effects, drinking gives you hangovers, therapy's expensive. For quick and effective relief -- or at least some literary comfort -- from everyday and exceptional problems, try a poem. Over the ages, people have turned to poets as ambassadors of the emotions, because they give voice and definition to our troubles, and by so doing, ease them. No matter how bad things get, poets have been there, too, and they can help you get over the rough spots. This is the first poetry anthology designed expressly for the self-help generation. The poems listed include classics by Emily Dickinson, Lord Byron, Ogden Nash, and Lucretius, to name just a few, along with newer works by such current practitioners as Seamus Heaney and Wendy Cope. This book has a cure or consolation for nearly every affliction, ancient or modern. And no side effects-except pleasure.

Genres: Poetry, Self Help, Nonfiction

160 pages, Hardcover

First published October 4, 1999

About the author

DAISY GOODWIN, a Harkness scholar who attended Columbia University’s film school after earning a degree in history at Cambridge University, is a leading television producer in the U.K. Her poetry anthologies, including 101 Poems That Could Save Your Life, have introduced many new readers to the pleasures of poetry, and she was Chair of the judging panel of the 2010 Orange Prize for Fiction. That was the year she published her first novel the American Heiress ( My Last Duchess in UK) , followed by The Fortune Hunter and now Victoria. She has also created VICTORIA the PBS/ITV series which starts in January. She has three dogs, two dogs, and one husband.

Reviews

[Rachel Aranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

I’ll be honest and say it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t super memorable for me either compared to other anthologies I’ve read. I appreciated the shortness of the sections as I felt accomplished read a few every day until I finished the book. I will say though that some of the poems mentioned in the introduction of each section wasn’t always as impactful to the topic of the emotion as stated. There were times they were just described in a small sample instead of showing the whole poem, which I would have liked to have read.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

'The right poem at the right time, the right words in the right order can put all those whirling thoughts to rest.'

I have never come across a collection of the best poems from forever like this.
This is actually going to save my life if ever I am in some trouble with the biggest trouble maker in my life aka me.

I so depend on words.
And I depend on words like these.

Robert Frost...as always my favourite!

And after reading this collection, I get to know so many other great poets of all times.

Damn... I need to read more Alice Walker poems.

And then there's many other poets like ✨W.B. Yeats💕 and ....(Who am I kidding by the way?! These are the best poems from the best poets EVER!)

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!🤯 MIND OVER-BLOWN!

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I don't know that it will save anyone's life, but this is a handy little collection in a package small enough to fit in a purse or (large) pocket. The poetry within is grouped according to an "Emotional Index" to direct you to a poem dealing with whatever your emotional needs might be. Categories vary from "Getting Married" to "Bereavement" and everything in between. There are contributions from many of our favourite poets, but the poems have one thing in common: they're brief. Some are only four lines in length, but nothing in here runs over two pages. An excellent selection, in my opinion. I think it has inspired me to check out more of Ted Hughes' work.

[kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered W.H. Auden through this anthology. Years later, as a middle school librarian helping a sixth grade class with a poetry unit, I would grab a copy of this book, and read "Funeral Blues" aloud.

The kids were absolutely silence, and discovered the beauty, grace, and emotional wallop of Auden that day.

[Tracie Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This anthology has some bad poetry, but it also has some great poetry. It has one of my favorite villanelles, "One Art" by Elizabeth Bishop. But it is a bit self-helpish, so there's corny poetry about money and such.

[Catherine Mustread · Rating 4 out of 5]

An assortment of poems for a wide range of emotions.

[Pachyderm Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This appears in the poetry marketplace as a cute, cuddly, & some might say corrosive anathema to
the majority of poetry anthologies being published and peddled as literature for the masses today.

Given the very brief nature of many of these so-called "poetry selections" I would hazard to guess that many of them do not necessarily serve as "emotional first aid" for the reading public, rather that they force individuals to become "desensitized" to the world around them, rather than being fully aware or otherwise engaged in their everyday (and ordinary) environment(s).

[Nancy Bandusky · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of a wide assortment which means there is probably one or two that the reader will truly feel understood when reading.
My favorites were "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost, which I've read many times and "Lullaby" by Rosemary Norman, which I read for the first time.
While any writing is really a matter of preference, I was disappointed at some of the seemingly frivolous treatment of serious topics and the use of coarse language.

[Sylvia Snowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small but excellent collection of a diverse poems. Most are modern, but some are Victorian and older. I enjoyed the poems, and the way they were arranged into various categories of "self-help." The only negatives I can find are the limited number--could have used about twice the number of poems--and some of the commentary, which was, well, lame to me. But that's me. Don't let my criticism keep you from reading the book.

[Rebecca Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars.
This was aimed at older people for the most part, but I still really enjoyed a lot of the poems, even when I couldn't relate. My favourite was Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep by Mary Elizabeth Frye. I also love the Poem A Poison Tree by William Blake, but this collection only had the first stanza.

[Tandava Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a brilliant idea to organize a poetry anthology into categories of “emotional antidotes.” But overall, my tastes don’t seem to align well with Goodwin’s, and not many of the poems particularly wowed me. One of my favorites, though, was the very first one, in the “Apology” section, called “Deep Sorriness Atonement Song,” by Glyn Maxwell, which is funnier than it sounds.

[Jenny Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is rare that I finish a poetry book and I’ve finished this one! I don’t think it would save my life! But it was it very enjoyable and I would recommend it.

[Elsa Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a beginner in poetry, like I am, this is a good one to start. The editor’s brief explanation of why she chose the poems for each category helped me appreciate them.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll always love this, made me cry like 10 times

[Calum Mackenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic range of positive, funny and beautiful poems.

[Mrinalini Batra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A phenomenal collection! It has some well-known poems like If, The Road not Taken, and Warning, but some equally delightful and poignant poems on diverse topics. Much enjoyed reading them!

[Chloe Slater · Rating 3 out of 5]

They are amazing

[Dollie · Rating 4 out of 5]

sweet little book of humorous, relatable poems.

[Célèste · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book to have on your shelf to consult when you need a poem for just the write moment, but it's also a great book to just read all the way through. There's a good mix of poetic styles, but nothing too dense for the non-poetry-fan to understand.

[Kristi Bumpus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the selections seemed rather odd to me, and I felt sometimes the commentary was misplaced. But there are a lot of good poems in this volume -- I found old favorites, and a few new favorites, too.

[Fueledbychocolate · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few good poems in here (all of which I've read before) but I didn't discover any new gems for my personal favorites folder as I had hoped. I liked the idea of this book and effort behind it. It is just one of those things with poetry, if a poem finds & hits you at the right time it can be magic.

[JShier JShier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I go back to this book now and then. Some of the selected poems are very good indeed. Some of them are mediocre, but as a whole, the book is very nice. There are poems for a variety of moods and they really help to cheer one up and put things in perspective!

[Cassandra Krenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great. I go to it a lot when I am wanting to read a poem that goes with how I'm feeling. The poems are divided up by certain life experiences -- death, heartache, bad day, etc.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

p. 122 - A Prayer....this one is getting me through family sorrows

[Pussinbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

something for every occasion
A few classic Dorothy Parker poems in there too

[Luka · Rating 2 out of 5]

Low standard of poetry overall, despite a few gems here and there. Was irritated by the several 'God' references.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title is a little cheesy, but sometimes you really do just need a poem as "emotional first aid." The selections are atypical and vary from contemporary to classic.

[Persephone Abbott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good selection of poems, although I didn't find the excuses to read them necessary!

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice collection of poems, some previously unpublished, with some old favourites in too. I enjoyed this book.