Voices

by Geoffrey Summerfield (Editor)

Geoffrey Summerfield has compiled a collection of poetry that is inspiring and entertaining, offering the reader a variety of styles to stimulate the mind. The book also includes some wonderful illustrations that enhance its appeal. Anybody who loves words will enjoy this timeless anthology.

Genres: Poetry

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

Reviews

[Bionic Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first of a series of three poetry anthologies edited by Geoffrey Summerfield, which are a cut above those often used in schools.

Voices: an anthology of poetry with pictures was first published by Penguin in 1968, with two further volumes at the same time. It is a larger than average paperback, with a canvas effect cover and fine quality paper. The illustrations are monochrome, which I do not usually like, but in this case suit the book perfectly. They include Art photographs, as well as details from paintings, and drawings.

Geoffrey Summerfield edited quite a few volumes of poetry. He raised the bar for this series, as he covers many centuries and cultures that are often ignored in such books. For instance, there are several Haikus by different Japanese authors, some Maori poems and some “translated from the Eskimo” (which does belie its age, as now we would more correctly say “Inuit”, or whichever language it is).

Not every country is represented, nor every English-speaking country. Poetry from the British Isles features most often, as we would expect. But thankfully there is not a preponderance of Victorian poetry! Not that there is anything wrong with Victorian poetry - quite the opposite - but you do tend to find the same 19th century poems featuring in anthologies. Here there are a few, but there are also poems from the 16th right through to the 20th, as well. There are many traditional regional verses included. I was delighted to find some which were familiar to me, and enjoyed those I hadn’t come across before just as much. There are a few traditional carols, and a short anonymous, perhaps 17th century play at the end. There are even a few riddles. Here’s one:

P R S V R Y P R F C T M N
V R K P T H S P R C P T S T N

The above letters were affixed to the communion table of a small church in Wales, and continued to puzzle the congregation for some centuries. By adding one vowel to these consomants, can you make sense of it?

By adding E, you get:

“Persevere ye perfect men
Ever keep these precepts ten”
(i.e. the 10 Commandments)

I liked these, especially when I could guess them!

At the back there is an index of poets, translators and collectors, with the numbers relating to the number of the poem, rather than the page. It is easy to use, as the numbers are in bold. There is also both an index of first lines, and an index of titles, ditto, and a list of illustrations. There are tunes for some poems, and of course the answers to the riddles and puzzles.

Poets I personally enjoyed seeing represented were John Clare, Emily Dickinson, Ted Hughes, D.H. Lawrence, Jon Silkin, Thomas Hardy, Robert Graves, Denise Levertov, C.S. Lewis, Gerard Manley Hopkins, William Barnes and W.B. Yeats. My favourite illustrations were “The Jabberwock” by Sir John Tenniel, 3 anonymous 19th century engravings which “change” as you look, between say, a girl and a skull, a drawing by Paul Klee, a painting by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, “Old Man” by W. Heath Robinson, photographs of an old woman, or children playing, “The Adoration of the Shepherds” anonymous 17th century, “The Fairy Feller’s Masterstroke” (detail) painting by Richard Dadd, “Allegory of Fire” painting by Guiseppe Arcimboldo, “Endpiece” woodcut by Hokusai …

However, you would no doubt make a completely different list! Altogether there are 145 poems, and 30 Art works, quite a lot being about nature, or contemplation.

This is a collection which holds up well today, and which anyone over about 15 might enjoy.

[David Campton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was part of the school cohort immediately before this series became commonly used in my home area, though I was familiar with it as my younger brother had the second in the series. I read this one because I was initially looking for some traditional Christmas mystery plays and there is a version of the Shepherds' Tale at the end of this anthology. Even that was slightly frustrating in that there was no source listed for it. But it did prompt me to read the rest of it, which had very few of the poems that are commonplace in introductory anthologies for young people (with the exception of the almost ubiquitous Jabberwocky). But I tend to value those anthologies that offer poems that either stick in the mind or prompt me to think or or write, and sadly there were few of those in this book. Indeed the illustrations were probably more stimulating that the selected poems.

[Chris Malone · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nostalgic read, having remembered this unusual poetry book from childhood. The poetry is so idiosyncratic that I found I remembered many of the entries. The illustrations are similarly diverse and have a renegade 70s feel about them. It was a true joy to re-read this book after over half a century.

[Lucy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I often suspect that when an anthology has a lot of 'anonymous' or 'traditional' entries then they have been written by the compiler. There's not a lot in this collection I would want to read again. The illustrations would be lovely if they weren't so badly reproduced.