100 Poems by 100 Poets: An Anthology

by Harold Pinter (Compiler), Geoffrey Godbert (Compiler), Anthony Astbury (Compiler)

To pass the time on a long train ride from London to Cromwell, playwright Harold Pinter and his two companions, Geoffrey Godbert and Anthony Astbury, set up a challenge: Choose 100 poems by 100 poets — living poets excluded — to represent the finest poetry ever written in English. The three agreed to organize this collection unconventionally, alphabetically by author rather than chronologically. The resulting anthology is challenging, eclectic, very personal, and great fun. With its surprising juxtapositions and gargantuan range of voice and style, 100 Poems by 100 Poets brings old favorites into a new light and less well-known poems out of the shadows.

Genres: Poetry

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Harold Pinter was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career that spanned more than 50 years. His best-known plays include The Birthday Party (1957), The Homecoming (1964) and Betrayal (1978), each of which he adapted for the screen. His screenplay adaptations of others' works include The Servant (1963), The Go-Between (1971), The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981), The Trial (1993) and Sleuth (2007). He also directed or acted in radio, stage, television and film productions of his own and others' works.

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly delightful on the whole. It was fun to jump from poet to poet and time period to time period and style to different style. Kept us on our toes!

[Lisbeth Solberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have literally read this from front to back and back to front. A wry assortment, it may have rather more than its share of famous poems about old guys lusting after young babes. It also has "Provide, Provide" which I remember reading in junior high or high school--not my favorite Frost poem. Some very favorites herein. Not exactly "old chestnuts" though many are famous and familiar. Living poets not included.

[Elliot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting anthology- it excludes living poets (and was published in 1986) so there is little to no contemporary or modern poetry and it only includes poems originally published in English. The editors chose what they unanimously took to be the best poem from each poet selected so the anthology conceivably gives the reader some of the best English poetry. The poets are arranged alphabetically rather than chronologically. An alright anthology all in all, I wasn't a huge fan of the formatting.

[D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice book to feel into, introduced me to new names and reminded me of old favourites

[beau · Rating 4 out of 5]

The lack of contemporary poets is rather strange as well as completely skipping over the beat generation but NO TED HUGHES SO YIPPEEEEE

[Lyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was the first book of poems that i truely enjoyed and wanted to read again, it was a fantastic read
to introduce a person to poetry.

[Gvyomar]

I leave this at you ear for when you wake / a creature in its abstract cage asleep

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This idiosyncratic choice of poems is organised alphabetically according to the poets' names, a method of organisation that gives the collection a nice random quality. The authors have chosen the best poem from 100 poets and the collection includes some well anthologised pieces such as Dover Beach and In Memory of W.B. Yeats as well as some more original choices like Provide, Provide by Robert Frost, An Upbraiding by Thomas Hardy and the terrifying Aubade by Philip Larkin. Many of the poets are pre-twentieth century, which makes the collection less attractive for a skimmer like your reviewer, but Lord Byron's Darkness and Tennyson's Vastness, both new to yours truly, were worth the admission price alone.

[Judith Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this anthology and its companion volume, 100 Poems in Translation. There's a nice, wide variety if you are in the mood for reading poetry.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This year I've been trying to read more poetry. It doesn't usually appeal to me. I tend to be on the literal side of things and so poetry can be a struggle for me. I've been reading this collection for months because I wanted to savor each poem, instead of wolfing them down.

This anthology collects 100 poems, the editor's favorite from each of the poets. It was a wonderful way to get a taste of the various styles of different authors without reading an entire collection from them. It introduced me to some poets I'd never read and gave me new poems from authors I already loved. Here's a couple great lines...

John Donne - "No more can you judge a woman by her teares, than by her shadow, what she weares."

John Hall - "How real are our fears! they blast us still, Still rend us, still gnawing passions fill; How senseless are our wishes, yet how great! With toil we pursue them, with what sweat!"

I didn't love every poem, but there was such a great variety that it provided the perfect sampler. I would highly recommend this collection to widen your appreciation and knowledge of poetry.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Riot '15 Read Harder Challenge Task 17: Collection of Poetry

I like to think I read pretty widely, but I missed the boat on a taste for poetry. I'd been meaning for a while to try reading more of it.

I chose this anthology because it seemed like it would be a good mix for a beginner: wide range of poets, manageable length. Even so, I had a hard time finishing it.

I liked it; there were a couple poems I even copied down, and after a reading a few the rhythm of the language got caught in my mind and I found myself thinking in couplets.

So it was enjoyable, but I just don't see where it would fit into my reading schedule. My copy came from a library and I incurred two sets of late fees on it before I managed to finish. I think the problem is the lack of plot or story - which I think of as central to reading. I can only assume these are common issues for new devotees.

In any case, I enjoyed it enough to still want to have read a bit more poetry. Maybe next I'll try a themed collection and a "poem of the day" sort of arrangement.

[C. Adam Volle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be advised that all of Pinter's selections are of the kind you encounter in English Literature courses, rather than any of the newfangled forms or voices that have gained attention in the last 60-odd years.

[Candice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the poems are not my favorite, but I like that they've taken poems from each age up to modern. For learning about poetry, this is a good one.

[Steven R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poetry.

[Yvonne Mortensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't expect to like poetry at all, but this turned out to be ok. My favorite was "The Gods of the Copybook Headings" by Kipling.

[Nic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't normally take to these kinds of things, but was warmed by the selected poems here.

[Madeleine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of these were amazing, found some new possible favourites I hadn´t really known before. Some were not bad but just really annoying or nothing special. All in all a great starting point to get (back) into poetry without focusing on a single poet, period, style or massive tome I think.