She is Fierce: Brave, Bold and Beautiful Poems by Women

by Ana Sampson

She is Fierce: Brave, Bold and Beautiful Poems by Women is a powerful collection of 150 poems written by women – from classic, much loved poets to bold modern voices. Collected by poet Ana Sampson, this collection celebrates the centenary of women's suffrage at a time when we are still having important conversations about women's right to be treated as equals. It speaks of universal experiences and emotions.

The anthology is divided into the following sections:
Roots and Growing Up
Friendship
Love
Nature
Freedom, Mindfulness and Joy
Fashion, society and body image
Protest, courage and resistance
Endings

She is Fierce contains an inclusive array of voices, from modern and contemporary poets such as Maya Angelou and Grace Nichols to poets from previous centuries including Emily Dickinson, Christina Rossetti, Ella Wheeler Wilcox and Charlotte Bronte.

Immerse yourself in poems from Wendy Cope, Carol Ann Duffy, Fleur Adcock, Liz Berry, Jackie Kay, Hollie McNish, Imtiaz Dharker, Helen Dunmore, Mary Oliver and Dorothy Parker, to name but a few!

Featuring short biographies of each poet, She is Fierce is a stunning collection and an essential addition to any bookshelf.

Genres: Poetry, Feminism, Fiction, Anthologies, Essays, British Literature, Love

299 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 6, 2018

About the author

Ana grew up in Kent. She studied English Literature at the University of Sheffield and gained a BA and MA before starting a career in publishing PR. Ana has contributed articles to various publications including Writers’ Market UK, The Book Club Bible (Michael O’Mara, 2007), Cringe and The Bookseller. I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud: And Other Poems You Half-Remember From School, her first anthology of well-loved poems, was the third bestselling poetry book of 2009. This was followed by Tyger Tyger Burning Bright: Much-Loved Poems You Half-Remember, Poems to Learn by Heart, Green and Pleasant Land: Best-Loved Poems of the British Countryside and Best-Loved Poems: A Treasury of Verse. She has appeared on television and radio discussing books, book clubs, teenage diaries and poetry. Ana lives in Surrey with her husband, two daughters and two demanding cats.

Reviews

[Helena (helenareadsxx) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to try reading poetry again after my bad experience of English Literature GCSE to see if I would like poetry without the pressure of analysing it for exams and I have to say I did like quite a few of the poems in 'She is Fierce'.

[Ellie Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the themes used for the chapters and the selection of poems. I think it would have been nice to have some historical context listed for the poems in some cases.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

She is Fierce: Brave, Bold and Beautiful Poems by Women is a collection of 150 poems written by women on a wide range of subjects. It includes everything from old favourites you may have already come across to new and modern voices, poems written by women of all different ages, races and from across different social and economic backgrounds.

It can be really hard to review poetry because it is so subjective but what's great about an anthology like this is that even if one poem isn't to your taste you can almost guarantee to find gems that you'll love and discover writers you'd like to see more of. I really liked the way Ana Sampson has also included a little mini biography for each poet at the back of the book so you can find out a little more about each woman's background and other works they may have published.

This has been a great book to dip in and out of and you can choose to read by theme or just open a page at random to see what you'l discover. I've really enjoyed reading this slowly, just reading a handful of poems a day to really savour it and I'm sure I'll end up coming back to it again in the future.

[Eve Batten · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love poetry & women

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful collection of poetry! I’ve always had a hard time connecting with poetry but this diverse collection drew me in. Categorised into themes like friendship, nature, and endings, each grouping felt connected and important. Even though I didn’t love them all, I used many a post-it notes to flag poems I’d like to revisit.

Some of the poems or writes are well known and others less so. At the end of the book, there are short biographies of each poet which I enjoyed reading to give me more context on a poem or two I truly loved.

Excerpt from Saltwater by Finn Butler on page 191
But nothing is infinite, not even loss. You are made of the sea and the stars, and one day, you are going to find yourself again.

Thank you to my dear friend Lauren for gifting me this collection.

[Georgie · Rating 4 out of 5]

With kickass women from Atwood to Bronte to Browning, through the time and space of Sappho to Duffy and Yrsa Daley Ward - this collection is a lot and perhaps that is the only reason I haven't rated five stars. With 150 poems under cleverly worded subtitles that basically mean things like nature, friendship, love and endings, my only criticism of Sampson is she works too hard. I mean she does intros and adds details of poets and I bloody love her efforts. But I also love poems, not too many to overwhelm me (cause they are a lot to decipher) and well, sometimes poems just speak for themselves. So maybe a slightly reduced length and a few more late 20th and 21st Century choices and we would be tickety boo. So read this with time on your hands and get around some of my favs in Siren Song, Phosphorescence , Heat, Today, Introductions and Freedom. I mean I'm a little shitty with myself cause a lot of them are in the love section and I promise I feel fierce Sampson - I'm fierce.

[No Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘If the first woman God ever made / was strong enough to turn the world / upside down, all alone / together women ought to be able to turn it / right side up again’ - Sojourner Truth
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Just finished this collection of poems curated by Ana Sampson. It was so nice to explore the work of both wonderfully familiar female poets and to also discover new writers. It was really well arranged, and I loved the addition of the introductions to the different thematic sections. My favourite section was Courage, Protest and Resistance. There is such powerful work contained this part of the collection.
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I would definitely recommend giving this collection a go - the book itself is beautiful and Ana has included paragraph overviews of all poets included which is a great touch.

[Williesun · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting collection of poems by female authors throughout time. Ana Sampson arranged them by a couple of different themes, such as love, nature, death etc.

I would probably not have picked this one out for myself because poetry is difficult and so far I have liked collections from one specific author better than an amalgamation like this but I was given this as a present and I liked it. Got to experience some poets I would otherwise not have encountered probably and also some faves.

[Orláith · Rating 5 out of 5]

First posted on www.instagram.com/p/BoSBgeMFPbN

A few weeks ago I was very kindly sent a copy of @anabooks new poetry anthology, She is Fierce, by the lovely Amber from @panmacmillan.

Since then I've been reading a poem each night before bed and I am simply loving my new routine.
Ana has curated such a wonderful selection of poems that I am having to force myself to set the book down, to continue to read just one poem per night. Obviously, I could read more but I want to savour this book for as long as possible!

Thank you @panmacmillan for this wonderful free book.

[Ashli (✿^‿^) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man, what an empowering book of poems.

There are many themes, going from family, to love, to nature, to friendship, to body image and freedom (my personal favourite) to protesting.

There really is a great selection for anyone in this, you aren’t going to like or understand many, but there is one that feels as though it is written for you.

My personal favourite is ‘Ain’t I a Woman?’ by Sojourner Truth, because she really does speak the truth.

Definitely recommended! ❤️

[Phoebe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely collection of poetry written by women from of many ages and eras. Each poem so beautifully constructed and full of personal meaning.

The only poem I found that really spoke to me was “93 Percent Stardust” by Nikita Gill. It felt so real and relatable to me. It feels like a reminder of we’re really all small entities on a floating rock, entities with names yet we are all so small. I feel it’s a reminder simply to chase what makes you happy, or that’s how I interpret it anyway.

[Helen Gracie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly sensational.

This anthology is separated into core themes and includes works from the greats (Sylvia Plath, Maya Angelou, Christina Rossetti) as well as introducing some lesser known poets.

This book is now my go to for all comfort and inspiration needed to make it as a woman in this world.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a wonderful collection of poetry by amazing women! <3

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I enjoyed this!

[Emily Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love how there's a poem in there for everyone. Even if one isn't your exact cup of tea, there's another that definitely is.

[Stephanie Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gorgeous collection of poetry. I struggled a little with the first section as I am neither a mother or have a relationship with my own, and it has now been confirmed to me that Emily Dickinson and I will never be friends, unfortunately.

[Gabriella · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is so perfect i’m about to make a female rage playlist & think about this anthology forever

[Emma.catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been spoilt by rupi’s poetry…nothing compares

[Victoria Brimble · Rating 3 out of 5]

Depressing to end on death poems

[Joana Gomes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love anthologies because you can find poets that you might like. This is exactly what happened with this one.
I also love the fact that the poems were organized by theme, turning the reading into a much more immesrive experience.

[Tilly Kerr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that’s a great support for feminism. Some lovely poems triggering self reflection, thought and mindfulness.

[Jen-Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really lovely collection. I've found New favourites such as: The Pale Horse by Lesley Ingram, Witch by Jean Tepperman, How to Cut a Pomegranate by Imtiaz Dharker and Phosphorescene by Victoria Gatehouse.

[Sarah Simms · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully themed poetry anthology to encompass life’s adventures and stages. ‘A Decade’ by Amy Lovell was a particular favourite poem.

[Isabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ana Sampson has collected a full compilation of extraordinary works in this book which celebrates the understated, the famous and all other female poets in this book She is Fierce. It explores areas of home, nature, love, race, sexism, protest and retaliation, the woman's body, hope and the end of life all through the woman's voice and written ink. From the homeland of a person be it the physical home, a person, a place or what leads one to finally be at a place of peace to call home to the many hurdles a woman must endure to the end of life, this book has it all. This book is one of the most evocative and empowering poetry books I have ever read. A collection of amazing pieces which date back hundreds of years but are so relevant now and will be for decades to come. The title speaks for itself before even opening to the first poem to experience the prowess of women. She has included pieces which challenge many norms and ideologies - women to be the white skinny fit into the little black dress kind or to belong to males and be the housekeeper, for those of white and essentially black skin colours to be separated and so on. It also delves into topics of war and the lost boys of the battles that have past, migration, the digital world of social media, parenting, the quest for love and the immaturity innocence and memories of schooling. There's something in this book for everyone. I know there was plenty in it for me and I devoured it in one sitting.


Favourite quotes:
"The spirits of children are remote and wise. They must go free like fishes in the sea or starlings in the skies. Whilst you remain the shore where casually they come again."
"We hear the bells sometimes for years, the squeal and crack of chalk on the crack."
"Migration drove me down this bumpy road. Where I fell and smelt the soil, where I arose and sensed the cloud. Now I am a bird, flying in the breeze, lost over the alien earth. My heart is displaced, struggling to find its place."
"In the morning absentmindedly dreaming of old loves and reading poetry until it hurts."
"I tap tap my red shoes to find I am already home."
"Darling, I will track your flight till it is a dot."
"They were narrow, beautiful. We laced them with finesse. At lunch hours pretended we were skaters. Foreign mystical enchantresses."
"They buttoned me into dresses with pink flowers. I have been invisible, weird and supernatural. I want my black dress I want my hair curling wild around me. I want my broomstick. I am with my sisters. Watch for us against the moon. We are screaming, we are flying we are laughing and won't stop."
"walking the playground, our arms linked and unbreakable."
"I would gulp down this blooming ocean for a taste of your skin."
"But as she fills his dream."
"They too may have futures."
"Phenomenonally, phenomenon woman, that's me."
"These hips have never been enslaved they go where they want to go."
"Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul. And sings the tune without the words and never stops at all."
"Legs how we have suffered never meeting the standards of magazines and measurements and the male gaze."
"Ain't I a woman."
"She sorts the drawer forks to the left and knives to the right but people aren't knives or forks. Their bones are full of stardust their hearts full of songs and the sorting on the bus is just plain wrong. She's said goodbye to the back of the bus."
"Mum placed a hopeful bow on my head like a butterfly taking flight."
"Just like moons and suns and with the certainness of tides, just like hopes springing high, still I rise."
"We are all just stars that have people names."
"I'd like to hand them back to their mothers."
"Remember me when I am gone away gone far away into the silent land."

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This poetry anthology collected by Ana Sampson encompasses many different amazing female poets from ancient to modern times. The topics that are covered also vary widely including body image, mental health and friendship.

I enjoyed many of the poems in this collection which surprised me as I do not usually like poetry as I struggle to understand it. Some of the poems I particularly enjoyed were poem in which my legs are accepted by Kathleen Fraser which was a memorable poem about loving your own body. Another I really enjoyed was Ain't I a woman written by Sojourner Truth a freed slave which was really impactful as well as the battle of sexes by Liz Brownlee . There were also many more I could mention I really enjoyed as well which made me glad I gave poetry another go.

Another part of this anthology I enjoyed were the blurbs at the back that described who each of the poets were and abit about their lives. They were so interesting and made me even more excited to find other poems written by poets I found that I liked.

As with all anthologies you are going to find you do not like all the poems. there were some poems I struggled to understand what they were trying to impart and some that I felt I did not enjoy as much.

I would recommend this book to others who want to hear some strong female voices in poetry as you may find some new favorites as I have.

[Isabel (kittiwake) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I borrowed the audiobook from the library as I prefer listening to poetry. The poems were read by Adjoa Andoh who has a great voice for poetry and accents.

Song by Lady Dorothea Du Bois.

A Scholar first my Love implor’d,
And then an empty, titled Lord;
The Pedant talk’d in lofty Strains;
Alas! his Lordship wanted Brains:
I list’ned not, to one or t’other,
But straight referr’d them to my Mother.

A Poet next my Love assail’d,
A Lawyer hop’d to have prevail’d;
The Bard too much approv’d himself,
The Lawyer thirsted after Pelf:
I list’ned not, to one or t’other,
But still referr’d them to my Mother.

An Officer my Heart wou’d storm,
A Miser, sought me too, in Form;
But Mars was over-free and bold,
The miser’s Heart was in his Gold:
I list’ned not, to one or t’other,
Referring still unto my Mother.

And after them, some twenty more,
Successless were, as those before;
When Damon, lovely Damon came!
Our Hearts strait felt a mutual Flame;
I vow’d I’d have him, and no other,
Without referring, to my Mother.

Ths was one of my favourites, by a poet I hadn't heard of before. Lady Dorothea Du Bois was born into the aristocracy, but her father, the Earl of Anglesey, repudiated her mother, declared all their children illegitimate and kicked them all out of his house.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have never been the greatest fan of poetry. Some poets have managed to break through the barrier I built up against it, from endless English lessons of finding meaning behind every word, metaphor, and use of caesura. The likes of Rupi Kaur, Sharon Olds and Charly Cox showed me that I can enjoy poetry.

Unfortunately, with many of the poems in this collection, as with a whole host of other poems I've read, I felt as though I just didn't get them or that I couldn't connect with them. I can't fault their beautiful language and imagery and some of them I really did enjoy. But many others simply washed over me. Which is a shame because I was really hoping to enjoy this book.

However, my lack of an affinity with poetry does not take away from the fact that this is an incredible collection, created by incredible women. I hope that others are able to appreciate and understand it better than I did!

[Lisa Bentley · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I have gotten older I have come to appreciate poetry more than I did as a child. However, my love isn’t for the written word it is for the chosen nuances. I like studying the poem, looking at the writer and discovering why it was written. What is great about the She is Fierce collection is that some of the work is already done for you. You have the poem, you have it categorised into what type of poem it is and then you have a breakdown of the writer. Brilliant.

She is Fierce is a wonderful collection that is compromised of fantastic female voices. Some poems are familiar but the majority are ones that I certainly hadn’t come across before. It was wonderful to find some new and interesting voices.

This is a perfect collection for the feminist poetry lover in your life.

She is Fierce – Brave, Bold and Beautiful Poems by Women by Ana Sampson is available now.

[isobel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
this is a brilliant anthology, very diverse range of writers and styles, many favourite poets of mine, yet still falling into their separate categories of the book. but my god the cover is so fucking ugly.

in the introduction, it sets itself up as a ‘girlboss’ kinda book which i presume is to appeal to mass audiences. but only one section of the book is about female empowerment (and it was my least favourite, as the poems typically ended in the women proclaiming how men were attracted to them because they were so sexy and confident, which was a great reason to be confident. like that’s just the male gaze rebranded x)

so great anthology for the vast majority. but annoying it what it sells itself to be. also the poems are printed too far into the centre of the book, where you have to destroy the spine to read it <3 but i promise i did actually enjoy it

[Abbie Naylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been dipping in and out of She is Fierce for quite a number of months now and finally put some real effort into finishing it off for the last few weeks. I really loved the themes and poems chosen by Sampson, there was huge variety and diversity within the collection.

I’ve never tabbed as many pages in a book before and discovered so many new authors and beautiful, funny, inspiring poems within this lovely book. There were a number I didn’t quite click with or understand, but that’s only natural with a collection this large and varied.

Overall, I thought it was a wonderful little collection and I will absolutely be returning to its different sections when I feel the need to. I don’t read a huge amount of poetry usually but this really makes me see the appeal. A very well enjoyed book!