I Just Hope It's Lethal: Poems of Sadness, Madness, and Joy – Touching and Honest YA Poetry for Teens

by Liz Rosenberg

The teenage years are a time filled with sadness, madness, joy, and all the messy stuff in between. Sometimes it feels that every day brings a new struggle, a new concern, a new reason to stay in bed with the shades drawn. But between moments of despair and confusion often come times of great clarity and insight, when you might think, like the poet Rumi, "Whoever’s calm and sensible is insane!” It is moments like these that have inspired the touching, honest, and gripping poems found in I Just Hope It’s Lethal: Poems of Sadness, Madness, and Joy. After all, what’s normal anyway?

This collection includes poems by Charles Bukowski, Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, T. S. Eliot, Edgar Allen Poe, W. B. Yeats, Dorothy Parker, Jane Kenyon, and many more, including teenage writers and up-and-coming poets.

Genres: Poetry, Young Adult, Teen

208 pages, Hardcover

First published October 24, 2005

About the author

Liz Rosenberg is an American poet, novelist, children's book author, and book reviewer. She is currently a professor of English at Binghamton University.

Reviews

[Jorge Anaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has really widened my view on poems. I can know read a poem and not only just figure what is being said but the context behind the poem. All of the poems in this book were great long, short, sad, or happy all of the poems were worth reading.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is separated into several sections, each centered around a specific emotion (or emotions) typical to teenagers, or anyone with a beating heart and breathing lungs really.

It is targeted to young adults, but the selected poems have a very sophisticated taste and depth that I'm only realizing after many re-readings and a class that covers some. There's poems from classics like Rumi, Wordsworth, Dickinson, Dunbar, Blake, Keats, Coleridge, even Lord Byron, and just as many more modern poets too.

I've tried to find other collections like this, and none seem to exist. This really is a hidden gem of a book, and it's a pity it doesn't get more recognition. The variety and re-read value earn it 5 stars and then some.

[micaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

apparently when i was first setting up my goodreads and inputting all the books i could think of, i forgot this one - egregious, considering it is not only the most formative poetry collection, but one of the most formative books in general i've ever, ever read.

my copy is old, beaten up, still has the library sticker and "discarded" stamp from when i picked it up in sophomore year of high school in the midst of my first-ever major depressive episode, before i even knew what was going on or what to call it, and over five years before i found out i was bipolar. this was the book that introduced my to two of my favorite poems of all time: the love song of j. alfred prufrock (eliot) and poems of delight (rosenberg). it was the book that introduced me to margaret atwood for the first time!!!

the pages are yellowed and the highlighter (my god, back when i used to highlight books!) faded so much i can barely see it, because i go back to reread it at least twice a year. even if it one day starts to truly fall apart and i have to get a new one, i will never ever toss this copy, which has been one of my best friends for nearly 15 years.

standouts:
love song of j alfred prufrock
poems of delight
a sad child
i like my anger my grouchy furious love
a larger loneliness
clean that god damned room already
always secondary
brotherhood
having it out with melancholy
there is a light seed grain inside
résumé

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only poetry books I read before this were by Shel Silverstein, but I actually kind of enjoyed this. Some of these poems were just plain weird but others touched on some true things. I didn't like how the author compared things to or with fantasy creatures. Many things probably went over my head because this is my first non-Silverstein poetry book and I do prefer to think about things concretely. The difference in the emotion of the different poems was surprising. I give this three stars mostly because I don't know exactly how much I liked it and don't want to give a book a bad rating just because it is in a genre I don't read. I really just didn't understand this book. I skipped some of the poems that were just about sad things (there was a whole section of depressing poems). If you like poetry this is probably a good book, just read through the table of contents and select the topics you like, cus there really are some weird poems.

[Colleen Samura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful and unique anthology of poetry that dives into the turmoil of mental illness and makes it out the other side. With poems of pain, suffering, longing, loss, as well as those of hope, finding meaning in life and living with joy. The poems sampled are from a wide variety of styles and poets both classic and contemporary. The anthology is a great introduction to a wide range of poetry and poets, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

//notes for myself
Poets I hadn't read before who I am now more interested in: Deena November, Liz Rosenberg, Kate Schmitt, Rumi

Poets who I didn't like before and hate even more now: Charles Bukowski

[Vivian Carey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book put me through some hard times and taught me new ways of thinking about myself and what was happening to me. It opened me up to poetry in a way I had never experienced it before, it is an imperfect collection, like any, but it is moving for those who need to hear it

[Dr. Savell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Usually, I enjoy a book of poetry, but I have found it difficult to focus when it's an anthology like this. There were a few moments I connected to here, but more often I found myself skimming through.

[Deborah Takahashi · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this brilliant collection of poems, Rosenberg and November have provided teen readers with a collection of poetry to navigate the storm known as adolescence. Most of these poems deal with the stark reality of depression, anger, and even the sheer power of joy and healing. With that said, the poems are grouped into categories that are assigned by emotion ranging from living in this crazy world, to feeling alone, and to celebrating the beauty within us. All of these poems are succinct in their message and provide readers with stories they can relate to or learn from. The best part of this collection is that the editors include both classic and contemporary poetry, which conveys to readers that poetry is timeless; no matter what year it is, these feelings and words are very relevant to not only our state of mind, but help us with the harshness of life. Although some of the poems are rather complex, readers will get the idea just by the tone and a re-reading. In fact, these poems can be used in the classroom where students can work in groups and breakdown the message that is being conveyed. Lastly, this book is also great for the adult who is looking for reflection because sometimes we forget what's it's like to be young and somewhat out of control of our feelings and lives.

As an adult, I have never appreciated poetry more than after reading this book. I actually remember hating poetry because I spent my entire senior year of high school analyzing poetry for my AP English class. However, despite the drilling, I learned a lot about poetry besides the mechanics and that is why I like this collection of poetry. Although this collection might not appeal to everyone, I highly encourage everyone to pick it up, especially if they are having a bad day. Granted, most of the poems are about the darker side of life (loss, sadness, and craziness), there is a great amount of comfort to be found simply because we know we are not alone. The poem that I feel in love with (immediately) is the poem by Lewis Carrol called "You are Old. Father William." This poem is hysterical because here is a young person judging an elder on their appearance and mannerisms. However, contrary to what the speaker says, this old man isn't nuts because not only is he nimble, but he is alert and his whit is on target. In the end, readers learn that age is just a number and that our characters reflect what's really inside (i.e., the young person acts like an an old fuddy duddy while Father William is spry and exciting). There is a lot to be read here and I hope readers will enjoy it the way I did.

[Sam Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was an excellent collection of starting poems for teens. I remember as a teenager, picking up a book of poetry at a garage sale on accident, and actually really connecting to some of the writing in the poems. I don't tend to read a lot of poetry, but when I do, I usually enjoy it. I thought I Just Hope It's Lethal was a great place for a teen to start delving into poems. I loved how there was a short bio about each of the poem's authors, so if a teen really related to one, they could learn more about the author and the author's experiences.

The idea of grouping the poems into different collections was great. I read the book as a whole, all the way through, but I think reading individual poems or collections would be nice for those days when you just need to have some beautiful words that you can relate to in your life. My favorite poem of the bunch was "You are old, Father William" by Lewis Carroll. I thought it added a bit of mirth and sarcasm in to the dark collection.

The content and the darkness of some of the collections was incredibly appropriate for teens as well. The manic sense of some of the poems in the fourth collection, that dealt with madness really rang true to me, and I think a lot of teens could relate to it.

I think this is an important collection of poems to have available. There's a wide variety of poems that allow for people to find at least one that they can relate to and apply to their life. I also really enjoyed the collectors' frank discussion about why they curated this collection, dealing with their own teenage years and problems.

[Alyssa]

The book that I was reading is 'I Just Hope It's lethal.' The authors are Liz Rosenberg and Deena November. The main conflict is the emotions that teenagers go through. The emotions that this poem book talks about is sadness ;love and madness. One poem was about how a boy breaks a girls heart.

I think people who are teenagers and struggles with life should read this book because they go through these issues and emotions that each poem talks about. I also think adult should read it too. They could relate to it and they could have a better understanding with teenagers.
This poem book can help you express your feeling.Everyone could relate to this book because we all went through these feeling. I learned that you put yourself in the mood that you are in. The poem said'you're sad because you're sad'. That is true because if you want you could forget the sad things and look on the bright side. This book tells you to do that.It says ' Take up dancing to forget.' The poem help me in a way.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An AMAZING and thought-provoking book of poetry whose subjects mimic the emotions not only felt by teenagers but by humanity as a whole. Unlike many other poetry collection books aimed at young adults the poems are actually diverse, creative and deep. In the pages lie poems from many classic and well-known authors as well as some lesser known. The fact that this book includes masterpieces by some of the worlds best poets, yet still is easy to read and understand for teenagers and young adults is what makes this book so amazing. Far too often we see that poetry books aimed at teenagers contain poems all written by other teens, very few containing much depth or below the surface meaning. Yet other poetry books contain words and concepts that are to abstract and wordy to understand for most. This book sits in a simple yet sophisticated middle ground. It is still my favorite collection of poems to date :)

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

From School Library Journal:
Grade 9 Up–The poems in this diverse collection range from classic (Shakespeare, Lord Byron) to modern (by the compilers themselves). While some of selections might be too complex and antique for reluctant readers, most of the pieces are powerfully written and easy to understand. Sylvia Plath, Dorothy Parker, and Rumi are among the poets included. Two short introductions explain the inclusion of many of these selections and the significance of each of the book's five sections. A biography section gives interesting summaries of each poet's life. This efficiently organized, concise, and interesting collection is an excellent choice for libraries serving teens. However, as November states in her introduction, This book is for everyone and anyone.–Jessi Platt

[Kaitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book that I read was I Just Hope It's Lethal, collected by Liz Rosenberg and Deena November. The poems in the book are diverse and range from the classics like Shakespeare, to modern ones. Some of the authors are very well known and others are not. It is full of poems that center around emotions that most people can emphasize with, like ones about depression or missing someone. It centers around the struggles that many may feel at some point in their life. I'd recommend it because the poems are really interesting and I actually liked this book, even if it was a poem book.

[James W. Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great anthology, not just for Young Adults but for anyone. It features a fine selection of short, very readable works by a combination of classic poets, modern poets, and unknowns. I enjoyed many of the selections. One good test for me for such an anthology is whether or not I discover any new poets worth pursuing further, and I did.

[Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

- a collection of poetry, from Shakespeare to Plath, on various aspects of sanity and madness
- Dorothy Parker's poem is my favorite:
Resumé

BY DOROTHY PARKER

Razors pain you;
Rivers are damp;
Acids stain you;
And drugs cause cramp.
Guns aren’t lawful;
Nooses give;
Gas smells awful;
You might as well live.

[Tina Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mmm. I just love poetry books. This one was especailly wonderful because it targeted teenagers and really related to what they are going through. i know i really related to it and thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book includes poems that tell of the struggles of the teenage and early adult years and the conflicting emotions that often accompany them. A wide range of poets, many of whom experienced depression themselves, are included.

[Christina M Rau · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title is the best part of this book. Split into general sections about love and struggle, the collection forces too many unlike poems together with these sweeping generalities. While individual poems and poets were enjoyable, the cohesion never set in.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were a hand full of poems that I truly like out of the many that were gathered in the book.

[Jayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book of poetry!

[Ranysha]

A good book for hard times.

[Alessandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

My opinion of this book is very high. It's a good book for either someone current writing poetry or for a person who is just look for a collection of poetic literature, to enjoy or sympathize with.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I honestly hoped this would be better, but i was disappointed. Most of the poems are quite depressing and i didnt see much of joy at all

[QS · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm fairly certain the only reason I liked this anthology so much is that I'm still terribly amused by how much poems I was already familiar with or had saved in my bookmarks. Oh well.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need to read it again, I want to read it again. I LOVED the title. Can relate to that.

[Mary Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, if GoodReads would actually let us do that.