She Will Soar: Bright, Brave Poems about Freedom by Women

by Ana Sampson

A stunning gift book featuring 130 poems about wanderlust, freedom and escape written by women.

With poems from classic, well loved poets as well as innovative and bold modern voices, She Will Soar is a stunning collection and an essential addition to any bookshelf. From the ancient world right up to the present day, it includes poems on wanderlust, travel, daydreams, flights of fancy, escaping into books, tranquillity, courage, hope and resilience. From frustrated housewives to passionate activists, from servants and suffragettes to some of today’s most gifted writers, here is a bold choir of voices demanding independence and celebrating their hard-won power.

Immerse yourself in poems by Carol Ann Duffy, Christina Rossetti, Stevie Smith, Sarah Crossan, Emily Dickinson, Salena Godden, Mary Jean Chan, Charly Cox, Nikita Gill, Fiona Benson, Hollie McNish and Grace Nichols to name but a few

Genres: Poetry, Feminism, Anthologies

Paperback

First published September 17, 2020

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

[Honey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I do find it harder to opine about poetry anthologies, simply as each piece will always be as subjective as the last, and poetry is simply personal to the reader.

This had some good gems - although admittedly some a bit harder to get into than others. While I see myself dipping in and out of this book in the future for select pieces, this wasn't necessarily the most ground-breaking of anthologies I've read. Fairly inspired, though.

[Em Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this collection of poetry, with some of them being very thought provoking and inspiring. I was also interested to see how Ana categorised each one - I did not always agree with the section that they sat in, but I enjoyed this difference in our interpretations as I believe that it is what makes poetry so special. It is so individualistic and your understanding will vary based on your life experiences.

I believe this book is a good way to be introduced to female poets who are underrepresented in this area. I definitely recommend this as a casual read.

[Tabrizia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful anthology to complete on my birthday! The resilience and inspiration of the human spirit is always fascinating to read, but seeing it in the female soul is always invigorating to read. It really shows what I am capable of and makes me feel inspired and peaceful. These poems also allowed me to travel to real places but also to places where my inspiration has no bounds. If anyone is looking for an anthology of poetry that will inspire, enchant and whisk you away from the "world of lockdown", then Sampson has created a fantastic collection that has done just that. 

[Pernille · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Charlotte Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this anthology cover to cover but I think it will be nice to have and dip into in the future.
It was a good mix of old faves and poets i hadn't heard of before. March BTM book.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely compendium of poems. This is definitely a book I'll re-read over and over

[Katie Barty-Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

“What if this road, that has held no surprises these many years, decided not to go home after all”

[Gwendolyn Simonalle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great selection. Especially loved that the poets are from such different backgrounds and eras!

[louise reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

[Kiera · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars || I think, like music, poetry is very personal. It depends on both taste and how much one can relate to the experiences described.

There were a couple of poems for me that I thought were beautiful, and that really resonated me with. There were poems that I appreciated as works of art that reflected other people’s truths. But as an anthology as a whole I found it just a bit “meh”.

I think poetry is very difficult to both critique and to recommend; it’s not like books, where “if you like this you’ll probably like this”. So I think it’s worth picking up if you’re interested, or you think thing might be for you. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me.

[🌶 peppersocks 🧦 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reflections and lessons learned:
“My soul is awakened, my spirit is soaring
And carried aloft on the wings of the breeze;
For above and around me the wild wind is roaring,
Arousing to rapture the earth and the seas”

A wonderful varied collection, arranged according to theme, that’s suitable for all in terms of age and range - a great selection of sky poetry too!

[Chelsie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collection of poems based around women and freedom. Poetry is not my “thing” necessarily, but I found some poems that I really connected with and appreciated. Some poems I struggled with the language used and understanding them but that is more a “me” problem than any issue with the poems themselves.

Fave poems:

- your world by Georgia Douglas Johnson
-freedom poem by Michaela Morgan
-Megan Married Herself by Caroline Bird
-Autobiography in Five Chapters by Portia Nelson
-December by Jen Campbell
-Saint Senara and Me by Anna Kisby
-My Hat by Stevie Smith

[Fay Pretty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this anthology, I devoured it quickly and found so many of them incredibly inspirational.

I think it’s so hard to critique poetry when it's so much about personal reflection and the four stars rather than five really came down to its comparison to other anthologies in my collection. In particular, I love collections that are illustrated or tied together with an easy to follow set of groupings or narrated in an imaginative way and in this area, it fell a little flat. Although I loved Ana’s comments at the start of each section explaining her personal choices for grouping those particular poems, again, this is the great thing about poetry- that it ignites something personal in each of us.

But that’s not to say that it's not worth adding to your collection, the span of female poems from across history and the globe show an incredible range of experiences and dreams. I would definitely recommend if you’re looking to expand your collection.

[soph · Rating 2 out of 5]

I rarely ever seek poetry out because quite frankly I don’t think I know how to appreciate it. I got this collection in a book subscription box which is why I picked it up. long story short, I can’t say enjoyed it but I thought some of the poems were quite nice.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m historically not very good at reading poetry, I find it hard to get into. This is still the case I think, although I can’t get any better if I don’t try!
I did enjoy some of the poems in this book, particularly those focussed on the sea, but it didn’t inspire me. Lending to my friend to see what her views are now!

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great collection! Ana Sampson has an eye for beautiful poetry and I appreciate how she divides her collections up into themes. I found a few new favourite poems in here and more poets to keep an eye out for - what more can you ask of a poetry collection?

[Hannah Shoard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Zoé · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful beautiful and so many dog eared pages. Thank you Ana Sampson for your books.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of this was stunning, but some of it didn’t really strike a chord with me. Definitely a case of “it’s not you, it’s me”. I’m just not really a poetry person.

[Bobbi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not really a fan of poetry, but I was able to finish the book and find some enjoyable poems that were interesting.

[Aria]

i dont wanna bash this book with a bad rating because poetry is subjective and this just wasnt for me

[Kiran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Has some definite stand out poems by amazing women, some no one has ever heard of! Make a note or bookmark your favourites to come back to whenever you fancy a bit of poetry.

[Stacey Bookerworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely little poetry collection full of fierce women

[Hannah]

March BTM box

[Rebecca Stonehill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous collection of poems. I love the way Sampson includes some notes about each poet which renders the reading of the poems more meaningful and satisfying.

[Faye Fullalove · Rating 4 out of 5]

I folded quite a few pages and look forward to dipping back to these poems in the future. Nice mix of modern and older poetry by a range of women.

[Ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read a couple each night before bed 😌

[Anne Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good collection of poems by women and well worth a read. Some of them I loved - and I discovered more female poets to put on my list which is always a good thing!

[Josie Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/3