The Oxford Book of American Poetry

by David Lehman (Editor), John Brehm

Here is the eagerly awaited new edition of The Oxford Book of American Poetry brought completely up to date and dramatically expanded by poet David Lehman. It is a rich, capacious volume, featuring the work of more than 200 poets-almost three times as many as the 1976 edition. With a succinct and often witty head note introducing each author, it is certain to become the definitive anthology of American poetry for our time.

Lehman has gathered together all the works one would expect to find in a landmark collection of American poetry, from Whitman's Crossing Brooklyn Ferry to Stevens's The Idea of Order at Key West , and from Eliot's The Waste Land to Ashbery's Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror . But equally important, the editor has significantly expanded the range of the anthology. The book includes not only writers born since the previous edition, but also many fine poets overlooked in earlier editions or little known in the past but highly deserving of attention. The anthology confers legitimacy on the Objectivist poets; the so-called Proletariat poets of the 1930s; famous poets who fell into neglect or were the victims of critical backlash (Edna St. Vincent Millay); poets whose true worth has only become clear with the passing of time (Weldon Kees). Among poets missing from Richard Ellmann's 1976 volume but published here are W. H. Auden, Charles Bukowski, Donald Justice, Carolyn Kizer, Kenneth Koch,
Stanley Kunitz, Emma Lazarus, Mina Loy, Howard Moss, Lorine Niedecker, George Oppen, James Schuyler, Elinor Wylie, and Louis Zukosky. Many more women are outstanding poets such as Josephine Jacobsen, Josephine Miles, May Swenson. Numerous African-American poets receive their due, and unexpected figures such as the musicians Bob Dylan, Patti Smith and Robert Johnson have a place in this important work.

This stunning collection redefines the great canon of American poetry from its origins in the 17th century right up to the present. It is a must-have anthology for anyone interested in American literature and a book that is sure to be consulted, debated, and treasured for years to come.

Genres: Poetry, Anthologies, Reference, Fiction, Classics, American, School

1200 pages, Hardcover

First published April 3, 2006

About the author

David Lehman is a poet and the series editor for The Best American Poetry series. He teaches at The New School in New York City.

Reviews

[Robert Palmer · Rating 1 out of 5]

The principal problem with this tome is that its emphasis is on modern poetry, even though it purports to be a comprehensive volume of American poetry. Of its 1085 pages of poetry, almost all of it is devoted to what passed for poetry in the twentieth century. This was accomplished not only by reducing the number of poets from earlier centuries, but also the number of pages devoted to each.

Just five poets represent the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. America's Golden Age of poetry, the nineteenth century, is relegated to fewer than 200 pages. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a prolific poet who was once considered to be America's greatest poet, has barely ten pages. In contrast, twentieth century "poets," such as Wallace Stevens and William Carlos Williams, each get more than twice as much space.

But then, what can one expect of an editor whose bias is not hidden? David Lehman states in his introduction, "... the need to replace the retrospective anthologies of the past is as constant as the need to render classic works in new translations with up-to-date idioms." Did you get that? He advocates editing classic works! What hubris!

Save your money -- don't buy this book, and don't waste your time reading beyond the first 200 pages. If, like me, you prefer poetry that speaks to the soul, poetry that is accessible to the masses rather than to just a handful of self-appointed "experts" in poetry, then look for an anthology assembled for ordinary people. One such volume is The Best Love Poems of the American People.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is a five-pound monster, but also a very fine anthology of American poetry. Since I tend to read poetry only a few pages at a time, it took over a year to finish, but those were hours very well spent. The range here seemed remarkably comprehensive, encompassing American verse from the 17th century through that of poets born in 1950. The anthologist's approach was to cover as many poets as possible, and that's an approach I value in an anthology such as this one.

While reading I was especially struck by two things: Firstly, my own taste in poetry is apparently rather old-fashioned--probably because I value most those poems which are succinct and relatively clear in their meaning. Rhyming isn't necessary, but I enjoy it when it's well done. Lengthy esoteric stuff that seems written by academics primarily for a smallish clique of the like-minded just doesn't float my boat. This anthology contains a good number of that kind of poem. Myself, I prefer stuff the average person on the street can understand and appreciate, even if only on a basic level. After all, poetry is still primarily meant to be a form of communication, isn't it? For me, a wider appeal generally tops a narrower one. Secondly, there were a number of poets born in the '30s. '40s, and 1950 whose poetry I really enjoyed. That surprised me (because of my first point above) and I was grateful to the anthologist (and those poets!) for that revelation.

So, to summarize: A great collection of American poetry, full of both comfort and surprise. I wish more of those who claim to dislike or feel neutral towards poetry would give anthologies such as this one a chance. They might get hooked! Highly recommended!

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

This new edition is considerably larger than the previous ones, and I've been working on it for a month or so. I discovered some new poets, some old friends, and faithfully slogged through some poems I remembered hating. I was right about them, but one never knows. Poetry, I've found, is very fluid, and poems resonate differently for me through the years. There's no way I feel adequate to review a book on this scale, a book of this scope, except to say that if you like poetry it's certainly worth perusing. If you hate poetry, read the quote by William Matthews below, and be free.

The poems new to me with which I fell in love:
Amaze by Adelaide Crapsey
The House Was Quiet And The World Was Calm by Wallace Stevens
Before Disaster by Yvor Winters
Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden
The Lost Children by Randall Jarrell
Why Regret by Galway Kinnell
The Return by Philip Levine
At 65 by Richard Howard
Forty Something by Robert Hass
Celestial Music and
Vespers by Louise Gluck
Otherwise by Jane Kenyon
Form by Heather McHugh


And last, this gem from the blurb about William Matthews
"He once observed that most published poems fall into one of four thematic categories: '1. I went out in the woods today and it made me feel, you know, sort of religious. 2. We're not getting any younger. 3. It sure is cold and lonely (a) without you, honey, or (b) with you, honey. 4) Sadness seems but the other side of the coin of happiness, and vice versa, and in any case the coin is too soon spent and on we know not what.'"

[Mike The Pirate · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great book, a wonderful anthology, but unfortunately there is one problem with it as a work. It is the "Oxford" the British book of American Poetry, meaning that these are the selections of another country anthologizing American poetry. There are many noticeable absences. The poetry selections are mainly from East Coast authors and it does not feature as wide a range of multicultural authors as have become well known in America.
Still a good reference to have on one's shelves.

[Whitney Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been borrowing books lately from the local library -- anthologies of poems, which has opened a wonderful way for me to wander through the long halls of this mysterious genre. Choosing anthologies (over single-poet volumes) helps because, too often, I find just a few poems by any given poet that resonate with me. Recent explorations uncovered two poets I like very much, so maybe I will focus on them next and circle back to mining anthologies for more gems.

In the two poets that I found – namely Geraldine Brooks and Robert Penn Warren – I discovered two very different voices oddly penning an almost identical message (“We Real Cool” and “Patriotic Tour and Postulate for Joy” respectively). In both, the subject was mortality, a favorite subject of mine. I look for poetry that is “deathy” because, like music, it reveals the thin line between our “now” and whatever comes after.

Mortality as a topic has rendered me practically allergic to “passing the time” and other forms of “time-killers.” Poetry that is “deathy” helps me appreciate life is short (no matter how old-and-decrepit I am allowed to become). It acts like that hyphen I see on all the gravestones when I walk through a cemetery. How short those hyphens between the words “Born” and “Died” yet on every tombstone marker, the tiny dash represents all that ever happened in that life.

And so, my search for “deathy” poems, wafting scents reminding me to cherish the dash.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book shortchanges the American poetry scene. It's not as comprehensive in terms of early American poets as it could be. It's also sorely lacking foot- or endnotes. The brief bios compiled of each poet are random and questionable. One female poet was described by her looks. John Berryman's bio notes that "he jumped to his death off the Washington Avenue bridge between St. Paul and Minneapolis." Um...the Washington Avenue bridge connects the East and West Banks of the University of Minnesota--Minneapolis campus. The entire bridge is in Minneapolis. Which makes me question how accurate the other bios were. Oh, and in Rae Armantrout's bio, the William Stafford poem Traveling Through the Dark is misnamed Traveling Through the Night.

If someone can recommend a better anthology of American poetry than this, I'm all ears.

[Hannah Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My personal Bible. Enough said.

[Daniel Tierney · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting collection, some surprising omissions, like Lawrence Ferlingetti, and really, Patti Smith is included?

[Sebastian]

David Lehman, the editor of this 1,100-page anthology of American poetry, is the founding editor of the annual Best American Poetry series, selections which have been of varying quality since he founded it in 1988, and for which Lehman has written introductions to each volume which are themselves of varying quality. A good chunk of these introductions have been compiled into a single volume in 2015, titled The state of the Art which gives a pretty interesting picture of Lehman’s development as a poetry critic (since, after all, a part of the art of being an anthologizer is being a critic) Lehman is also a prolific poet himself, of course (as all poetry anthologizers tend to be). Lehman has also written several book-length works of criticism on – yes, poetry and specific poets’ work – but on other surprising subjects such as Sinatra and noir fiction. One broad critical study Lehman once undertook was a study of the New York school of poetry, one of only a few truly worthwhile books on the subject.

This 2006 edition of The Oxford Book of American Poetry is the third major edition of this project. Books such as anthologies and textbooks have certain members which go on to live interesting lives. One Helen Gardner wrote Art Through the Ages in 1926, a text which is continually revised and updated and used in art history courses today; Helene Hanff’s literary hero Arthur Quiller-Couch compiled the first Oxford Book of English Verse in 1900, which was subsequently revised in a new edition by a different Helen Gardner in 1972 as The New Oxford Book of English Verse. The present volume of American poetry had its first iteration under the title of The Oxford Book of American Verse in 1950, and the anthologizer was legendary literary scholar F.O. Matthiessen, expert on the American Renaissance (he founded the field). The 2nd iteration of the book was under the title The New Oxford Book of American Verse, and the anthologizer was the James Joyce scholar and expert in modernist poetry, Richard Ellman, and this version was published in 1976. 30 years later, we have David Lehman’s edition. Lehman is aware of the burden of such a legacy, and says in the introduction that “it is an honor to join in the company of two such accomplished scholars and skillful anthologists.”

The book begins where a broad scope of American poetry should: with Anne Bradstreet, the earliest American poet whose poetry still runs a thread through poetry up through the modern poets born as late as 1950. As Lehman states in the introduction, “Naturally, I needed and wanted to include poets born since 1934, the birth year of Ellmann’s youngest poet,” and the cutoff date at 1950 seems fitting; this is the year Matthiessen’s original anthology was published (and, sadly, the year that brilliant mind took his life.

One could nitpick a poetry anthology until all the feathers are plucked, leaving a fine carcass to then roast. Some anthologies are flawed to the point of deficiency. Not so, with this anthology.

Though Lehman does seem to intentionally exclude any poets associated with the Beats (Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso), Lehman does include some San Franscisco Renaissance poets, chiefly Gary Snyder and Kenneth Rexroth. Oddly, Lehman does not include possibly the most important poet of that generation, Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Perhaps it is because Ferlinghetti used his City Lights bookshop (est. 1954) to propagate the Beat poetry of the generation which succeeds the San Fransisco Renaissance which Lehman is dismissive of, but that ignores the strength of language and the value of style present in Ferlinghetti’s own poems. And whatever misgivings one may have towards the Beats as poets, Gregory Corso is a stand-out in that milieu; poems such as “Bomb” and volumes such as Gasoline are brimming with poetic creativity which has a lasting value to it.

Lehman does seem to have a preference for a different school of poetry which coincided with the Beats, which is the New York School. This does not surprise me since he did once writer a very good book about this group of poets, and the selection from many such poets is rather heavy. Frank O’Hara, Ted Berrigan, James Schuyler, Alice Notely, Bernedette Mayer and Kenneth Koch are all given generous space in this volume. They all deserve it, but Berrigan most of all.

Should such a fertile era of poetry be balanced during sampling, a sdampler more ���cosmopolitan,” as the great Paul Blackburn once put it, regarding the rise of “schools of poetry” in mid-century American letters? Yes. But equally so, if an anthologizer doesn’t find certain work strong, they shouldn’t include it: and Lehman doesn’t. Is it a risky blindspot? It is. But Lehman is a seasoned anthologizer of poetry. (It is worth noting that Lehman does not include any Paul Blackburn.)

Does Lehman make up for his own blindspots by revealing other previously overlooked poets? He does. This is the balancing act an anthologizer with such a big canvas as the history of a country must fill, and Lehman does it well. About a dozen female poets born in the late-19th century who have not previously been recognized for the strength of their poems are included such as Emma Lazarus and Elinor Wylie, who were recognized in their own time but lapsed out of favor despite writing enduring poetry. There are even further surprising oddball inclusions from the 20th century such as Mina Loy, Weldon Kees (Lehman does not include as generous an amount in his book as poet Conrad Aiken (who himself is in Lehman’s anthology) once did for Kees when Kees was still alive, but there is a sizable handful), and the prose poet Russell Edson. Even Jane Kenyon is in this book.

Once again, one could pluck at the book with probing pinches: yes, the surprising and welcome entry of Mark Van Doren is in here, but not the poem about Carl Van Doren; yes, Robert Lowell is in here, but not the poem about Matthiessen; yes, Richard Howard is in here, but not any of his more elaborate dramatic poems; not as single one of Kenward Elmslie’s deranged melodious merriments is present, and not a line from Jim Harrison. But, as philosopher Steven Wright once pointed out, “You can’t have everything. Where would you put it?” Editors and anthologizers and anyone tasked with decisions must eventually make them. Lehman has made his decisions disproportionately well. What this entails is that Lehman’s 2006 Oxford Book of American Poetry would be worth any reader of poetry’s time, whether they are looking for a reliable source to begin reading poetry and don’t know where to start, or if they are a seasoned reader of American poetry looking to be surprised by one individual’s selections; Lehman’s choices will surprise you, and will do so to even the most voracious reader of poetry’s satisfaction. – 6 May 2024 Phoenix, AZ

[Katie Karnehm-Esh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have used this anthology three times now, once when I sat in on a poetry class, and twice when teaching it. I am not sure I am going to use it again, even though in some ways it's a thorough collection of American poetry.

What I like: The collection has a very good introduction by Lehman, succinct bios of each poet, and a broad range of a poets, as well as a few American songwriters (Bob Dylan is one). In short, I've used this anthology to teach the canon of American poetry. However, it is more or less the white canon, and in the class I teach, I'm trying to not teach just the white canon.

What I don't like: Lehman chose a cut-off year for adding poets, which means many of the poets of color I'm currently reading aren't included. However, his anthology certainly could have included many more poets of color which were just as good as some of the non-POC poets included (the key ones included are Wheatley, Hayden, Brooks, and a few others. Good--but in an anthology this broad, not good enough). My ideal American poetry anthology would be way, way too long, but I have a hard time deciding here if the anthology is too broad or not broad enough.

This semester I solved my problems by including a two other anthologies. I will probably just opt for a different, more diverse anthology in the future.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I could add only one poem to this anthology, it would be "Goodnight Moon" by Margaret Wise Brown. If that ain't an American classic, what is? If I could add another, it would be "Reincarnation" by Wallace McRae.

Thus I vote for more accessibility, more breadth. And some honest to God humor. There's a wide audience for the wide swath of American poetry extending beyond the academic, the must-be-studied. And what about slam or other forms of performance poetry? Maybe slam arrived a little too late for this edition, but you can't call yourself an anthology of American poetry without it.

Up until about 1940 it's a good collection. Now they should hire Tracy K. Smith to update it.

[Lagobond · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm seriously disappointed. I really gave this anthology a fair shot, but failed to find a single poem I loved. With pretentious anthologies like this, it's no wonder so many people think they don't like poetry. To anyone who has tried this book, don't give up! There's good poetry out there, I promise. And to anyone who uses this to teach... why, oh why would you inflict such suffering on innocent minds?

I suppose I should look for poetry rated 1-star by David Lehman, because his taste sure seems diametrically opposed to mine.

[Mike Hammer · Rating 2 out of 5]

long collection
lots of poets
mostly old and 'classic' poets
i would say i like about 15% of them
and i think another 15% are decent
but overall its a collection of nonsensical flowery stuff that makes most people hate poetry

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did I read all 1084 pages of this poetry anthology in preparation for my American Lit class this year?

No, no I did not.

But I read through most of it and picked out some great ones for my students to read.

[Daudi Mlengela · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone who want to read and teach poetry, I recommend this book. The book gives poetic details starting from poets to their poem.

[Edgar Trevizo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though I still resent Lehman didn’t include Jack Gilbert, Raymond Carver and Joseph Stroud, three of my greatest American favorites, it is still a beautiful book, and beautifully designed, also.

[Ashley (JaffaCaffa) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am no expert on poetry, I have only read a handful which is why I decided to read this and expand my horizons! I have always been interested in poetry, but never took the time to appreciate it. Here's my ratings of the poems I read, more for future reference than anything, so I can look back and see which poets were my favourites and why. Feel free to read the ones I rated highly, or suggest other poems you think I may like!

W. H. Auden:
"As I Walked Out One Evening" ★★★

Louise Glück:
"Celestial Music" ★★

Robert Frost:
"Provide, Provide" ★★
"The Oven Bird" ★★★
"The Road Not Taken" ★ Generic.
"Fire and Ice" ★★★★
"Design" ★★

Jane Kenyon:
"Otherwise" ★★★★

Heather McHugh:
"What He Thought" ★★★★★ Wow this hit me hard.

Sharon Olds:
"The One Girl at the Boys Party" ★★★
"The Race" ★★

Ron Padgett:
"Voice" ★★★★

Mary Oliver:
"Some Questions You Might Ask" ★★

Katha Pollitt:
"Failure" ★★★
"Mind-Body Problem" ★★★

Weldon Kees:
"For My Daughter" ★★★★ Oh how I have struggled with these thoughts as I self-reflect. Worrying that my wants wouldn't be the best for my daughter, physically and mentally, as well as myself.

William Stafford:
"Traveling Through the Dark" ★
"Ask Me" ★★★

Wallace Stevens:
"Disillusionment of Ten O'Clock" ★★★
"The Death of a Solider" ★★★This leads to the question, should we get recognition for the things we have done when we die? I'm not sure what the correct answer is supposed to be myself.

Michael Palmer:
"A man undergoes pain sitting at a piano" ★★★★

E. E. Cummings:
"anyone lived in a pretty how town" ★★

[Adrienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

When an anthology is over 1,000 pages and almost 800 of those are only the 20th century, I wonder what happened to the rest of America's literary tradition. Most of the selections here are great and deserve to be included, but a lot has been left out (like most of the 1800s) and some included poets' works could be reduced. For example, it is a bit stunning, as Dana Gioia has pointed out, that Longfellow is/was the most popular American poet of all time, and he only gets a few pages in anthologies. But poets like to separate their "serious" poetry from popular poetry. Just because a movement of poetry is formulaic and predictable doesn't mean it should be ignored.

[Victoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Confession 1 - I didn't read this 1085-page book cover to cover. Confession 2 - I just don't get poetry. I read Whitman and Dickinson (for my book club). They did nothing for me. I feel anti-american saying so. I jumped around and tried other poems as well. The poems Peter suggested (by Russell Edson) are the only ones I liked. But, I admit, I didn't read everything. I guess later in the year I'll try poetry again. If you have any advice, send my way.

[Joe Starnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection is large but still missing many significant southern poets, in particular, James Dickey (an omission that is downright inexcusable), as well as Sidney Lanier, Byron Herbert Reece, Miller Williams, David Bottoms, Dave Smith, Wyatt Prunty, and Greg Williamson.

[Steven]

I am having a good time just exploring (2009)

[Alaska · Rating 4 out of 5]

L2 English major university reading
Although I am not the biggest fan of poetry, i liked many of the poems inside this book.

"One failure on
Top of another"

[Tonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poetry is always a great read for me!