101 Poems That Could Save Your Life: An Anthology of Emotional First Aid

By Daisy Goodwin

Book Overview

Prozac has side effects, drinking gives you hangovers, therapy's expensive. For quick and effective relief -- or at least some literary comfort -- from everyday and exceptional problems, try a poem. Over the ages, people have turned to poets as ambassadors of the emotions, because they give voice and definition to our troubles, and by so doing, ease them. No matter how bad things get, poets have been there, too, and they can help you get over the rough spots. This is the first poetry anthology designed expressly for the self-help generation. The poems listed include classics by Emily Dickinson, Lord Byron, Ogden Nash, and Lucretius, to name just a few, along with newer works by such current practitioners as Seamus Heaney and Wendy Cope. This book has a cure or consolation for nearly every affliction, ancient or modern. And no side effects-except pleasure.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 006052913X
• ISBN13: 9780060529130
• Release Date: December 2002
• Publisher: Harper
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

Poem Cures

"101 Poems that could save your life" gives a voice to a number of daily problems. Reading each poem refocuses the mind so you can see problems from various vantage points. Each poem promises to give you a renewed clarity and relief from emotional ailments. The first poem made me laugh and the introductions to each section are a nice touch. There are poems for Apologies, Bad Hair Days, Bereavement, Big Decisions, Birthday Blues, Career Crisis, Christmas Stress, Divorce, First Dates, Illness, Insomnia, Relationships, Courage, Finances, Parenting (when the baby cries), Retail Therapy, Depression and Stress. While reading this book you may even find poems you want to read to your friends. There is a beautiful poem, like a message from the grave, that makes death seem to be less permanent and more a change of location. "Do not stand at my grave and weep; I am not there, I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glints on snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn rain." The poems are all quite clever and most of them make you smile. "If People Disapprove of You" is quite funny and cute. There were a few poems I'd seen before like Kipling's "If." Most of the poems were new to me and that was a nice surprise. So whether you are seeking some respite or just enjoy reading new poems I can recommend this to you. While the author suggests reading a poem for a moment or reason, I think you can also enjoy this book all at once and find it quite pleasing. ~The Rebecca Review

When drowning, grab for this

Sometimes poetry and philosophy can do more good than psychology. Can anything compare with a good poem to deal with the bumps and lumps of life? Is there anything that nails the frustration of relationships like "Big Decision" and "I'm Really Very Fond" and "Go to Bed With a Cheese and Pickle Sandwich"? This book would be a great gift for a friend.

Bubble baths, chocolate, and this book, emotional bandaids..

This is one of the most entertaining and refreshing poetry collectoins I've ever read. Whether your feeling down about your self, money, love, or the world in general, this book can help. The poems inside are light hearted and whimsical, or wistful and a little sad by turn, but whatever the mood, they all offer a bit of comfort on a cold day. I abosolutely reccomend this book!