Classic Poetry: An Illustrated Collection

This is a beautifully illustrated book of poetry edited by poet Michael Rosen, the Children's Laureate of Britain. The book features 38 very well-known poets and several poems for each, presented in chronological order spanning the years from 1564 (Williams Shakespeare's birth) to 2000 (Judith Wright's death). The table of contents shows a picture of each poet, along with the lifespan dates, plus the particular poems covered with the page reference. As a result of the chronological order, the table of contents doubles as a timeline of sorts. Other poets include William Blake, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Emily Bronte, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Lewis Carroll, Robert Louis Stevenson, Carl Sandburg, and more. The text includes a very brief biographical note about each poet. A few of the poems have explanatory notes at the back, but only a few. The illustrations truly are beautiful, and I especially appreciate the fact that there is a portrait of each poet. This book would make a great resource for a poetry study or a nice volume for browsing. 160 pgs, pb ~ Caryl