A Poet for Every Day of the Year

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I loved to explore different poets / authors, of whome I already heard before or who I otherwise would have never known, who are dead or alive, young and old, writting on topics I find fascinating or I couldn’t care less about. From Shakespeare, Emily Bronte and William Wordsworth through to Wendy Cope, Sylvia Plath and Leonard Cohen, this lovely book invites readers to make poetry a part of their everyday routine. However, one minor point is that there was some overlap with 'A Poem for Every Night of the Year', which I think should've been avoided, considering it's the same editor publishing these anthologies.

A Poet for Every Day of the Year is utterly wonderful and an absolute must for any lover of poetry, of words, of people. Seamus Heaney had the idea to form a personal selection of poems from across the entire arc of his writing life, small yet comprehensive enough to serve as an introduction for all comers.

I loved it unreservedly and it’s one of my books of the year because it brings human connection and joy to the reader. I confess I haven’t read the whole book yet as I am savouring the dated poems and poets each night so that this is a gift of a book that will last me the entire year. In 100 Poems, readers will enjoy the most loved and celebrated poems, as well as discovering new favourites. This soul-enhancing book is the perfect gift that will last the whole year, with a little bit of magic to read every day.

Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, Christina Rossetti and Emily Bronte sit alongside Roger McGough, Wendy Cope, Imtiaz Dharker, Leonard Cohen, Sylvia Plath and Ocean Vuong. I’m not really a fan of the format; each piece of information could have been in separate lines or columns. Perfect for reading aloud and sharing with all the family, this book dazzles with an array of familiar favourites and remarkable new discoveries.Within the pages of this magnificent collection, you will find poems to share on every day of the year, reflecting on changing seasons and key days in the year.

The day-to-day format of the anthology invites readers to make poetry a part of their daily routine, and makes sure that they discover something inspirational, life affirming, provocative, moving or entertaining each and every day. The Contents of A Poet for Every Day of the Year list the poem and poet for each calendar day although I prefer not to look at that properly until next year when I’ve enjoyed a daily surprise from the book. dh A Poem For Every Day of the Year is a magnificent collection of 366 poems compiled by Allie Esiri, one to share on every day of the year.

I listened to this as an audio book I had borrowed from the library and would listen to a few poems each day. I don’t want to spoil the discovery for others but she raises some interesting questions about context and the balance between poet and poem in the reader’s consideration that had me thinking when I wasn’t dipping in to the poems. There is balm for the soul, fire for the belly, a cooling compress for the fevered brow, solace for the wounded, an arm around the lonely shoulder - the whole collection is a matchless compound of hug, tonic and kiss' Stephen FrySometimes only a poem will do. Some offer insightful biographical details or key historical context, while others may provide quirky, humorous anecdotes.

He never managed to do this himself, and no other edition exists which has such a broad range, drawing from first to last of his prize-winning collections. I also had fun with the index of first lines at the end of A Poet for Every Day of the Year, reading them aloud like performance poetry and seeing if they would work as found poems in their own right! Reflecting the changing seasons and linking to events on key dates - funny for April Fool's Day, festive for Christmas - these poems are thoughtful, inspiring, humbling, informative, quiet, loud, small, epic, peaceful, energetic, upbeat, motivating, and empowering! This anthology has so much to offer and every time I think about it next to the bed ready for me to read last thing at night it brings happiness and a smile to my face.Whether you are suffering from loneliness, lack of courage, heartbreak, hopelessness, or even from an excess of ego, there is something here to ease your pain. These poetic prescriptions and wise words of advice offer comfort, delight and inspiration for all; a space for reflection, and that precious realization - I'm not the only one who feels like this. This pocket-sized book presents the most essential poems in his dispensary: those which, again and again, have really shown themselves to work.