A Poem for Every Night of the Year

Product Information

While I do think it’s entirely acceptable to read a book like this at your own pace and inclination, I will say that the historical significance of the poems, included in the introductory paragraphs, was one of the highlights of the experience for me. Connecting the poems to a holiday or war or event piqued my interest in the corresponding poems. Not every poem fit its date exactly, but the ones that did were more fun to read on the appropriate days. Some poems were really enjoyable some were not. There was a good mix of styles and topics. I didn't like the paper this was printed on, very rough, absorbent news paper, not what I want to find in a book. It made me think of cheap toilet paper with a poem a day printed on it, that would probably have made me fit it in to a daily reading. A friend bought this for me for Christmas last year, and I can honestly say it’s one of the best presents I’ve ever received. It’s introduced me to quite a few poets I never heard of and it has also reacquainted me with some of my all-time favourites. The poems are varied and they tend to match the time of year perfectly. There are special poems for Halloween and Christmas and for the changing of the seasons. It turns out, it's quite beautiful to have a poem to read every night of the year. I loved crawling into bed and falling asleep to the well-composed words of Keats, Yeats, A. A. Milne and Tennyson. And best of all, I discovered some new favourites as well. There is a companion book of poetry called A Poem for Every Day of the Year, and though I haven’t read the companion yet I do want to mention that the night theme in this book felt appropriate to its content. Many of the poems explore night or death or war; there are a few love poems as well, but in essence this is a darker and perhaps heavier collection than I would expect to find in the companion edition. If you’d rather read something a bit contemplative and grim, this may be the poetry book for you.

For those who do not read much poetry, for those who do not know where to start, this is a fun and easy commitment to take on. Reading a poem a day does not take long, mere minutes, and with over three-hundred poems in here there's bound to be a poem that speaks to each reader directly. I broke the rule though and read it all at once. A message from Gaby Morgan, Editorial Director at Pan MacmillanA beautiful collection of 366 poems from familiar favourites to exciting contemporary voices, one to share on every night of the year. All the poems havea link to the date on which they appear, and the collection will take you on a journey through history, the season, and festivals and traditions from many different countries, cultures and religions. A story, if well told, can last a lifetime or longer. Brian Pattern’s poem pays homage to great works of children’s literature that continue to give, and live a life of their own. Author Guy Bass introduces SCRAP, about one robot who tried to protect the humans on his planet against an army of robots. Now the humans need his...My candle burns at both ends; / It will not last the night; / But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends– / It gives a lovely light!” -Edna St Vincent Millay Nursery Rhyme: first recorded in 1816; a simple or traditional poem or song for children” - Oxford English Dictionary

This seemed a fun way to discover poetry. Turns out it isn’t for me, I can’t seem to “get” the poems, it doesn’t make sense to me, and maybe that’s the point of poetry, but I didn’t enjoy it. I started the year with the best intentions of actually reading a poem every night. Reading poetry is a great habit to expand both the reading and writing mind, and though I do enjoy it, I don’t reach for it nearly often enough. But it didn’t take me long to fall behind, so I fell instead into the habit of reading a few poems at a time, 2 or 3 times a week, whenever it best fit my mood and schedule. By updating my progress on Goodreads at the end of each “chapter” and month, I stayed motivated enough never to fall drastically behind, which is an accomplishment I’m quite proud of. Despite my determination last January, I wasn’t actually sure I’d make it to the December poems within the first year of trying. What a year it's been! I haven't actually finished the book yet, but I'll forget to update goodreads later so its now or never. Hello Yellow - 80 Books to Help Children Nurture Good Mental Health and Support With Anxiety and Wellbeing -This useful anthology is aimed at children but I can't think of anyone who wouldn't enjoy it. The target audience ensures accessibility as well as a satisfying blend of light and shade, while Esiri's introduction is a model of economyand enthusiasm. She offers poetry for the small things in life, the every day, and I can't think of anything more life enhancing than opening this book each evening to sweeten the passage of time. -- Bel Mooney The Daily Mail