Selections from Modern Poets

Project GutenbergProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.6

Word count: 250K words
Chapters: 26

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Selections from Modern Poets by Sir John Collings SquireAuthor: ,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Oct 4, 2016

Editor's review

This is an anthology of modern English poets edited by J. C. Squire, a popular early twentieth-century selection of British poetry. Its value lies in presenting, through the editor's eye, a group portrait of poets then regarded as "modern," letting readers see the transition between traditional prosody and modern sensibility. An anthology is not a complete map of literary history but rather a reading list shaped by the tastes of its time, suited to sensing the linguistic climate and editorial judgment of post-World War I British poetry. Read it as an entry point: when a poet interests you, go on to their individual collections; at the same time, note the voices the editor omitted or gave little space, and understand the anthology's limits. For readers studying reception history and the politics of anthologizing, this book also offers analyzable material.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in early twentieth-century British poetry who want an introductory anthology
English literature students studying anthology compilation and canon formation
General readers who enjoy short poems and anthology formats and wish to sample many poets
Literary researchers studying the reception history of poetry and editorial taste

Not a good fit for

Readers looking for the newest contemporary poetry or twenty-first-century poets
Beginners needing detailed notes, poet biographies, and scholarly introductions
Readers who only read Chinese translations and are unwilling to engage with the English original

Reading tips

First read through the table of contents, mark unfamiliar poets, then read selectively by interest rather than straight through.
After every few poems, note the editor's inclinations in selection and consider which voices are highlighted or overlooked.
For a poet you like, look up their individual collection or biography to extend your reading; do not let the anthology stand in for the whole.
Read alongside chapters of poetry history from the same period to place the anthology in its historical context.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Which poets are included in this anthology?

The material only states that it is an anthology of modern poets edited by J. C. Squire and does not list specific contents or poet names. Readers should rely on the actual table of contents and should not assume it covers all major modern poets.

Is it suitable as a textbook for the history of modern British poetry?

Not on its own. It is an anthology shaped by its editor's taste that reflects the reading standards of a particular time and place, but it is not equivalent to a full literary history. Use it alongside authoritative poetry histories and individual poets' collections.

Does the Project Gutenberg edition include notes?

This edition is a public-domain ebook that generally preserves the original book's content without adding modern scholarly notes or introductions. Readers needing background explanation should seek out research materials or annotated editions.

Can readers with average English read this anthology?

The language of poetry is dense and carries period diction, so readers with average English may find it difficult. They can first read Chinese translations or introductions for background, then choose short poems to compare with the original and gradually work their way in.

Comments

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