The Oxford Treasury of Classic Poems

The Oxford Treasury of Classic Poems
ed. Michael Harrison and Christopher Stuart-Clark
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011, 158p

It's National Poetry Day, but I feel I have failed in my role as a librarian. I have not had enough time or energy to organise any events. I have even failed to make an adequate display, although I do have a table full of poetry books as recommended reading for the students. 

I have, however, been working hard to prepare a permanent display of the work of the students at my school. We have a First Story club, and many of the students are aspiring novelists and poets. Alongside the students work, I want to display some classics of poetry, as inspiration and comparison. Therefore, I have been reading, amongst other anthologies, The Oxford Treasury of Classic Poems.

It's a beautiful book with an incredibly diverse collection, from Rossetti to Betjeman. It's targeted at children ages from 9-12, but I think it could appeal to all ages. It definitely had some of my favourites included, like William Blake's London and Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll. There are also modest illustrations, almost sketch-like drawings throughout the book. 

There doesn't appear to be any specific order to the poems - they are not chronological, alphabetical or thematic. But I feel like they have included every classic poem I can think of, both old and new. 

This anthology is a great resource for my display, and a lovely book for young and old to enjoy.