The Norton Anthology of Modern Poetry
£45.00
Good single source for modern poetry, but poorly edited. - Having been weaned as an English major on the Norton Anthology of English Literature, vol. s 1 & 2, (Abrams), I expected this anthology to lead me through modern poetry with the same sure hand as the previous Norton anthologies had. At first glance, this tome would appear to be superbly equipped to do just that, containing an overwhelming 1580 poems, at over 1800 pages, spanning a time period from Whitman (b. 1819) to Cathy Song (b. 1955), and featuring scores of poets I have never even heard of, it offers, if nothing else, the convenience of finding in one place a huge variety and depth of modern poetry.I do not fault the poetry itself (though they harbor a healthy number of typographical errors). It is in the editing that this book falls down. The Abrams editions I knew and trusted in college embodied a severe utilitarian scholarliness, no superfluity or self-indulgence is to be found anywhere within their thousands and thousands of pages. The introductions and footnotes are above all useful and necessary.Not so with Ellmann s tome. The introductions all too often are marred by verbosity, self-indulgence, impressionism, a distinct paucity of hard data, of biographical and historical fact, and, worst of all, offer no real insight into the poems at hand as much as distract from them. In too many instances the commentary contains more words than the work commented upon, which makes one suspicious that the academics who wrote them were trying to steal the show, were in fact, er, full of themselves.The contrast in treatment between poets included previously in Abrams s Anthology of English Literature and those found only in this one is telling. The former benefit from conciseness and informativeness obviously borrowed, often actually word for word, from the Abrams volumes. The latter fare much worse. In other words, this work does a much better job of treading well-worn paths than striking out on its own into new territory.I fault the font used, as well. It is too small and makes for eye strain. There is more empty space on the pages than print, again in contrast to the Anthology of English Lit. I suspect this may be the result of the aseptic minimalism of modernism, which often strikes me as a transmuted death wish, a wish to disappear. The chatter of the contributing editors,however, where this modern asceticism might have produced happier results, seems immune.