Music's Spell: Poems About Music and Musicians (Everyman's Library Pocket Poets Series)

Enchanting and delightful. Perfect gift for a gifted musician.

Purchased for my wife who loves it! Hope you do too find it as helpful as we did. Take care!!!

These Everyman's Library Pocket Poet books are a favorite of mine. This collection of poems about music is no exception. Although there were enough poems in this collection that didn't speak to me to bring its rating down a star.As with all anthologies, this book is broken into sections. The first section - The Power of Music - contained the fewest poems I liked. The collection gets better once you're through the first section. Many of these poems are excellent. I adored Ginzberg's "First Party at Ken Kesey's with Hell's Angels" which perfectly conveys my idea of a Hell's Angels party. "The Supremes" by Cornelius Eady, "The Weary Blues" by Langston Hughes, and Charles Simic's "Bed Music" are also among my top favorites as the poets use words to describe familiar music, music performances, and life. "To a Daughter at Fourteen Forsaking the Violin" by Carole Oles is probably my favorite as she poetically describes what parents go through as their children learn to play an instrument but then move on to other things as adults. "The Pavilion of Music" by Chang-Wou-Kien is very short but captures exactly how I'd like to be remembered.Among my least favorites are "The Guitar" by Federico Lorca (I play guitar and he totally missed the spirit of a guitar) and a couple by Jan Zwicky and Amy Lowell. There are quite a few that I'm just neutral toward.This anthology wouldn't be my first Pocket Poets recommendation if you've never read one. But it's nevertheless a good choice. Recommended.

A compact book crammed full of little poems, bought to examine for a college course on music and poetry. There are a few poems by ancient Arabic poets in translation, but the majority are from Western Europe and the US. For my purposes I'll add poems by Asian poets, and maybe some African besides Egyptian, and I'll insist the students research the bios of the poets. Otherwise, a very nice stocking stuffer or Valentine's Day gift.

As with the poetry book on art, its wonderful to google these peices and know what they are talking about. Ive learned soooo much !

Inspite of the somewhat awkward and unpoetic title, this anthology is a very welcome addition to the excellent Everyman's Pocket Poets series. Emily Fragos, the editor, has put together a choice and varied collection of poems about music, from classical to jazz, and from those who love music to some who are less enthusiastic. Much fun to browse through, with some gems to discover.