Poem a Day - by Karen McCosker & Nicholas Albery (Paperback)

About the Book

Once upon a time, men and women of sense and sensibility knew by heart dozens of poems--Shakespeare's sonnets, stirring patriotic verse, odes to churchyards, and elegies for the departed. Poems are meant to be voiced, and A Poem a Day includes 366 poems old and new--one for each day of the year--worth learning by heart.

Book Synopsis

"This book is a dream, a revivalist campaign, a challenge, a book of days, and an anthology, all in one." -- The Guardian

This perfect bedside book offers the easiest way to fill your life with more poetry, every day of the year

Poems are meant to be voiced, and Poem a Day includes 366 poems old and new -- one for each day of the year -- worth learning by heart. It contains many of the most beloved poems and others that will come as a surprise.

Only two criteria were demanded of each poem for inclusion in this collection -- it had to be short enough to learn in a day, and good enough to stand among the great poetry of the English language, from Chaucer to Sylvia Plath.

By prominently noting each poem's corresponding month and day at the top of each page, the book functions like a calendar, providing a handy feature for keeping "on schedule" in your reading and for getting "caught up" when you fall behind.

Even more delightful, this handy dating makes it the perfect book to share and discuss with friends near and far.


Poem a Day is truly a beautiful poetry collection from the past poets to the present. The book provides:
-- a great introduction to poetry and poets
-- a diverse range of poets and styles
-- a short bio of each author at the bottom of the page, which makes reading the poem more meaningful

From the Back Cover

In times past, Americans with a love of poetry routinely learned by heart dozens of poems - Shakespeare's sonnets, stirring patriotic verse, odes to churchyards and elegies for the departed, the wit of Dorothy Parker and the music of Swinburne or Poe or Yeats. A Poem a Day includes 366 poems old and new, one for each day of the year, worth learning by heart. All share two things in common - they are short enough to learn in a day, and good enough to stand with the great poetry of the language, from Chaucer to Sylvia Plath. On most pages readers will also find brief, often amusing, always interesting trivia about the poets and their poems.

Review Quotes

"This book is a dream, a revivalist campaign, a challenge, a book of days, and an anthology, all in one." -- The Guardian

"A very good and varied collection, with delightful oddities." -- The Times (London)

About the Author

Karen McCosker is a poet who lives in Maine.

Nicholas Albery (1948-2001) was the founder of the Institute for Social Inventions. He was also a writer, activist, and lover of poetry. He lived in London.