Poetry Out Loud [Paperback]

Robert Alden Rubin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 11, 1995

Introduction by James Earl Jones. Now in paperback, here are over 100 lyrics, limericks, clerihews, ballads, raps, and other poems--famous and infamous, celebrated and obscure--that come alive when read aloud. Accompanying each poem are notes, introductions to basic poetic terms, and hints on reading them aloud. James Earl Jones, one of America's greatest living actors, introduces the book and tells how reciting poetry as a child helped him overcome a speech impediment and discover his own voice again.

"A timeless selection . . . Each poem, read aloud, reverberates in the reader."--Writer's Digest

"Poems that simply sing when you read them aloud."--The Hartford Courant.

A BOOK-OF-THE-MONTH CLUB, QUALITY PAPERBACK BOOK CLUB, and WRITER'S DIGEST BOOK CLUB selection. Now in its 8th printing.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A timeless selection...each poem, read out loud, reverberates in the reader." -- Writer's Digest

A timeless selection . . . Each poem, read aloud, reverberates in the reader. -- Writer's Digest

About the Author

Robert Alden Rubin holds an M.A. in creative writing from Hollins College. He worked as a journalist and a college English instructor at the University of North Carolina and was an editor for Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. His books include Poetry Out Loud and On the Beaten Path: An Appalachian Pilgrimage. He lives in Sykesville, Maryland, with his wife.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Algonquin Books (January 11, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565121228
• ISBN-13: 978-1565121225
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,311,648 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Attractive Layout and Unique Background Info for Broad Mix of Poetry, August 12, 2005

By 

Ida Lizabeth "goodwin413" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Poetry Out Loud (Hardcover)

Anyone who likes to recite poetry out loud or get others to recite it will find this collection of 100 poems a special treat. It is attractively laid out in a square page shape--the height of a regular paperback, but a little wider. On every page there are interesting notes about the poem in the margin--everythng from how it ties in with oral storytelling and poetic traditions to the use of rhythm, rhyme meter, and language, The user friendly notes zero in especially on aspects of the poem that are important for oral delivery without bogging down the reader. The poem lines are double-spaced for easy reading. The selection of poems ranges from childhood rhymes to literary classics by such poets as Lewis Caroll, Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes, Sylvia Plath, Ogden Nash, and Rudyard Kipling. The styles include love poems, limericks, elegies, raps, ballads, and more; from Middle English to free verse, sonnets to satires, nonsense poetry to formalism, there is something to fit every budding poet's tastes. Even if you don't plan to use the poems for oral reading, the margin notes help you to appreciate the poems more fully in their use of language, sound, and literary traditions. To quote James Earl Jones in the introduction to the book, "In this "burst of verses," you will find fun and sorrow, stories and songs, whimsy and majesty." And a chance to explore how to bring them to life out loud.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Kindle flop, December 24, 2009

By 

Baysidebob "My actuary says I'm dead" (Oakland, California) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Poetry Out Loud (Kindle Edition)

The only reason I gave two stars is the hope that this book may be of some use in paper format. On the Kindle it is useless for it's stated purpose of providing poems to read out loud. Many of the poems are in extremely small print. One cannot increase the font size. There is some sort of goofy system to "zoom" the font. Sometimes it turns the print 90 degrees and enlarges it, sometimes it doesn't. Even when it is of some help it only works for one stanza. Press "next page" and you're right back where you started with no "zoom". There are helpful comments about each poem, unfortunately they may be inserted in exactly the wrong place. In "Casey at the Bat" after Casey swings his first strike come two pages of commentary. Try maintaining a rhythm reading aloud with that!

I have public domain volunteer created Kindle poetry that is far easier to read aloud than this. It may work in print but skip it for the Kindle.