or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
Sorry!
More Buying Choices
106 used & new from $1.84

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry
 
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry (Paperback)

~ Billy Collins (Editor, Introduction)
Key Phrases: white antarctic birds, pink car, William Matthews, Charles Simic, Mark Halliday
3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

List Price: $13.95
Price: $10.04 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $3.91 (28%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Tuesday, November 10? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
46 new from $6.42 60 used from $1.84

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  School & Library Binding, April 30, 2003 $25.70 $22.60 $57.29
  Paperback, March 24, 2003 $10.04 $6.42 $1.84

Best Value

Buy Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry and get The Trouble with Poetry: And Other Poems at an additional 5% off Amazon.com's everyday low price.

Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry + The Trouble with Poetry: And Other Poems
Buy Together Today: $26.39

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • The Trouble with Poetry: And Other Poems

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

180 More: Extraordinary Poems for Every Day

180 More: Extraordinary Poems for Every Day

by Billy Collins
4.6 out of 5 stars (8)  $10.85
The Trouble with Poetry: And Other Poems

The Trouble with Poetry: And Other Poems

by Billy Collins
4.0 out of 5 stars (38)  $10.04
Sailing Alone Around the Room: New and Selected Poems

Sailing Alone Around the Room: New and Selected Poems

by Billy Collins
4.4 out of 5 stars (88)  $10.17
Good Poems

Good Poems

by Garrison Keillor
4.3 out of 5 stars (42)  $12.24
Good Poems for Hard Times

Good Poems for Hard Times

by Garrison Keillor
4.3 out of 5 stars (26)  $10.88
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A dazzling new anthology of 180 contemporary poems, selected and introduced by America’s Poet Laureate, Billy Collins.

Inspired by Billy Collins’s poem-a-day program with the Library of Congress, Poetry 180 is the perfect anthology for readers who appreciate engaging, thoughtful poems that are an immediate pleasure.

A 180-degree turn implies a turning back—in this case, to poetry. A collection of 180 poems by the most exciting poets at work today, Poetry 180 represents the richness and diversity of the form, and is designed to beckon readers with a selection of poems that are impossible not to love at first glance. Open the anthology to any page and discover a new poem to cherish, or savor all the poems, one at a time, to feel the full measure of contemporary poetry’s vibrance and abundance.

With poems by Catherine Bowman, Lucille Clifton, Billy Collins, Dana Gioia, Edward Hirsch, Galway Kinnell, Kenneth Koch, Philip Levine, Thomas Lux, William Matthews, Frances Mayes, Paul Muldoon, Naomi Shihab Nye, Sharon Olds, Katha Pollitt, Mary Jo Salter, Charles Simic, David Wojahn, Paul Zimmer, and many more.


From the Inside Flap

A dazzling new anthology of 180 contemporary poems, selected and introduced by America?s Poet Laureate, Billy Collins.

Inspired by Billy Collins?s poem-a-day program with the Library of Congress, Poetry 180 is the perfect anthology for readers who appreciate engaging, thoughtful poems that are an immediate pleasure.

A 180-degree turn implies a turning back?in this case, to poetry. A collection of 180 poems by the most exciting poets at work today, Poetry 180 represents the richness and diversity of the form, and is designed to beckon readers with a selection of poems that are impossible not to love at first glance. Open the anthology to any page and discover a new poem to cherish, or savor all the poems, one at a time, to feel the full measure of contemporary poetry?s vibrance and abundance.

With poems by Catherine Bowman, Lucille Clifton, Billy Collins, Dana Gioia, Edward Hirsch, Galway Kinnell, Kenneth Koch, Philip Levine, Thomas Lux, William Matthews, Frances Mayes, Paul Muldoon, Naomi Shihab Nye, Sharon Olds, Katha Pollitt, Mary Jo Salter, Charles Simic, David Wojahn, Paul Zimmer, and many more.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks (March 25, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0812968875
  • ISBN-13: 978-0812968873
  • Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #40,596 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category: (What's this?)

    #66 in  Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Anthologies

Inside This Book (learn more)

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry
85% buy the item featured on this page:
Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry 3.5 out of 5 stars (14)
$10.04
Good Poems
5% buy
Good Poems 4.3 out of 5 stars (42)
$12.24
Sailing Alone Around the Room: New and Selected Poems
4% buy
Sailing Alone Around the Room: New and Selected Poems 4.4 out of 5 stars (88)
$10.17
180 More: Extraordinary Poems for Every Day
4% buy
180 More: Extraordinary Poems for Every Day 4.6 out of 5 stars (8)
$10.85

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

 

Customer Reviews

14 Reviews
5 star:
 (5)
4 star:
 (4)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.5 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
64 of 66 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Don't know much about what poets to read?, March 27, 2003
By Charles J. Marr (Cambridge Springs, Pa USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
The premise of this anthology is a poem a day for high school reading, or I might think for a high school reader. It is a wonderful little text. The works are neither simplistic nor obscure and cover the broad range in style and subject of contemporary poetry. Be advised, not all of them are "new" works, and not all important contemporary writers are represented:(Some of the BIG big names are not here). Still, for anyone wanting to develop familiarity with what has been going on in the world of poetry there is a lot of pleasure at a reasonable price.

I rather like the idea that there is no obvious agenda here, nor any pretense of "the best." Readability seems to be the standard. It is a book for a bus-stop, or the short ride home. It is light and easily portable. I can envision a poem over breakfast, or one to conclude an evening of study. Along those lines, the print is nicely laid out; it's the sort of book that I can read without my specs - after all my discovery of poetry in high-school was decades ago.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Totally Enjoyable Read, February 17, 2004
In the introduction, Billy Collins while on a reading tour, stops off at a high school for their Poetry Day. There he is given a copy of the school paper in which a student had written an article about modern poetry. To paraphrase: "Whenever I read modern poetry, I feel like my brother has his foot on my neck at the bottom of a pool" According to the intro., this book would like to make reading poetry more "reader friendly". Whether the story is true or not, Collins succeeds in his goal

America's High Poet, Collins, handpicked these selections from such modern masters as Rimbauld, Simic, Salter, Olds, Luz and Levine. Also catching my eye is a superbly sentimental piece entitled "Dead Dog" by John Updike. Collins, often chided and applauded for his simple, open poetry picks his selection along the same vein. This makes Poetry 180 a delightful breeze, a book that keeps your attention and a superbly well rounded work. As a reader I was not left gasping for air, but instead searching for more complete works by some of these fine writers.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
30 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars My review of Poetry 180, April 22, 2003
I enjoyed the poems in this book very much. It is impossible to pick a favorite, because I loved them all. I really enjoy reading poems about different human experiences. Poetry 180 is filled with almost every human emotion.

I loved the poem entitled Love Poem 1990. It is about a man falling in love at different stages in his life from childhood to old age and how he feels about it. Another one of my favorite poems is entitled May. It is about the painful experience of putting a dog to sleep. The Green One Over There is a wonderful but sad poem about the relationship between a sister and a brother. I could really relate to the way siblings compete as described in this poem. The subject matter of the poems in this book are diverse. I never knew a subject could evoke such emotion. One of these poems is entitled What Would I Do. It is an insightful poem about what a husband would do if his wife cheated on him. The Quest is a excellent poem about a mother's fear that her daughter will be hurt and the extent she would take to protect her.

I was drawn to some of these poems because of the title. I loved the titles Vegetarian Physics, The Poem of Chalk, 1-800 Hot Ribs, and The Grammar Lesson. These are humorous and descriptive poems I could read over and over just for a laugh. My appreciation for poetry has increased so much. I loved this book.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars hummm
well i love poetry, some of these were alright, some were way too out there, and others were amazing, i guess t depends on the reader, because a poem can mean one thing to you... Read more
Published 14 days ago by studentsister

2.0 out of 5 stars Very mediocre collection
Collins states in the introduction that he hadn't heard of many of these poets; I think the reason is that they aren't all that good. Read more
Published 6 months ago by dm

3.0 out of 5 stars FOR SCHOOL
It is alright...I needed it for school. My 10 grade english teacher enjoys it.
Published 12 months ago by B. Brown

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for Teachers
This is a good approach to 'teaching' poetry. Collins selects contemporary poems that students can relate to and sometimes laugh at. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Katherine Kinzenbaw

4.0 out of 5 stars A Fine Poetry Anthology
In this anthology, edited by former poet laureate Billy Collins, we see many styles of poems. I originally purchased this book for a college poetry writing course but I found the... Read more
Published on July 28, 2007 by C. J. Cramer

4.0 out of 5 stars It meets its intended goal
Poetry 180 is both impressive and disappointing. Collins has assembled a volume of accessible, contemporary poetry. Read more
Published on June 27, 2006 by M. J. Smith

1.0 out of 5 stars No, no, no, no, no, no, nO.
This is the worst possible way to interest someone in poetry: offering lackluster poems about adolescent topics by contemporary writers of little or no distinction. Read more
Published on April 26, 2006 by Mark E. Rhodes

1.0 out of 5 stars Dull
If taste indicates anything, Billy Collins is a dull person.

These poems are uninteresting, except for a very few. Read more
Published on January 17, 2006 by B.P.

5.0 out of 5 stars Something for everyone in Poetry 180...
Billy Collins' purpose was perfectly met with this collection of "readable" poetry. He says in the introduction that poetry is hard enough to write... Read more
Published on January 16, 2006 by Parker Prym

5.0 out of 5 stars An accessible introduction to modern poetry
Billy Collins accomplishes exactly what he said he would with this anthology: make modern poetry accessible and enjoyable to modern readers, particularly those without a previous... Read more
Published on December 23, 2005 by The Crystalline Entity

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   




Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:







i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...
 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.