Staying Alive: Real Poems for Unreal Times

By: Astley, Neil

Book Overview

Staying Alive is an international anthology of 500 life-affirming poems fired by belief in the human and the spiritual at a time when much in the world feels unreal, inhuman and hollow.

These are poems of great personal force connecting our aspirations with our humanity, helping us stay alive to the world and stay true to ourselves. Many people turn to poetry only at unreal times, whether for consolation in loss or affirmation in love, or when facing other extremes and anxieties. Staying Alive includes many of the great modern love poems and elegies, but it also shows the power of poetry in celebrating the ordinary miracle, taking you on a journey around many of the different aspects of everyday life explored in poems. A strong poem is not just for crisis. Such a poem is there for all times, helping us face or embrace daily change and disruption. It will also speak to us when nothing seems to be happening, when the poem's importance is in helping us stay alive to the world and stay true to ourselves. S

taying Alive has reached a wider readership than any other anthology of contemporary poetry. It is a landmark in the history of literary publishing. The first in a series, Staying Alive was followed by a sequel, Being Alive (2004), a companion anthology, Being Human (2011), and by a fourth volume, Staying Human: new poems for Staying Alive (2020). These anthologies have been welcomed not only by poets but by a wide range of well-known people respected for their work in fields other than poetry - all avid readers of poetry. They want to recommend these books above all other anthologies of contemporary poetry.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1852245883
• ISBN13: 9781852245887
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Bloodaxe Books
• Length: 496 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.6" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Poems that Sustain Meaning

So many anthologies seem to have something stilted, or overly academic, or author-centric about them. This one shares only a sense of urgency in its topics and the poems themselves. A gorgeous collection; I've loved what I've read. The epigraph by Kafka is powerful and describes the book perfectly: "One should only read books which bite and sting one. If the book we are reading does not wake us up with a blow to the head, what is the point in reading? A book must be the axe which smashes the frozen sea within us."

A Very Rich Meal Indeed

First, despite the strange title and the morose cover art, please buy this book. It has been a long time since I've had so many strangers ask me what I was reading with such concern in their voices -- the last time was when I was reading How We Die. Perhaps the publishers should have considered some modifications when releasing the book in the US. This is a very good anthology of contemporary (early 20th century to the right-now present) poetry. I have been delighted to discover many poems that have struck me as memorable from poetry readings and programs such as Poetry Daily and The Writer's Almanac under one cover. And I like the way the poems are grouped by theme, then paired by image within the thematic groups. This is sustained over 450-odd pages, which makes the book a very rich meal indeed. I'm assuming, from the essay at the end "The Sound of Poetry" and the following Glossary of poetical terms, that this is intended to supplant some Norton Anthology like thing in the first year college curriculum. The glossary, incidentally, is fun to read as a sort of second essay, since it refers back to the contents of the book for its authority.

Staying Alive is so good

It's a collection of poems. It's a GREAT collection of poems. Probably one of the best. It can be likened to the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, but I think packs more punch. It touches every aspect of life and no one is exempt. A must read!

great anthology

"Staying Alive" offers a wonderful anthology of moving poems that inspire. It is a perfect introduction for those not familiar with contemporary poetry, not willing to invest in dozens of author centered books to find some jewels, yet still wanting to hear fresh vibrancy in our language. Many of the poems are real beauties, and I think Neil Astley has done a wonderful job as editor. It is divided into thematic sections, and has breif commentaries on many of the poems, and a useful glossary as well. It may not be for poetry scholars, but it is not intended for them. It is intended for the common masses, and for us I have seen none its equal. It has shown me that there is much value in modern poetry, and it has given me already many inner smiles. It would make a perfect gift for the poetically inclined in your family- I know I will send one soon.

A Keeper

Of course I'm prejudiced toward this book, since it includes some of my favorite poems: Billy Collins' "Forgetfulness," "The Dead," and "Undressing Emily Dickinson" for starters. The collection moves on to introduce work that is now on the must -read -to -friends list: "Lady of Miracles" by Nina Cassian, "Muse" by Jo Shapcott and "In My Country" by Jackie Kay. 500 poems to chose from, each section generously edited for reading pleasure so the book itself has its own rhythm. A great gift for graduation, Mother's Day, a romantic moment, or for your father who introduced you to reading in the first place.