Favorite Poems Old and New
A few years ago, I was looking through a homeschool catalog and came across a review of a collection of poetry. The title Favorite Poems Old and New sounded familiar. A quick perusal of my own bookshelves turned up the well-worn copy of this book that I inherited from my great-aunt. This 1957 classic was reissued in 2009.
Adding a little poetry to the day is a lovely addition to your children’s education. Favorite Poems Old and New makes it easy! The book starts out with Helen Ferris describing the fond memories of her parents reading poetry to Helen and her brother when they were children. It’s apparent that poetry reading was a wonderful part of her childhood, and she assembled a solid collection of it for this book.
Some of the poets’ names are quickly recognizable: Emily Dickinson, Alfred Tennyson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Christina Rossetti, Ralph Waldo Emerson, John Greenleaf Whittier, and many more. The poems are grouped into chapters with a common theme for each one such as “My Family and I,” “People to Know, Friends to Make,” and “Animal Pets and Otherwise.” This hefty, 598-page hardcover contains a wide assortment of classic poetry. If you could only have one collection of poetry for your children to enjoy, then Favorite Poems Old and New would be a good choice.
While not specifically a book of “Christian” poetry, Miss Ferris has included a number of Scripture passages and Psalms in Favorite Poems Old and New. Many of the poems speak of God and faith in him.
This is yet another book that I enjoyed tremendously when I was a child and have the pleasure of sharing it with my own children now. My six-year-old daughter never fails to ask me to read “just one more” whenever I read to them from Favorite Poems Old and New! There is truly something for everyone, and even teenagers and adults will find poems that appeal to them. This would be a wonderful addition to any family library.
Perhaps Emily Dickinson said it best in an excerpt from her poem, A Book:
There is no frigate like a book
To take us lands away,
Nor any coursers like a page
Of prancing poetry.
Favorite Poems Old and New was compiled by Helen Ferris and illustrated by Leonard Weisgard. It was originally published by Doubleday & Company, Inc. in 1957.
About Teisha Priest
Teisha is a follower of Christ, wife to Aaron, and mother of four children. Teisha and Aaron are raising their children on the family homestead in Maine. Her mother homeschooled her during her junior high and high school years. She is looking forward to continuing the legacy of home education with all of her own children. She blogs at Teish Knits about anything and everything, and is also a contributor to Christian Fiction Book Reviews.
Last Updated: October 10, 2011
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Publisher Information
From the publisher’s website: Random House, Inc. assumed its current ownership with its acquisition by Bertelsmann in 1998, which brought together the imprints of the former Random House, Inc. with those of the former Bantam Doubleday Dell. Random House, Inc.’s adult publishing groups are the Crown Publishing Group, the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, and the Random House Publishing Group. The Random House Children’s Books division is the world’s largest publisher of books for young readers. Together, these groups and their imprints publish fiction and nonfiction, both original and reprints, by some of the foremost and most popular writers of this era. They appear in a full range of formats—including hardcover, trade paperback, mass market paperback, audio, electronic, and digital—for the widest possible readership from adults to young adults and children.
Kathleen Warren
November 8, 2011 at 7:49 pmI agree! It's a 'must have'! I have had my copy for over 20 years. Sometimes I go through it to look at the notes I made years ago when my girls were memorizing poetry. I wrote the child's name and date by each poem. To this day, they still remember "Animals Crackers"...and they can add "by Christopher Morley". Every child should memorize "The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus. I can't say enough about the content quality of this book.
Jen McDonald
November 9, 2011 at 10:59 pmAgree! This is one book we've used for over 15 years, and we'll never get rid of it. We used it exactly as you say, Teisha, just read a little bit together each day and we all ended up with our favorite poem. Great memories!
Teisha Priest
November 11, 2011 at 4:15 pmIt really is a wonderful book! I am so glad that my great-aunt hung onto it and that it was passed on to me all those years ago!
Jody Dake
January 23, 2012 at 12:29 pmLove poetry! Will have to get this one! Always Experiencing Him, Jody
Teisha Priest
January 24, 2012 at 4:59 pmIt's well worth it Jody! It's been one of my favorite books of poetry for years. :-)