Music's Spell Hardcover – March 27, 2009

Enchanting and delightful. Perfect gift for a gifted musician.

Purchased for my wife who loves it! Hope you do too find it as helpful as we did. Take care!!!

These Everyman's Library Pocket Poet books are a favorite of mine. This collection of poems about music is no exception. Although there were enough poems in this collection that didn't speak to me to bring its rating down a star.As with all anthologies, this book is broken into sections. The first section - The Power of Music - contained the fewest poems I liked. The collection gets better once you're through the first section. Many of these poems are excellent. I adored Ginzberg's "First Party at Ken Kesey's with Hell's Angels" which perfectly conveys my idea of a Hell's Angels party. "The Supremes" by Cornelius Eady, "The Weary Blues" by Langston Hughes, and Charles Simic's "Bed Music" are also among my top favorites as the poets use words to describe familiar music, music performances, and life. "To a Daughter at Fourteen Forsaking the Violin" by Carole Oles is probably my favorite as she poetically describes what parents go through as their children learn to play an instrument but then move on to other things as adults. "The Pavilion of Music" by Chang-Wou-Kien is very short but captures exactly how I'd like to be remembered.Among my least favorites are "The Guitar" by Federico Lorca (I play guitar and he totally missed the spirit of a guitar) and a couple by Jan Zwicky and Amy Lowell. There are quite a few that I'm just neutral toward.This anthology wouldn't be my first Pocket Poets recommendation if you've never read one. But it's nevertheless a good choice. Recommended.