Both the poems and the author's commentary were interesting, but I was expecting a bit more - each chapter was fairly short. I liked listening to this in the author's voice.

“One of the wondrous things about poetry is that it knows a lot about constraint. If I were to be asked to tell the story of my life I wouldn’t know where to start, it would depend on the day but a poem knows that I don’t need to tell THE story of my life, rather I can just tell A story. A single experience can sometimes contain worlds of meaning”

This is one of the best collections, of any type of work, I have ever read (or listened to). The author introduces each selection with a personal anecdote or contextually interesting idea. He speaks tenderly about not only his analysis and interpretations of the poems but the clever crafting of language in each piece. Padraig O Tuama's ability to see the life in the poetry and make the reader see the poetry in life is unmatched.

The poets selected are from all over the globe and represent a variety of times, spaces, and experiences.

I would rate this more than 5 stars if I could. I highly recommend it to educators, anyone looking to explore poetry as well as long-time poetry fans.

Poetry Unbound did things for me that I didn’t know could be done and achieved. First of all, we love a chunky book that I can come back to and drop off whenever I see fit and the poems and prose in this book just left me with the best intentions and thoughts after every turning page. I highly recommend adding this one to your Wishlist even if you’re not big on poetry.

Padraig O Tuama, himself a poet and author, worked alongside Krista Tippett to develop the Poetry Unbound podcast, and after that success, it was natural to publish a book following the same format. In Poetry Unbound, fifty poems are shared. Each poem opens with a related teaser by O Tuama, then the poem is shared, and then O Tuama returns to talk specifically about the impact the poem makes, drawing attention to how the visual layout, word choice, or other determinations help the poem be effective.

The audiobook is a delight to listen to, as O Tuama reads it himself and his lilt and inflections are captivating. My small quibble about the audiobook format, though, is that it can be difficult to realize when the transitions are occurring (this may have been addressed already, and even if not, it's not worth avoiding the audiobook for this minor issue).

I enjoy reading poetry but sometimes worry I'm not picking up all that is available to be grasped, so this book is a welcome guide to reflect on a wide range of poems and poets, and O Tuama makes this approach seem as if it's a conversation between friends.

(I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)

I am a big fan of Pádraig Ó Tuama’s podcast, Poetry Unbound, and this beautiful collection is an extension of that work. Here, Ó Tuama introduces a diverse range of poems, mostly written by an international group of contemporary poets, and then unpacks them and comments on their content and structure, while bringing in his own life experiences and ways in which those affect his own engagement with the poems. The book is somehow both accessible and intelligent--a true gift. The audio version is the only way to go as Ó Tuama’s distinctive Irish accent reading these poems aloud deepens the experience. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy of this audiobook.

I love poetry but this was not the one for me. I had a hard time relating to it and I didn't find it to be very thought provoking. i wouldn't recommend it as there are so many other better poetry books out there.

In <i>Poetry Unbound</i>, Pádraig Ó. Tuama shares 50 contemporary poems from a variety of authors. He analyzes the poems in a way that makes them feel accessible to the reader and shares how they affected him personally. This book was inspired by a podcast he leads, and after reading the book, I am interested in checking out the podcast! The poems he selected for this book cover a variety of topics and from all different viewpoints; I think he made great selections. I enjoyed listening to the audiobook, especially with Tuama’s accent. My only complaint with that format was that there was nothing to indicate when we were moving on from one poem to the next – not a longer break or title to indicate we have moved to a new chapter. I think that would have been helpful.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.

Poetry To Open My World, Sign Me Up

This was a fine enough collection of poetry.

I felt that some of the poems were okay, and some were not particularly for me.

I believe I just am not a huge poetry fan now that I come to think of it, but I still can appreciate the artform.

Thought I would give it a try!

Still happy to have read it all-in-all

3.1/5

This would be a great companion for students or anyone wanting to expand their horizons in reading poetry. I loved the variety of themes by the various poets.