Poetry Says it Better

 

Poetry Says it Better: Poems to Help You Wake Up / Ellen Burstyn
NY: HarperOne, c2026.
258 p.

This intriguing book is a hybrid memoir/book of poetry. Actress Ellen Burstyn shares her favourite poems throughout the book, but also tells stories of her life, and why and when certain poems gained their importance in her life. She also talks about the power of memorizing poems, to have them with you when you need them. 

I loved it. I had no idea what I was getting when I picked this book up by chance. I didn't even realize that it was by Burstyn until I read the intro. I just saw that it was a book about poetry and how it can help you live life well -- definitely something I believe. So I wanted to check this out. 

It was so engaging! I just didn't want to put it down. Her stories were gentle and compelling, even while she was talking about some hard times in her life. And then she would share a poem, the one that she'd been explaining. So you can read the poem immediately, and if it touches you, take her advice and try to memorize it right there. 

Her passion for poetry was infectious. She talks about sharing it with people in her life who were sure they didn't like poetry, until she found just the right poem to reach them. I love that feeling when I'm suggesting novels in my day job and the right one hits -- I'm sure it's just as satisfying for her when she converts someone to poetry! 

Many of the poems she includes are ones that may already be familiar to regular readers -- Invictus, a few Mary Oliver choices, some Yeats, Edna St. Vincent Millay and so on. But there were also some that were new to me. I absolutely loved this book. I love seeing people share the things they are passionate about, and poetry is definitely that for Ellen Burstyn. This book is inspiring and uplifting -- highly recommend it.