Against Forgetting: Twentieth-Century Poetry of Witness

An author to be read

Not sure how to rate a book for school since I had to have it but the price wasn't bad and it came in great condition

This anthology is impressive in it's scope and inclusiveness, and allows access to poetry from around the world. The focus on witness as a theme is helpful to readers/teachers who are looking for meaningful expressions of resistance and grief surrounding some of the painful events in the history of the 19th & 20th centuries.

This anthology is organized well. Initially, I purchased this book for my 200-level Poetry of Witness class. A few years later, I find myself using it as a reference for higher level courses.The only thing preventing a 5-star rating is the poems' lack of numbered lines.

I am so pleased with this book. Not only did I love the contents of the book but I also was lucky enough to get an inscribed copy with a few notes written by Forche herself. There is a great selection of poetry here, if you have any interest in protest, peace or war literature this book is a great thing to have.

Poetry about war? About torture? About oppression and pain and fear?That's exactly what Forche has compiled, here and it should be included in the library of every serious pacifist and/or poet. Sometimes the horrors of war and oppression are too vivid for prose. Only poetry will do.

Whether you love poetry or history, this is a worthwhile read. Hardly cheerful, but informative, enlightening and deeply moving. Carolyn Forche has my deepest admiration for her selections and notes about time periods and authors; and more so for having the fortitude to put together such a powerful volume. My copy is full of sticky notes marking favorite poems, phrases, and notes.I will return to it often.

see above (and I am sure you know how it was used)

This collection introduced me to many international poets of the 20th century. It is an important collection of rare works and translations that we need now. It speaks to a way of poetry that is human and necessary. The poems force one to pay attention to both the work, the poet, the space they were on and what happened.