When I saw this tiny and sweet edition on vacation last summer, I couldn't resist it -- the few Williams poems I'd encountered in my Modern Poetry MOOC class had been among my favorites.

This collection starts right off with two of his most famous: "This is Just to Say" and "The Red Wheelbarrow," which is nice to know that they are both included, but then also gives one a feeling of sinking into further and further obscurity as one reads along. Early in the collection is also the delightful "Danse Russe" and spare "Poem" (everyone likes poems about cats). And of course, the "Portrait of a Lady," a poem about writing poetry is fun. And "Between Walls" about finding strange beauty in ugly places! And anyway when I started this paragraph I was making a case that the editor front-loaded this collection too heavily with the best known and best loved poems, but I seem to be undermining my own case as I skim through again.

I can say nothing new about Williams or his poetry. But I will say that I would have loved a little one-page bio of him included here. Otherwise, this edition is delightful, from its spare red cover with its white chickens to its French flaps and portable hand/pocket size to the red type and occasional chicken throughout.

Would be lovely for gifting for any mom/dad/grad season. ( )