Recommendations - Poetry book for my mum for Christmas

[Rightyotime]

Just wondered if anyone is in to poetry? I am not. My mum loves a poetry book, so was going to get her one for Christmas. She has early stages dementia but think poetry is a good idea as it doesn’t require following long plots like most books do

Could look at the books by Allie Esiri, lots of different poetry collections and the hardbacks make nice gifts

Faber poetry diary 2026 with a poem for each day?

otherwise hard to tell without more clues on what type of poetry she likes? Are we more on “classic” territory (John Donne?) modern- maybe something like The worlds wife, carol ann Duffy, billy collins is very readable or Benjamin zepheniah?

other suggestion if long plots are becoming an issue is short story collections?

If she's in to more classical stuff, a book of Shakespeare's sonnets might do the trick.

If she likes funny poems, have a look at Brian Bilston's stuff Some poems – Brian Bilston

Depending on her age, might she like the children’s collections by AA Milne- ‘Now We Are 6’, etc? I think they’re brilliant, funny & easy & not just for children!

Or Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘Child’s Garden of Verses’ maybe? There’s a beautiful illustrated version & many of the poems are very moving as well as being funny.

I don’t suggest children’s poems because I think the elderly are childlike, I hasten to say, but because I think they are lovely & accessible, talented works, & really we should all read them! I do!

Harry Baker has three lovely books out, which are paperback, light to hold and an absolute joy. I wholeheartedly recommend all of them.

Mary Oliver is my go to-I don’t think it’s possible not to like her. Wild Geese is a good shout.

Thank you for these lovely suggestions. I will be going through them and looking each of them