As you might guess, this is a wide-ranging anthology, covering a variety of tones, formats, and styles. It’s not strictly an environmental collection, but some elements of nature appear in many if not most of the poems. Sometimes it’s just a brief, poetic mention of magic or grief. Others reflect these crisis-filled times more directly, like “Climate Anxiety” by Patricia Davis-Muffett. The collection feels a bit more Western than Nature Matters (it does focus on American poetry, after all), but every poem lives up to its “best of” designation.

“The Best American Poetry 2025,” edited by Terence Winch, is and continues to be exactly what’s printed on the tin. The prestigious anthology series has well-earned its reputation for compiling a diverse cross-section of the American poetic zeitgeist each year, but in 2025 the editorial hand of Terence Winch stands out as particularly discerning: poems of death, sex, image, abstraction, moral imperative & aesthetic swirl, ghosts and the supernatural, the mundane and the sublime, the domestic and the public. There is no other way to paint a picture of the breadth and diversity of the great tradition which is “American Poetry”.

In his foreword, David Lehman remarks of the anthology as a form: “if the editors do their job well, few readers will admire all the poems equally. That is part of the Plan.” This diversity does not come at the cost of quality. Every reader of poetry (and many new to the genre) will be able to find something in this collection that moves or calls to them, but perhaps more importantly, they’ll be exposed to The Best of what does not resonate. The Best American Poetry Anthology’s strength is that it is a house of both mirrors and windows: of both familiar reflections and portals into other experiences and perspective. Exactly as poetry ought to be.

An excellent look at the world of poetry today.Wonderful poets to be discovered emotional dark moving poems.A book to pick up flip through pick a poem and enjoy. #netgalley#scribner.

Thank you Netgalley, Scribner, David Lehman, and Terence Winch for sending me this advanced review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a hard book for me to get through. It's fantastic in every way, but most of the poems were a bit on the darker side.

There was so many poems about what's going on in the world. Racism, climate change, politics, anxiety and other things with a similar feeling were just a few that were touched on. The amount of raw emotion, fear, and anxiety were a bit overwhelming at times. The quality of the writing was absolutely top notch, and the subjects were things we all need to read about from time to time. We need to see and acknowledge the darkness, because without it there is no balance.

This is a must read, but please make sure you are in a good headspace before diving in.

This collection is an excellent way to feel the pulse of the current poetry landscape. It introduced me to so many brilliant new-to-me poets, and I was thrilled to recognize some familiar pens (Margaret Atwood!). I'd highly recommend this collection to anyone trying to "get into' reading poetry--these poems feel approachable and engaging.

This is a strong collection of modern poems. A well curated variety of themes, moods, styles, and voices. This is a good resource for poetry students to see what is currently being chosen for publication.