Poetry, Whitman believed, is the voice of the nation, expressing its deepest converns, ambitions and longings, and that is certainly true of the great classic poetry of America. This wide-ranging anthology - from the earliest poets of the 16th century to the present day - reflects the changing preoccupations and visions of Americans.

Here are 65 poems by the leading classic figures, including Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Edgar Allen Poe, Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, Robert Frost and E.E. Cummings, as well as popular anonymous works such as Frankie and Johnny which are an integral part of American consciousness.