24 JANUARY 1880, Page 23

Two excellent selections, between which it is not easy to

make a choice,—one, A Poetry Book of Modern Poets, by Amelia B. Edwards (Longmans), and Short Readings from. English Poetry, by Helen A. Hertz (Rivington). The objects of the two are somewhat different. Miss Edwards follows up previous volumes by a selection which takes in the modern poets, both English and American, from about the beginning of the last century. Miss Hertz has in view the special object of reading aloud. An interesting preface tells us that nearly every piece has been submitted for acceptance or rejection to a pre- paratory class of students of the Queen-Square College for men and women.