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A compassionate, readable, open and encouraging volume. I hope I have the courage and the stamina to write up to the level provided by this book. My review went from four to five stars in the months it took to read Poet's Companion, try at least one exercise from the choices at the end of each chapter, and do all 14 of the 20-minute writing exercises in the back of the book. I won't say that any of my poems are prize winners, just that I'm excited about them and have started to read parts of the...
If you are going to take a class on writing poetry, if you are going to teach a class on poetry, if you want to know how poets write, this is THE book to read. Addonizio writes about the spiritual and mechanical methods of writing poetry--watching your surroundings, paying attention to your emotions, knowing when to use a similie or a metaphor--it's all in the book, along with foot and meter, examples of types of poems (sonnet, for example), and exercises. The exercises make the book. There is a...
I always thought of poetry as some far off inexplicable and ethereal kind of thing. This book is a concise and easy to follow guide to the art if poetry and a gateway to all of the literature that lies beyond. It doesn't read like a textbook, though it does instruct you of the different mechanics present in creative literature. All the while, the author is encouraging and let's you know that there are no hard and fast rules but still equips your creativity by going over every writing technique a...
I have owned this book for ages, used it for teaching, read parts of it here and there, but I finally read through it from cover to cover. I think it is a great teaching aid and excellent for beginning poets. I have used several of its exercises in classes with beginning or emerging poets. However, I think at this point in my life I was looking for some thoughts that went a bit beyond "show don't tell," "eliminate unneeded words," and "grammar is important." It is a well-written and thorough boo...
This is your standard poetry book which anyone novice or experienced could use to learn or reference from. Kim Addonizio is a contemporary poet and offers the reader a nice spread of fellow contemporaries in the persuasion of exclusive genres like feminism, love, and African-American history as well as the more general stock. There's nothing counter-intuitive to this guide, nor is there anything especially enlightening. It's a very standard fare.The only thing this book really lacks is formalist...
What a great book. Approachable instruction in what poetry is, enabling appreciative because informed reading of poems and, if you choose, writing. I bought it to better understand something of the nuances inherent on poetry, so that i can better get it and want to read more. I was not disappointed. Found poets more of whose work I want to and will read, and find myself riffling through many poetry collections that I own (because I'm a literary person and am supposed to own such books) and reall...
I had to read this for my Poetry Workshop class, and I enjoyed it so much. I decided to finish reading it and keep it for future use. I have previously disliked the writing guides for two Creative Writing classes and my Craft of Poetry class. But this book is a well-rounded guide that truly spurs writers to get better. Talent cannot be manufactured. But it should always be nurtured, and you should always want to grow, no matter what your art. This book is divided into four sections: "Subjects fo...
This book was so inspiring. It made me want to do all the exercises suggested, so I could perhaps become the poet I've always dreamt I could be. I wish I could take the course with these two women. I also understood how to read poetry more deeply, finally gaining an appreciation of more modern poetry (though I still don't understand most poetry in literary journals. The prize-winners always leave me cold and wondering WTF?) I am purchasing this book to have a copy of my very own, and try some of...
Her language in her poetry is accessible and straight forward, bringing the lens close up to the everyday world, much of it impoverished. She remains an intimate poet, taking on domestic scenes, rather than grand themes. Her philosophy about the language of everyday, helps me to see how she works.
Really great collection and mini how to manuals. They also have some great writing exercises that are definitely ones I will be coming back to.Update 01: Still coming back to this and learning more from it each time// But also want an updated version!
One of the few books about writing poetry that actually inspired me to pick up my notebook and write.
This book should be subtitled: How to Ruin the Pleasures of Writing Poetry (aka Making Mistakes is WRONG). Honestly - if you need to be told WHAT to write about and HOW to do it, you should not be writing poetry. I understand that there are people who believe creative writing can be taught as anything else, but... - I have to disagree with all those who are buying books "how to write" thinking "I will become Tolstoy". Let me give you an example explaining why I'm against teaching poetry: I canno...
Kim Addonzio, a poet I admire, and Dorianne Laux, team up for this succinct, 10-to-15 page chaptered "how-to" book on writing poems that is perfect if you want something authoritative yet at the same time fairly brief. The first part covers typical subjects poets breach and how you might go about mining your own ideas for same. They include the family, writing itself, death and grief, the erotic, places, and poems of witness. Section Two treads into territory you'd expect from a book of this sor...
I've read several books on poetic craft; this, and Ted Kooser's Poetry Home Repair Manual are the best. The chapters here follow the pretty standard content, defining parts of the process and giving great examples from well known and fresh new poems. I found the most interesting and inspirational chapter to be "Stop Making Sense." I happen to pick this book up at a point in my artistic life in which I felt like I was beginning to repeat myself or that, at times, my poetry was becoming too cerebr...
One of... No. THE best book I've ever read about poetry craft and writing. The examples and ideas were useful and challenging and even fun. I produced a new poem from every exercise. This is a book by poets for poets, the authors talk to you on your level rather than broadcasting from some ivory tower. Wonderful work! It was a pleasure to read both as a text and as a manual. I can't recommend it highly enough nor can I thank the authors enough short of offering them my first born...to raise, not...
I've used this book, geared toward beginning poetry writing students, many times since its appearance, and it always suits my intentions for it, to provide specific, basic info on various aspects of poetry writing. The exercises and examples are terrific, and the book's tone is welcoming, friendly and supportive. It appeals to no specific aesthetic agenda, and its vision is far-ranging. For example, it's the only text of its kind that I'm aware of that has a chapter on writing the erotic.
I have read about 10-20 poetry guides. This is the best one yet! You can easily skip around to chapters you like, the poems in this book are contemporary, the authors use a real chill voice that gives you permission to make mistakes. The writing prompts, which there are TONS are top notch.
I read this for a university creative writing course, but I loved it; clear, actionable advice, great writing exercises, and immense readability. Highly recommended for people interested in writing poetry, or in advancing their use of language in writing.
Great advice, insight, and poems throughout. Also charmingly outdated in regards to the “tech” chapters!
Maybe don't take my star-rating as educated: This is the first poetry-writing guide I've ever read. So it's not like I have anything to compare it to. My 5 stars simply represents how much I loved it.Others reviewing this denigrated it on the basis of the authors' position that everyone might be able to write poetry and also for giving guidelines on how to write (??). I, personally, think these two components of the book--and the ethos of the authors--are what make the book especially powerful,