Customer Reviews

How Does a Poem Mean?

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John Ciardi's How Does a Poem Mean? is an intriguing, unorthodox, and surprisingly effective introduction to poetry. He argues that the question: "What Does a Poem Mean?" is too often a self-destroying approach that results in paraphrasing and misses the point of poetry. A poem is to be experienced, not simply interpreted. Unlike prose, a poem is primarily a performance.

How does a poem build itself into a form out of images, ideas, and rhythms? How do these elements become the meaning? How are they inseparable from the meaning? John Ciardi's remarkable textbook answers these questions, makes enjoyable reading, and is a five star introduction to poetry.

This text, published by Houghton Mifflin, was adopted by many colleges in the 1960s and 1970s. Inexpensive, used, soft cover copies are still fairly easy to find.

The eight chapters are titled How Does a Poem Mean?, A Burble Through the Tulgey Wood, By Rippling Pools, The Words of Poetry, The Sympathetic Contract, The Image and the Poem, The Poem in Motion, and The Poem in Countermotion.

I encountered many familiar poems as well as others new to me. Among the latter, I list several to illustrate the wide range of Ciardi's selections (and to remind me to return to these poets): The Listeners (Walter De la Mare), Mr. Flood's Party (Edwin Arlington Robinson), The Death of a Hired Hand (Robert Frost), Burning Love Letters (Howard Moss), Snake (D. H. Lawrence), Blue Girls (John Crowe Ransom), Medusa (Louise Bogan), A Subterranean City (Thomas Lovell Beddoes), and What the Sonnet Is (Eugene Lee Hamilton).

Also, I especially enjoyed three closely related poems: Departmental (Frost), Heaven (Rupert Brooke), and A Deep Discussion (Richard Moore).

Like most collections of poetry, How Does a Poem Mean? is best enjoyed if read in a leisurely fashion over several months. The overall time commitment may be substantial, but John Ciardi's fascinating text will reward your efforts. Take your time. Enjoy yourself. Remember, poetry is to be experienced, not simply analyzed. Cheers.

This book was a text book for me as I wandered, wonderingly, into the world of freshman college English Lit. in 1960. It has made th cut on all of the 27 "moves to new digs" that I have made since then. It is now like an old friend--treasured, respected, loved. I am sorry it is out of print because my copy is held together with tape and cannot last too much longer. It is written with such an obvious love for the subject matter (the poem) that one is caught up in that love and swept along with it. Yet, the writing is simple, clear, and constructive. It is an introduction to poetry for an adult of any age. For me, it was, and is--priceless.

This was a textbook I had in AP English in high school twenty-something years ago, and it is the only high school textbook of which I remember the title-- it was that memorable. A Great book. This textbook both defined and expanded the world of poetry for me, and I hope to again get a copy of it. Until I can find it again somewhere, I will have to be content with with some of the samples of poetry that I can still remember from outstanding book.

My college professor recommended this to me when I expressed interest into poetry. This book has had a profound impact on my understanding about poetry and my ability to write poetry. The author does an excellent job of really answering HOW a poem means and not WHAT a poem means. Not only does he do a great job of explaining poetics, he also fills the book with many great poems. Forcing yourself to read all of them will leave you with a much deeper appreciation and respect for the art form.

If you are at all interested in verse, this should be essential reading.

This is probably the greatest book of literary criticism and advice ever offered to readers of poetry. It is wise, funny, playful, thorough and never interpretive. I recommend it to anyone who really wants to learn to read and love poetry.

I searched for this book at several used and rare book stores with no luck. Found it quickly on Amazon and probably got it at a bargain.

The condition of the book exceeded my excpectations. The delivery time could not have been more prompt.

I would definitely buy from this supplier again.