Customer Reviews

An Introduction to Poetry

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Maybe I shouldn't have even used the term "textbook". After all that word generally connotes a book that is tedious, dry and full of obscure jargon. This is a different book, however. It is indeed a sprightly introduction to poetry that informs and entertains. It has sections on Irony, Tone, Words, Metaphors, Sound, Rhythm, Form, Symbol, Myth, and Narrative, just to mention a few.

The discussion of each topic is illustrated by the provision of relevant poems. The poems are generally analyzed, and the reader is asked pertinent questions about them. I can't praise the authors enough for their choice of poems. Most are relatively brief works, but they are excellent examples of the topic at hand.

What could be a better poem exemplifying Irony than this little classic deploring child labor written by Sarah N. Cleghorn in 1917:

The golf links lie so near the mill/That almost every day/The laboring children can look out/ And see the men at play.

There are many other goodies in this book:

1. A chapter that provides poems and brief critical essays on the works of Langston Hughes, and Emily Dickinson.
2. A section that provides brief but informative biographies of many of the poets represented in the book.
3. A large chapter of more poems for reading and enjoying. These are very accomplished poems that are generally very accessible to the general reader.
4. A section on literary criticism. Yes, I know that is a dreaded term, but the authors do a good job of clearly presenting the material -even when deconstructionism is the topic- and provide brief extracts from noted literary critics.
5. At the end of the book is a convenient glossary of literary terms.
6. For those who become enthused about writing poetry there is a chapter covering this topic.

There are other introductory books on the market (such as "The Poetry Reader's Toolkit", by Marc Polonsky, and the venerable "Understanding Poetry" by Cleanth Brooks), but this is a truly astounding work. It's a big book of over 700 pages that is guaranteed to make any reader a poetry lover..

A very usefull text for any level of student from Middle School to Phd- clear explanations of terms and traditions followed by excellent, provocative examples and follow up questions make the book work in the classroom (and as a means to teach yourself) what you always wanted to know but were afraid to ask.

This was a wonderful book, very easy to read, and including hundreds of poems of all eras and genres... it provides a good education on poetic forms and ideas, with each chapter including many examples of the topic being discussed... and at the end there is a huge anthology of poems, many of which were new to me, which made it a real bonus.

This book thus far is a great tool for the college poetry course I am taking
It was in practically perfect Condition.

This book can be used as a text book or just for access to fine poetry. Lost my first one and wanted to replace it. So I did.

I used thi book for my poetry class @ IUPUI,and found it an excellent book for the class. The pages have enough room by each poem so you can writ comment,and though of thoughts. I loved this book!!

This is a very well written and easy to follow textbook. The different chapters introduce elements of poetry and provide great examples and questions to help the reader deepen his or her understanding. There is even a chapter of Spanish poems. Also, another great feature is that after some poems, the authors give the name and page number of a poem to compare with--allowing a person to integrate and synthesize information. It helps readers make connections and interact with the book. "Introduction to Poetry" is certainly aimed at helping the student. One of my only complaints is, like another reviewer mentioned, the sample essays could have been better.

I ordered this book for a class i took this semester at college. It gave a specific description of the condition of the book, and that's exactly what it got. No funny business here. Always better to get used books over new ones if you're looking to save some money. Old books need love too!

This book offers a great collection of poetry and background information on many poets. Walks through poetry lingo with the reader, great educational source for teachers of literature!!

First time I bought a used book that actually looked brand NEW!! Thanks for being honest.