How to Read a Poem (Meridian) [Paperback]

Burton Raffel (Author)

Book Description

Series: Meridian | Publication Date: April 1, 1984

An introductory text that is both an anthology of over 200 poems and a comprehensive exploration of the form. Over 100 poets featured; those most widely represented include Blake, Byron, cummings, Dickinson, Donne, Alan Dugan, Frost, Louise Gluck, George Herbert, Keats, Pope, Pound, Shakespeare, Wordsworth, and Yeats.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 260 pages
• Publisher: Plume (April 1, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452006821
• ISBN-13: 978-0452006829
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,702,895 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Burton Raffel is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Arts and Humanities and emeritus professor of English, University of Louisiana at Lafayette. His other translations from the French include Stendhal's The Red and the Black and Rabelais's Gargantua and Pantagruel, winner of the French-American Foundation Translation Prize, 1992.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb introduction, February 15, 2007

By 

William Timothy Lukeman - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Read a Poem (Meridian) (Paperback)

This is still one of the best introductions to poetry ever published -- clear, straightforward, intelligent, richly detailed & written in a distinctive voice. Whether you're a student or simply love poetry, this book will serve as your guide to the world of poetry, not only explaining how it works on a technical level, but on an emotional level as well. There's no dry, above-it-all, academic prose here! Raffel is fiercely engaged with poetry, deeply in love with its beauties & possibilities, and that comes through on every page. Opinionated at times? Yes, and his book is all the better for it. Even when I disagree with his comments on this poem or that poet, I recognize his insight & passion for this wonderful art form. You just won't find a better introduction than this one -- most highly recommended!

19 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Poetry Trainer, October 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Read a Poem (Meridian) (Paperback)

When I was studying "Introduction to Poetry", I turned to Burton Raffel's "How to Read a Poem," to get the information I needed. Lot's of examples and very informative. This book is a must for anyone wanting to learn about poetry.

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best, if not THE best introductions to poetry, September 24, 2010

By 

Robert Gonzalez "Creativity Enthusiast" (Tampa, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Read a Poem (Meridian) (Paperback)

I am thrilled to see that this book is still in print. I found my old copy of it and have been using insights from it extensively to lecture in my Oral Interpretation of literature course. There are other fine books on prosody and the workings of poetry, but Raffel's presentation seems to work most effectively. The way the book is structured makes a big difference in introducing it to novices.