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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Book, October 18, 1998
I read an early version of this book.This books is a great book for readers and writers of poems. Most chapters focus on a particular poetical device, meter, allusions, connotations, and denotations, musical elements. Poems are picked for each chapter which help to highlight that device. Later chapters show how 'more complex' poems put it all together. Questions are given at the end of poems about that poem or particular device. You might get a question like why did the poet use 'sweat' instead or 'perspiration' Many of the questions require deep thought, many of the answers are far from clear-cut, or so straight forward. Just like the poems, it requires thinking over and over about it. This is a good book to use in class or in a reading group. You'll have many enjoyable conversations with a partner. In the end, you will be able to appreciate poems that you read, and break down the poem and see how it works, and why it works from a purely technical standpoint, and not that pretentious touchy-feely analysis you get from day dreamers. It is much like a professional musician that can break down a composition and tell you how it works and why you feel the way you do at certain times. The poetical world is much like that of the highschool music world in one sense; many garage rockstar wannabees shy away from learning any theory for fear that it would hold back their creativity. The same holds for poetry, and you may be afraid too. Do not be. I've seen many smug music beginners with this attitude spend the next 10 years reinventing the wheel and they don't even reinvent much, much less coming up with any 'profoundly new' music. Sound and Sense will give you a very strong foundation for analyzing poems, and writing poems. And added bonus, you will appreciate poems and enjoy them more. You can then add your own 'inventions' to the 'standard' ones shown here. Laurence Perrine even addresses the difference between a purely 'technical' poem from ones inspired from the heart. It's all there. A great poem has both. Let me also comment on the selection of poems. I have a few other books on poems. One entitled like 'Commited to Memory; 100 of the greatest poems'. So far of all the anthologies I have, this book still has one of the best collection I've read. It isn't the widest collection. Since it is an English book, the poets are all from either America or England, but the poets are from all different times and backgrounds. The subject matter spans the range, and not just limited to love poems. Modern poets are under represented, but that is natural. This is a book that takes years to make, not a magazine. Still, lots of this book can be applied to slam poetry. So what can be better for a fan of poetry? This book will allow you to read better, write better, and you will have the best collection of poems assembled. Final word, don't be intimidated by this review. I don't want to give you the sense that this book is dense and heavy with seriousness. It isn't. It's a great read and just like me, you will pick it up from time to time to read, think, and enjoy. I have been enjoying my copy of the book for
the last 10 years.
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by Laurence Perrine
by Stephen Corey; Warren Slesinger
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