|
142 of 143 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A very useful repository of ideas and approaches., May 22, 2000
When I bought this book, I envisioned it being like Kowit's "In the Palm of Your Hand" or Addonizio and Laux's "Poet's Companion". It isn't.Instead of the comfortable, conversational and pretty easy-going tone and pace of the other two books, this is a densely packed collection of exercises from a great many different poets. Each exercise is set out, and then expanded on in a very useful essay/note/commentary from the poet who contributed the exercise. In some ways, it is this latter feature that is the most useful. Quite often you will come across a poetry (or any other) exercise, where it is quite clear what you are meant to do, but with no clue about what it is that you are trying to achieve. Here, each exercise has an accompanying explanation. Problem solved. Because the exercises are contributed by so many different poets, it is unavoidable that there will be some exercises which seem pointless or stupid or irrelevant. This is where the explanation part comes in handy once again. Don't like the way the exercise is structured? Read on, find out what it is that you are supposed to be doing, and redraft the exercise to suit your own personal needs/tastes. Overall, this is a very useful little book. My copy is only one year old, but is seriously dog-eared and full of strips of paper serving as bookmarks. With the number of different poets/attitudes/approaches included, there are bound to be sections that you read with a sense of either boredom or incredulity. Never mind - there are plenty more sections that will have you scrabbling for pen and paper. Maybe the best way of using the book is to think of it like a well-stocked pantry cupboard - browse, take what you need today, leave the rest for dinner tomorrow, or boil leftovers down for soup ...
|
by Mary Oliver
by John Drury
by Eavan Boland
See all 31 books citing this book
