The bestselling author of Under the Tuscan Sun brings poetry out of the classroom and into the homes of everyday readers. Before she fell in love with Tuscany, Frances Mayes fell in love with verse. After publishing five books of poetry and teaching creative writing for more than twenty-five years, Mayes is no stranger to the subject. In The Discovery of Poetry, an accessible "field guide" to reading and writing poetry, she shares her passion with readers. Beginning with basic terminology and techniques, from texture and sound to rhyme and repetition, Mayes shows how focusing on one aspect of a poem can help you to better understand, appreciate, and enjoy the reading and writing experience. In addition to many creative and helpful composition ideas, following each lyrical and lively discussion is a thoughtful selection of poems. With its wonderful anthology from Shakespeare to Jamaica Kinkaid, The Discovery of Poetry is an insightful, invaluable guide to what Mayes calls "the natural pleasures of language-a happiness we were born to have."
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
great help for the poetically illiterate:
I have no desire to write poetry, but merely wanted some insight into understanding and appreciating it. I enjoy literary fiction, but poetry seemed inaccessible. The Discovery of Poetry demystified for me the technical frameworks on which poems are built, and also gave me some insight into various artistic techniques as well. As the author mentioned somewhere, there will always be something indefinable about a great poem which defies analysis. Her explanations have removed some of the barriers I felt... more info
Learning how to write poetry:
This product was very helpful. My professor actually required it for an intro to poetry writing class, and the text is very well organized and understandable. It helps you to write all kinds of poems from free verse, to sonnets, and helps break down certain tools and poetic devices used in all poems. It's definatly a well written guide to poetry, and all of the poems used as examples are very interesting and fun to read!
A Helpful Field Guide for Poetry Lovers:
As a poet who has been writing poetry for about 5 years, I find this book very helpful. It is not only a guide to writing poetry, but to reading poetry as well. The book includes many selections of inspiration poems that coincide with the topic covered in each chapter. A great guide for beginning poets and for those who desire to increase their skills in reading and writing poetry.
'kansaspoet'
Excellent introduction to poetry:
This book has made poetry accessible to me for the first time in my life. The descriptions and explanations are easy to understand and are, on many occasions, lyrical. The author has helped to unravel some of the mystery of poetry for me. Indeed, I am now beginning, from the varied pieces of poetry in the book, to identify particular poets whose work I will explore further. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has always felt daunted and intimidated by poetry.
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