The Discovery of Poetry: A Field Guide to Reading and Writing Poems [L0111]

2001 PB in Gift-Worthy condition. 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."

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "All the major aspects of poetry are discussed -- the texture and sound of words, imagery, subject, speaker, meter, form, etc. -- with lots of wonderful and evocative poems given as examples and reading exercises. If my description is calling to mind the sort of dry, overly academic poetry textbook that Prof. Keating has his students rip pages out of in Dead Poets' Society, rest assured, this is not that sort of book. It's actually a pleasure to read, with the author sharing her knowledge and love of poetry in a warm, engaging style. Highly recommended."; "This Field Guide delivers exactly what it promises: exposure to great poetry, poetic terminology, tricks, trends and tools as well as ideas to try in your own poetry notebook. In my novice efforts at writing poetry I've gone quickly to that place of flow that I shoot for when writing prose. I was left with a deeper appreciation of the process and a long list of homework assignments that I intend to complete."; "Mayes is insightful, erudite and pithy in her sharp explanations, which provides valuable discussions for neophytes and long-term readers of poetry alike. The final chapter "A Poet's Handbook" features excellent suggestions, poem-starters and exercises to spark a poet's or poet-to-be's imagination, history, personality, etc. for writing new poems. Even if you are not interested in writing much of your own poetry, you cannot help but explore and try writing your own poems after reading some of these exercise sections."