introduction to poetry

[Bastable]

Okay, so I'm sure you get this a lot but poetry isn't really my forte. And for a while i've been trying to 'get into' poetry, so to speak. So i was wondering if anyone could provide me with recommendations.

My exposure has been quite minimal, o far I've read the first three cantos of Byrons Don Juan, which i quite enjoyed but got tired of eventually. I've also read the odd poem I studied in english (love song of j alfred prufrock, dover beach, Ozymandias, Ulysses). So perhaps nothing too heavy with the language and symbolism just yet. and, so yeah, i'm pretty clueless when it comes to poetry.

[JBI]

Read Poetic Designs by Stephen Adams - the first 45 pages are available for free here: http://books.google.ca/books?id=fG6jgkEiQMMC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_navlinks_s#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Then, for texts, I recommend the Norton Anthology of Poetry (the longer version). It is generally the best introduction.

That is a practical introduction, for a more natural one, just find a contemporary poet that interests you, and work your way from there.

Likewise, Fussell's Poetic Metre and Poetic Form is a good introduction, though it is far more technical and jargon laden than Adams - it's where you go if you want to know what a Cretic, or Paean foot is, things which generally don't come up, but technically have names, and can pop up rarely.

One of my professors recommended, for some introductions and critical approaches,

Ciardi, J. How Does a Poem Mean
and Nms, J. F. Western Wind: An Introduction to Poetry

I can say that this professor knows exactly what she is talking about, and was an excellent teacher, but I have not personally read those texts, so I cannot give you my personal reaction to them.

generally if you get Adams and the Norton Anthology of Literature, and probably Nims you should be able to teach yourself how to read poetry like an expert.

You may wish also, to get a good book on rhetoric - Adams has a large section of his book dedicated to rhetoric, but for a more in depth look, Corbett, E. P. J. Classircal Rhetoric for the Modern Student is good, and works well when read against a reading of Shakespeare's Sonnets or poems before the modern era, though it helps develop a nice technical vocabulary for understanding things, which is very good.

Also, if you can get Booth, Stephen, Shakespeare's Sonnets, that book may be helpful - it certainly is one of the better editions of Shakespeare's sonnets, and a good intro into close reading of poetry.

[mortalterror]

One of my professors recommended, for some introductions and critical approaches, Nms, J. F. Western Wind: An Introduction to Poetry
I read that one. It's very good.

[Bastable]

thanks, a lot :)

[David R]

Bastable,

You might try reading the Old English epic, Beowulf (Seamus Heany's translation is good) and some of the associated Anglo-Saxon poems - The Seafarer, the Wanderer.

For modern poets, John Keats and W.B.Yeats. Maybe you could get the selected poems of each.

Good luck with your endeavour,
David

[LMK]

Bastable,

Is your interest in learning about poetry so that you can better read it or so that you can better write it?

All of the above suggestions are great for reading.

If you are wanting to explore your writing creativity then you might want to take some of the poems that you have found you like and try to create a poem or a few according to that style, there are so so many poetic styles and of course you can create your own.

I am personally not a poet scholar, but I've always had a soft spot for both reading and writing poetry.
~L

[JBI]

Bastable,

Is your interest in learning about poetry so that you can better read it or so that you can better write it?

All of the above suggestions are great for reading.

If you are wanting to explore your writing creativity then you might want to take some of the poems that you have found you like and try to create a poem or a few according to that style, there are so so many poetic styles and of course you can create your own.

I am personally not a poet scholar, but I've always had a soft spot for both reading and writing poetry.
~L

I don't know - I'm of the mind that learning to read and write poetry take similar texts anyway - one cannot go wrong with Adams - he essentially teaches about all the useful stuff needed to read and write poetry, but by focusing on reading, he teaches how your work will be read too.

[LMK]

I don't know - I'm of the mind that learning to read and write poetry take similar texts anyway - one cannot go wrong with Adams - he essentially teaches about all the useful stuff needed to read and write poetry, but by focusing on reading, he teaches how your work will be read too.

Good point, JBI, just wanted to suggest that if it were for writing to try in various styles, if not to find your voice, then to simply practice.

I am not a poet, but I do enjoy from time to time writing and reading various poetry and like to try different styles, it helps me with imagery in my other writing.

[Nadia Scores]

There are tons and tons of poems and poets you can start things off with. But I would urge you to read one of my favorites – Langston Hughes. The joy of reading Hughes's poems is that they resonate with the music and rhythm that is found in blues, jazz, and African-American spirituals. It’s almost like listening to music! In one of his most famous poems – Harlem – A Dream Deferred, Hughes asks a very important question about dreams and about what happens when dreams are ignored or postponed. Some view this poem as a warning about deferred dreams that ultimately lead to social interest. Read Hughes for his powerful voice against the racism and injustice of the time. If you need help reading and understanding harlem-dream-deferred or for that matter any poem, you really must check out Shmoop. It’s a great site that walks you through the steps of understanding poetry.

[Morden]

Just from my very amateur self, I will say that trying to write poetry increased my ability to read it enormously. It focuses the attention, and leads to a true sense of appreciation for what poets accomplish. I now can hardly believe the fertility and creativity I see on the poetic page.