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2nd out of 23 books
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10 voters
The Poet's Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing Poetry
by
Kim Addonizio,
Dorianne Laux (Goodreads Author)
In this fortuitous collaboration, two spirited poets, themselves teachers of poetry, offer guidance to aspiring beginners and those who have already published. Brief essays on the elements of poetry, technique, and suggested subjects for writing are each followed by distinctive writing exercises. ("Compare an actual family photograph with one that was never taken, but migh...more
Paperback, 288 pages
Published
September 17th 1997
by W. W. Norton & Company
(first published September 1st 1997)
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كتاب رائع جعلني أكتب شعراً عربياً
يتعاطى في الخلوة
صمت الليل وتعج به أنفاسة
يمشي , يتوجس
يتواطأ كل الكون
يـتأول
لا شئ معه
كي يردع هذا العبث المتراكم .
*****
جبال تتملق وجه السماء
وغيوم تتلاشى في مخطوط
و السقف يتبخر
و يتجلى ذاك الماء المكنون.
*****
في وسط المدينة
نهر يتدفق بالعربات
والشارع فاغر فاه
يتأمل لوحات التحذير
لا أحد في كأس الشاي
المتلالئ
و لا تلك النغمة تترنح
هنا وهناك
*****
في زاوية الشارع
هناك أبتسامة تتحدى
تتصاعد خطواته
وتفتش في الماضي
تقرع لأطيافه
أحدى العربات
جرس الانذار
تذبل الابتسامة
و يتحرر
وينطلق...more
يتعاطى في الخلوة
صمت الليل وتعج به أنفاسة
يمشي , يتوجس
يتواطأ كل الكون
يـتأول
لا شئ معه
كي يردع هذا العبث المتراكم .
*****
جبال تتملق وجه السماء
وغيوم تتلاشى في مخطوط
و السقف يتبخر
و يتجلى ذاك الماء المكنون.
*****
في وسط المدينة
نهر يتدفق بالعربات
والشارع فاغر فاه
يتأمل لوحات التحذير
لا أحد في كأس الشاي
المتلالئ
و لا تلك النغمة تترنح
هنا وهناك
*****
في زاوية الشارع
هناك أبتسامة تتحدى
تتصاعد خطواته
وتفتش في الماضي
تقرع لأطيافه
أحدى العربات
جرس الانذار
تذبل الابتسامة
و يتحرر
وينطلق...more
I've read several books on poetic craft; this, and Ted Kooser's Poetry Home Repair Manual are the best. The chapters here follow the pretty standard content, defining parts of the process and giving great examples from well known and fresh new poems. I found the most interesting and inspirational chapter to be "Stop Making Sense." I happen to pick this book up at a point in my artistic life in which I felt like I was beginning to repeat myself or that, at times, my poetry was becoming too cerebr...more
Jul 09, 2011
Newengland
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommended to Newengland by:
Ruth Bavetta
Shelves:
finished-in-2011,
poetry
Kim Addonzio, a poet I admire, and Dorianne Laux, team up for this succinct, 10-to-15 page chaptered "how-to" book on writing poems that is perfect if you want something authoritative yet at the same time fairly brief. The first part covers typical subjects poets breach and how you might go about mining your own ideas for same. They include the family, writing itself, death and grief, the erotic, places, and poems of witness. Section Two treads into territory you'd expect from a book of this sor...more
This is your standard poetry book which anyone novice or experienced could use to learn or reference from. Kim Addonizio is a contemporary poet and offers the reader a nice spread of fellow contemporaries in the persuasion of exclusive genres like feminism, love, and African-American history as well as the more general stock. There's nothing counter-intuitive to this guide, nor is there anything especially enlightening. It's a very standard fare.
The only thing this book really lacks is formalist...more
The only thing this book really lacks is formalist...more
I have owned this book for ages, used it for teaching, read parts of it here and there, but I finally read through it from cover to cover. I think it is a great teaching aid and excellent for beginning poets. I have used several of its exercises in classes with beginning or emerging poets. However, I think at this point in my life I was looking for some thoughts that went a bit beyond "show don't tell," "eliminate unneeded words," and "grammar is important." It is a well-written and thorough boo...more
One of... No. THE best book I've ever read about poetry craft and writing. The examples and ideas were useful and challenging and even fun. I produced a new poem from every exercise.
This is a book by poets for poets, the authors talk to you on your level rather than broadcasting from some ivory tower. Wonderful work! It was a pleasure to read both as a text and as a manual. I can't recommend it highly enough nor can I thank the authors enough short of offering them my first born...to raise, not...more
This is a book by poets for poets, the authors talk to you on your level rather than broadcasting from some ivory tower. Wonderful work! It was a pleasure to read both as a text and as a manual. I can't recommend it highly enough nor can I thank the authors enough short of offering them my first born...to raise, not...more
What a great book. Approachable instruction in what poetry is, enabling appreciative because informed reading of poems and, if you choose, writing. I bought it to better understand something of the nuances inherent on poetry, so that i can better get it and want to read more. I was not disappointed. Found poets more of whose work I want to and will read, and find myself riffling through many poetry collections that I own (because I'm a literary person and am supposed to own such books) and reall...more
Mar 03, 2008
Jacob
added it
This makes me depressed.
A compassionate, readable, open and encouraging volume. I hope I have the courage and the stamina to write up to the level provided by this book. My review went from four to five stars in the months it took to read Poet's Companion, try at least one exercise from the choices at the end of each chapter, and do all 14 of the 20-minute writing exercises in the back of the book. I won't say that any of my poems are prize winners, just that I'm excited about them and have started to read parts of the...more
2 likes
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Though the author-poets skew towards the personal/narrative/confessional in a way that rubs me the wrong way a bit, I've found several of these chapters and exercises to be useful for beginners. In particular, the chapters on craft. The "Subjects for Writing" section is primarily focused on working with subjects like personal experience, memory, grief and death, family, the erotic (?!), dark stuff (in "The Shadow") and a Carolyn Forché -styled poetry of witness. I'm sorry, but my undergrads usua...more
A wonderful primer on the basic themes and craft issues that poet's wrestle with. There was definitely an emphasis on narrative and confessional poetry throughout, which feels somewhat dated in today's scene, but also surprisingly refreshing. I would recommend this book to starting poets (as well as lost and tired ones) as a great lesson in clarity and grounding. I still hold dear in my teacherly heart Richard Hugo's "The Triggering Town," but this is a nice, equally unintimidating, enter-here t...more
I enjoyed this book immensely, save one thing: they use Sharon Olds as an example far too often. I cannot stand Sharon Olds. I think she is the most overrated poet of the past century -- a century replete with overrated poets, mind you -- and having her held up as a paragon of great writing makes me want to retch. Putting that aside for a moment, this book excels in the area of writing exercises. I am extremely excited to mine this book for activities when I am feeling less-than-inspired. I like...more
I've used this book, geared toward beginning poetry writing students, many times since its appearance, and it always suits my intentions for it, to provide specific, basic info on various aspects of poetry writing. The exercises and examples are terrific, and the book's tone is welcoming, friendly and supportive. It appeals to no specific aesthetic agenda, and its vision is far-ranging. For example, it's the only text of its kind that I'm aware of that has a chapter on writing the erotic.
Jun 26, 2012
Patricia Florio
added it
I just started reading this book yesterday. I flipped through the sections I was most interested in. Hopefully I will learn something about narrative poetry and be able to put some poems together for a chapbook I'd like to produce about being a court reporter (actually, the residual effects, called Occupational Hazzard). Send me a not if you think you have a suggestion or two you'd like to throw my way.
This is the most complete poetry guidebook I have reviewed. Truly a companion. The authors explore common themes of writing - family, death, erotica, settings, and more, additionally honing technique,analyzing prime examples, and offering numerous prompts that are though provoking and challenging, and yet unrestricted enough to feel diaphanous. A must for anyone interested in poetry creation.
Fun and accessible, but I remember like the selections more two years ago when I first looked through it. Now on a thorough reading I find the selections very hit or miss and the explanations of the poems paled compared to Dobyns or Pinsky. I think this would probably be a great read for absolute beginners, but not as good as good as Mary Oliver's. The writing prompts are probably the real wealth here.
A good overview of guidelines for writing poetry. The author leans toward confessional style poems, but doesn't neglect other kinds. Try it on for size. You don't have to treat it as gospel, but there is nothing wrong with taking a look at the techniques of those who have come before you. I had some interesting poems come from these techniques.
There's a lot to like about this book. It gives solid technical how-tos, fun writing exercises, uplifting writer's life advice and modern poetic examples. While this book really focuses on the basics, they also give you recommendations in you want to learn more about a specific subject. But that's also where the problem lies--the content is too general, especially if you have any kind of poetry background.
As wonderful today as when I read it 8 or 10 years ago! I'll be using this text in an online poetry writing course I'm teaching this summer. Plenty of interesting and unique exercises at the end of each chapter, too, should inspire any poet interesting in honing his/her craft.
Still reading this ... bit by bit as I require inspiration or guidance. Cathy Hailey recommended it. Heard Laux at Dodge and became a fan. Very very good for both personal writing life and teaching life (although for that, it requires some censorship).
I found this book lacking. Not entirely sure as to why but it may have to do with repetition of some ideas and the poets referenced. It would have been nice if the concepts and poets used to illustrate said concepts were mixed up or approached differently.
Based on the title, I expected this book to be for someone who considers herself a poet - that is, already writes poetry - and that it would cover primarily issues of craft. Instead it seems more geared towards prompts one can try to begin writing poetry. The exercises might be helpful if one is blocked and just wants to get some ideas flowing, but they're pretty basic and obvious. The rest of the material is mostly fluff. If you *read* any poetry at all then you know that, yes, poets sometimes...more
It's an excellent guide to poetry writing. I found the prompts very helpful for the times when writer's block struck. Many of the ideas discussed in the book expanded on information I had been given in my creative writing courses.
This book has been invaluable to my poetry writing. I absolutely love flipping through, picking an exercise at random, and writing freely. I've come up with some of my best poems by using this book.
It's a friendly, non-intimidating book that provides a nice overview for beginning writers. Actually, it can be a refreshing read for writers of all levels--the writing prompts are really fantastic. I've used them for myself and in the classroom.
It's a little light in nuts and bolts--like terms--in the Poet's Craft section. While I think not overloading the reader with definitions is part of the book's appeal, it's lack of these things is one reason why I didn't use the book as a class text. How...more
It's a little light in nuts and bolts--like terms--in the Poet's Craft section. While I think not overloading the reader with definitions is part of the book's appeal, it's lack of these things is one reason why I didn't use the book as a class text. How...more
Helpful book! I wouldn't recommend it to total beginners, but if you already know some of the poetry basics, there are some good ideas here to take your writing to the next level.
Reading and using as a resource at the same time. Sometimes a girl just needs a writing exercise to get the juices flowing. This book has lots.
Excellent reference book for poets and those who wish to become poets. It's on my already read shelf, but I refer to it often.
I've taken a number of university poetry courses. This book was one of the best things I've taken home from any of them.
Not everyone thinks they need guidance to write poetry. This book will change the mind of anyone in doubt.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q&A with Abig...: Poetry, Writing and that tricky thing called "inspiration" | 1 | 1 | 12. Dezember, 21:35 Uhr |
Kim Addonizio is the author of four poetry collections including Tell Me, A National Book Award Finalist. Her fifth collection, Lucifer at the Starlite, will be published by W.W. Norton in October 2009.
Addonizio has also authored two instructional books on writing poetry: The Poet's Companion (with Dorianne Laux), and Ordinary Genius: A Guide for the Poet Within, both from W.W. Norton.
Her first no...more
More about Kim Addonizio...
Addonizio has also authored two instructional books on writing poetry: The Poet's Companion (with Dorianne Laux), and Ordinary Genius: A Guide for the Poet Within, both from W.W. Norton.
Her first no...more
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“Good writing works from a simple premise: your experience is not yours alone, but in some sense a metaphor for everyone's.”
—
29 people liked it
“We aren't suggesting that mental instability or unhappiness makes one a better poet, or a poet at all; and contrary to the romantic notion of the artist suffering for his or her work, we think these writers achieved brilliance in spite of their suffering, not because of it.”
—
20 people liked it
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25. Oktober, 21:08 Uhr