book data
346 ratings,
3.93
average rating, 45 reviews
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published
August 15th 1994
by Harvest Books
binding
Paperback, 144 pages
isbn
0156724006
(isbn13: 9780156724005)
description
This slender guide by Mary Oliver deserves a place on the shelves of any budding poet. In clear, accessible prose, Oliver (winner of both the Pulitzer...more
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| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| ¡ POETRY !: Books on writing poetry | 20 | 94 | 01/11/2009 12:29PM |
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avg 3.93
editions: all | this edition
editions: all | this edition
Read in February, 2008
recommended to Jan by:
poets
While Oliver knows her stuff and is respected, I don't find passion in this slim handbook as I do in other books in the genre such as Ted Kooser's Poetry Home Repair Manual or Edward Hirsch's How to Read a Poem. The sample poems she includes are not fully explored or mined as I would have hoped.
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I bought A Poetry Handbook when I entered my first poetry-writing class as an undergrad. My professor was a notorious curmudgeon who didn't spare anyone's feelings and expected each progressive class in the term "to separate the sheep from the goats." I was determined not to be a sheep (or a goat?): I was going to be prepared! This book is amazingly detailed for a basic introduction and extremely useful for reading, writing, and talking about many different kinds of poems. A Poetry Han...more
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Read in August, 2006
I used this the first two semesters that I taught my Creative Writing class at Old Westbury, but the students didn't connect to it the way I'd hoped. I use Ted Kooser's Poetry Home Repair Manuel now instead. It's more student-friendly.
But I'd still recommend this for the older, more advanced beginning writer. Being a fan of Oliver's poetry doesn't automatically make this book a good read. From what I recall, she doesn't use a lot of her own stuff to illustrate writing techniques her...more
But I'd still recommend this for the older, more advanced beginning writer. Being a fan of Oliver's poetry doesn't automatically make this book a good read. From what I recall, she doesn't use a lot of her own stuff to illustrate writing techniques her...more
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Read in October, 2008
I think there are lessons in life that I'm ready to absorb now that I couldn't 10 or 15 years ago. One of them is the role of craft & structure -- the formalities & technicalities -- in poetry. I've owned this book for quite a while, but this read is the first time that it resonated in a useful way.
Not that this book is overly formal, but it touches on scansion, which I've always had trouble with, and some of the other traditional aspects of poetry. It used to be that the stress symb...more
Not that this book is overly formal, but it touches on scansion, which I've always had trouble with, and some of the other traditional aspects of poetry. It used to be that the stress symb...more
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I learned that being regular about your writing habits helps the muse know when to show up. . . among other things. This is a very friendly instruction book.
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Read in April, 2009
A great book to read for inspiration to write poetry, but especially if you are about to teach a creative writing (or poetry) course!
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A concise and personal handbook on writing poetry with some famous poems used as inspirational examples.
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A short, interesting read for anyone who wants to better understand poetry or would like to write it. Written by one of my favorite contemporary poets, Mary Oliver.
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Read in June, 2009
Simply (literally) the most helpful book I've read on writing poetry, and her voice inspires.
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Excellent basic primer for those starting out and as a reminder for those further along.
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Read in December, 2008
This wasn't that great, honestly. I don't know what else to say about it.
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06/26/09
Geoffrey Gioja
marked it as to-read
I have this book, but I have not yet read it.
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04/03/09
Kevin Albrecht
added it
Read in April, 2009
recommends it for:
Aspiring poets
A simple but informative quick read.
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Read in October, 2007
Not that I've read much from books on writing, but I can safely say that Mary Oliver, both in this book and in her poetry, has significantly changed my life. "A Poetry Handbook" is a fairly simple and minimalistic guide, like Oliver's poetry, but it is also compelling in its observations and assignments. Oliver draws on various poets from Vincent Millay to William Carlos Williams to give instruction. All new creative writers should read it.
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Read in July, 2008
The purpose of this book is to help poets improve their writing. It is most effective in presenting the way different poetic devices affect the reader. However, it is summer reading for Rhetoric-level Tapestry of Grace, Year 1, and I can't imagine that it would hold the interest of most teens. I'm going to look for a substitute for my son.
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Read in January, 2002
I was orginally introduced to this book when I took my Dickinson and Frost class in college. I used it for my paper on Frost, which came in third place in an essay writing contest, winning me a semester of tuition! I believe I own a copy now and that it is in my classroom library. I'm not sure if this is a read all or a read parts book.
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