false 13273 0075536064 9780075536062 113 17 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166550959m/13273.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13273.Poetic_Meter_and_Poetic_Form 8278 Paul Fussell 1249 215 5 0 false Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Wed Sep 03 06:56:00 -0700 2008 Wed Sep 03 07:09:14 -0700 2008
The book discusses clearly and thoroughly, but without wearing out its welcome, the principal meters and strucutures used by both traditional and "modern" (usually fre-form) poetry. It was fascinating to understand, to an extent I had not before, that even the most open of poetic forms lend themselves to an analysis using these basic tools, and that anyone reading this book with care and attention comes away with means for reading poetry with greater understanding and appreciation. This useful education comes not just from discussion, but from the use of a wide variety of poetry to illustrate major points (to euch an extent that it almost stands as a useful and varied anthology).

I will continue to read it for profit and enjoyment in the years ahead.

(Side note: quite apart from this book, Fussell, a veteran of combat in WWII as an infantryman, has written frankly and penetratingly about war - see The Great War and Modern Memory, and Wartime.) ]]>