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A Poet's Glossary

Edward Hirsch

4.59 · Rating details · 126 Ratings · 18 Reviews

A major addition to the literature of poetry, Edward Hirsch’s sparkling new work is a compilation of forms, devices, groups, movements, isms, aesthetics, rhetorical terms, and folklore—a book that all readers, writers, teachers, and students of poetry will return to over and over.

Hirsch has delved deeply into the poetic traditions of the world, returning with an inclusive, ...more

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Hardcover, 736 pages

Published April 8th 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (first published January 1st 2014)

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Aug 02, 2015 Julie Christine rated it it was amazing

Shelves: poetry, reference-instructional, read-2015

Not that this is a book you read cover to cover or ever finish, but it's utterly GORGEOUS. I cannot imagine continuing to read and study and attempt to write poetry without it.

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Jun 10, 2017 Joshua Rigsby rated it really liked it

Shelves: academic, non-fiction, poetry, professional

A wonderful companion.

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Dec 09, 2014 Therese Broderick rated it it was amazing

A sensational holiday gift for any lover of words, and reasonably priced at only $30 (hardcover).

This humbly-named ''glossary'' partakes of the majesty of a Concordance, the wisdom of an Old Testament, the revelatory love of a New Testament, the grandeur of a Summing Up, the impeccable precision of The King's English by Mr. Fowler, the irresistible fun of a TED talk, and the wondrous charm of an Advent Calendar.

My advice to all poets is this: Instead of playing yet another round on Facebook of t ...more

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Apr 15, 2014 Jimmy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: poetry-writing

An excellent, must own resource book for all serious poets.

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May 31, 2017 John rated it it was amazing

wish I owned it--

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Mar 25, 2017 Delphine rated it it was amazing

Fantastic reference book, with glints of historical context threaded throughout. Easy to read. Easy to reference. Full of knowledge!

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May 03, 2014 Marcie added it

I picked up this book because I know little of poetry. I remember bits and pieces from my literature classes, but nothing that could really help me learn more about it. I believe this book is to go hand in hand with Hirsch's book How to Read a Poem. Alas I have not read that book either, though I ordered it from Amazon and never received it.

I did find this book extremely helpful. I think it would make a great reference book for students, poets, or laymen like me. It's probably not a complete gl ...more

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Aug 31, 2014 Jsavett1 rated it it was amazing

I love Hirsch's poetry and so I was thrilled to pick this up as soon as it came out. I learned an INCREDIBLE amount from this book and can't wait to put so much of it to use in my own writing. Hirsch is wonderful to include so many example poems for the entries. I can't imagine how much work he had to do in order to put this together. Particularly beautiful is Hirsch's entry on the "lyric" or "lyric poetry."

One caveat: I think this book is most useful for poets. I am also an English teacher and ...more

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Apr 07, 2014 Kandace rated it it was amazing

Author
Edward Hirsch

Publication Date
April 8, 2014

Synopsis
A comprehensive glossary of terms useful to the study and analysis of poetry.

High Points
You can tell Hirsch has a poet's soul. He even included a lovely poem of dedication to poetry.

Low Points
It is a glossary, so it's not the most captivating reading, but it is incredibly thorough.

Overall
5 stars

E-Galley was received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. For more reviews from the Readist, please visit www.thereadist.com.

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Jun 08, 2015 Grady McCallie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: poetry-favorites

Not a book that one reads straight through, this is an idiosyncratic and wonderful collection of entries introducing different poetic forms, traditions, and technical terms. It has given me some of the greatest reading pleasure I've experienced this year, and I'll be back to dip into it regularly. The entries serve as a marvelous jumping-off point for Internet searches for the names and traditions and specific poems Hirsch recommends.

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Sep 01, 2015 Frank Kearns rated it it was amazing

Well, it's huge. It's expensive. And it's a glossary.

So of course I haven't "read" it all. But often I have opened it up on a random page and found fascinating reading ... like the magic that I found as a child in the Encyclopedia Britannica.

If you are a poet or fan of poetry, there is much for you in this book. If you are not, save your money and shelf space.

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Aug 18, 2014 Leonard rated it it was amazing

I didn't read all or much of this book, but I probably should. I'm noting it on here because I definitely want to use it again, and maybe even make it a part of my library. It's new, published in 2014, and seems to be quite interesting, and certainly needs more of my attention.

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Feb 22, 2015 Renee rated it it was amazing

Shelves: textbook-or-reference

This is not a book I've read all the way through, but I'm finding it to be an immensely helpful resource. It has all kinds of entries on poetic forms, devices, movements, from all over the world.

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Aug 27, 2015 Carolyn rated it it was amazing

5 stars.

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May 27, 2014 Mills College Library added it

808.103 H6691 2014

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Aug 17, 2014 Marcie rated it it was amazing

This glossary of terminology is a lovely guide for poets and those who wish to learn more about poetry. It has become my go-to book for writing exercises.

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About Edward Hirsch

Edward Hirsch

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Edward Hirsch is a celebrated poet and peerless advocate for poetry. He was born in Chicago in 1950—his accent makes it impossible for him to hide his origins—and educated at Grinnell College and the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a Ph.D. in Folklore. His devotion to poetry is lifelong.He has received numerous awards and fellowships, including a MacArthur Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fe ...more

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