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Bluffer's Guide to ...
Bluffer's Guide to Poetry: Instant Wit and Wisdom
Instantly acquire all the knowledge you need to pass as an expert in the world of poetry and verse (bluffers might be surprised to discover that there is a difference) from Bluffer's Guide to Poetry . Never again confuse an anapest with a distich, a panegyric with a polemical, or a haiku with someone clearing their throat. Bask in the admiration of your fellow soi-disant literati as you pronounce confidently on the comparative merits of a rhapsody and an elegy, or a dactyl with a spondee, and effortlessly learn how to hold your own when extolling the sublime gifts of possibly the greatest poet who has ever lived – William Topaz McGonagall.
DO "Yes, I suppose it's about time I rediscovered (insert name here), although I’m afraid that I’ve always found him/her a little too deceptive. On the other hand he/she also has a tendency towards the tiresomely reductive. In the past my response to his/her work can only be described as lacklustre . . . but everybody deserves a second chance."
DON’T "There was a young lady from Bude/ Who went for a swim in the nude/ . . . ."
DO "Yes, I suppose it's about time I rediscovered (insert name here), although I’m afraid that I’ve always found him/her a little too deceptive. On the other hand he/she also has a tendency towards the tiresomely reductive. In the past my response to his/her work can only be described as lacklustre . . . but everybody deserves a second chance."
DON’T "There was a young lady from Bude/ Who went for a swim in the nude/ . . . ."
128 pages, Paperback
Published December 20, 2018
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April 22, 2019
This bluffer's guide to poetry, is very handy for poetry enthusiasts as well as complete beginners. It's structured very well in easy to read sections, has enough humour to keep you interested and enough facts for anybody to learn something new.
I had a half an hour conversation about Sir Walter Raleigh (which before this book I knew nothing about) the other day in the pub with a former lecturer of English. I could easily talk how frustrating his false imprisonment was and how emotional the letter to his wife was before his impending execution.
Most of the time the poets are more interesting than their poetry. All I need is a bluffer's guide to memory and I can remember the whole book. Just be aware, to be an expert or moreover to appear that way, you will have to read this a few times through and revise before any poetry event you might happen to stumble across.
I had a half an hour conversation about Sir Walter Raleigh (which before this book I knew nothing about) the other day in the pub with a former lecturer of English. I could easily talk how frustrating his false imprisonment was and how emotional the letter to his wife was before his impending execution.
Most of the time the poets are more interesting than their poetry. All I need is a bluffer's guide to memory and I can remember the whole book. Just be aware, to be an expert or moreover to appear that way, you will have to read this a few times through and revise before any poetry event you might happen to stumble across.
Displaying 1 of 1 review