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Rating: 
Summary: Poet's! Gather here!
Review: Almost all contemporary "workshop" style poetry commits the simplest and most fatal of mistakes, such as using vague imagery, dwelling in abstractions, or lapsing into sentimentality. These flaws and more are addressed in this lucidly written book, which contains sections on the concrete image, sentiment, and intelligence and their places in poetry. Its only drawback is that its anthology section is too brief. Prospective poets would do well to begin here, and to supplement their reading with Fussell's "Poetic Meter and Poetic Form," Harvey Gross's "Sound and Form in Modern Poetry," and Perkins's "History of Modern Poetry," among others.
Rating: 
Summary: too few aspiring poets read this book
Review: Almost all contemporary "workshop" style poetry commits the simplest and most fatal of mistakes, such as using vague imagery, dwelling in abstractions, or lapsing into sentimentality. These flaws and more are addressed in this lucidly written book, which contains sections on the concrete image, sentiment, and intelligence and their places in poetry. Its only drawback is that its anthology section is too brief. Prospective poets would do well to begin here, and to supplement their reading with Fussell's "Poetic Meter and Poetic Form," Harvey Gross's "Sound and Form in Modern Poetry," and Perkins's "History of Modern Poetry," among others.
Rating:
Summary: Poet's! Gather here!
Review: Can a book about writing poetry be instructive AND poetic?? A few months ago I wouldn't have known quite how to answer since my experience with poetry manuals had been more in the vein of "this is good for my craft therefore I...must...continue...reading." It seems poetry and books about writing poetry often chafe on each other. Western Wind has proven the antidote to that outlook. It's the most accessible and deeply dug volume on poem-making I've found. I enjoyed it like a good novel and my work is clearly better for it. P.S. The book "In The Palm of Your Hand" fits up against this one nicely.
Rating:
Summary: Great Introduction to Poetry
Review: I can't go on enough about how great a poetry manual this is. It's not stuffy, and it is fun to read. Especially chapters 7 and 8, which are on sound in the English language. And they should be read out loud. Also pay special attention to chapter 13 which discusses making sense in poetry. The examples and exercises are helpful. This is the best poetry introduction I've seen. The anthology carries Mason's flair, but you could supplement this manual with R.S. Gwynn's Longman anthology.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring and Informative
Review: I keep this book on my shelf as a reference to poetry techniques. It is the best book I have found on the art of writing poetry. The examples are great.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring and Informative
Review: I keep this book on my shelf as a reference to poetry techniques. It is the best book I have found on the art of writing poetry. The examples are great.
Rating:
Summary: A Nice Introduction
Review: This book is intended as an introduction, and it serves its purpose well -- but eventually you'll outgrow it and be looking for a more nuanced treatment. The chapters cover basic forms and hit upon ideas -- use of concrete words, images, sound, meter -- that all aspiring poets would do well to consider. However, this book on the whole presents an ideology of poetry that is no longer in vogue and will seem overly sentimental or naive to anyone who wants to read an introductory treatment of poetry and its relation to the poet that is in line with contemporary academic orthodoxies. Some of the faults of this book include an overly vague treatment of the place of the intellect in poetry, idealization of childhood and the primitive, and little or no treatment of the way in which poems interact with the cultures in which they are produced. The anthology is short, but includes most well-known (and much talked about) pieces; if you read this book cover to cover, you will be able to hold your own in most conversations about poetry and understand larger debates about technique, idea, and history. A good place to start.
Rating:
Summary: A Nice Introduction
Review: This book is intended as an introduction, and it serves its purpose well -- but eventually you'll outgrow it and be looking for a more nuanced treatment. The chapters cover basic forms and hit upon ideas -- use of concrete words, images, sound, meter -- that all aspiring poets would do well to consider. However, this book on the whole presents an ideology of poetry that is no longer in vogue and will seem overly sentimental or naive to anyone who wants to read an introductory treatment of poetry and its relation to the poet that is in line with contemporary academic orthodoxies. Some of the faults of this book include an overly vague treatment of the place of the intellect in poetry, idealization of childhood and the primitive, and little or no treatment of the way in which poems interact with the cultures in which they are produced. The anthology is short, but includes most well-known (and much talked about) pieces; if you read this book cover to cover, you will be able to hold your own in most conversations about poetry and understand larger debates about technique, idea, and history. A good place to start.
Rating:
Summary: Good Anthology and Strong Reference
Review: This book teaches poetic technique clearly while remaining friendly and encouraging. My second-semester poetry creative writing students use this book as a text together with Michael J. Bugeja's ART AND CRAFT OF POETRY.
Rating:
Summary: Good Anthology and Strong Reference
Review: This book teaches poetic technique clearly while remaining friendly and encouraging. My second-semester poetry creative writing students use this book as a text together with Michael J. Bugeja's ART AND CRAFT OF POETRY.
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