A Poetry Handbook
Product ID: 1609784
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desertcart.com: A Poetry Handbook: 9780156724005: Oliver, Mary: Books Review: Beautiful like everything she wrote - She’s a favorite, her writing is so beautiful and I love how much she notices simple joys & small things. Review: Poetry Handbooks written by poets - Mary Oliver is a well-known, distinguished poet. Her book "A Poetry Handbook" was recommended to me by a professor from my current MFA Poetry program and it has been both a surprise, and a confirmation that poets themselves (not academics and critics) have the deepest insight into how to write a good poem. Oliver suggests that poetry is like a current ready to flow through you. It is not merely "an acquisition," a skill, or something outside yourself - but more a combination of punctuality in "showing up" to do the work, and an opening of the heart (or,as Oliver calls it: "that shy factory of the emotion.") Each chapter addresses component parts of poetry writing: line, sound, diction, imagery, voice and more. Oliver's choice of poets: Whitman, Bishop, James Wright, Frost, Pound, are all strong choices, their poems providing supportive examples of her discussion of craft. Most importantly, however, she provides the best piece of advise in her opening chapters: read, read, read poems. To be a good poet, you must read a range of poetry, spanning history and geography and style. And after that, Oliver provides the surprise (a heady permission I learned in my very early years of writing which has held fast through many moments of flagging confidence and motivation) "Imitate." We read, we imitate, and from this process we find our own voice and style. As Oliver tells us: "It demands finally, a thrust of our own imagination - a force, a new idea - to make sure that we don't merely copy, but inherit, and proceed from what we have learned." Though beautifully simple and straightforward, I would not categorize this book as being for any particular level of writer: beginner, or accomplished. The beginner will learn well and happily, and the more accomplished writer will find again and again, much needed resonance for the continuing passion of writing poetry.
| ASIN | 0156724006 |
| Best Sellers Rank | #7,336 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #3 in Poetry Literary Criticism (Books) #5 in Literary Criticism & Theory #6 in Words, Language & Grammar Reference |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (2,043) |
| Dimensions | 5.31 x 0.38 x 8 inches |
| Edition | First Edition |
| ISBN-10 | 9780156724005 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0156724005 |
| Item Weight | 10.4 ounces |
| Language | English |
| Print length | 130 pages |
| Publication date | August 15, 1994 |
| Publisher | Ecco |
| Reading age | 14 years and up |
B**H
Beautiful like everything she wrote
She’s a favorite, her writing is so beautiful and I love how much she notices simple joys & small things.
J**T
Poetry Handbooks written by poets
Mary Oliver is a well-known, distinguished poet. Her book "A Poetry Handbook" was recommended to me by a professor from my current MFA Poetry program and it has been both a surprise, and a confirmation that poets themselves (not academics and critics) have the deepest insight into how to write a good poem. Oliver suggests that poetry is like a current ready to flow through you. It is not merely "an acquisition," a skill, or something outside yourself - but more a combination of punctuality in "showing up" to do the work, and an opening of the heart (or,as Oliver calls it: "that shy factory of the emotion.") Each chapter addresses component parts of poetry writing: line, sound, diction, imagery, voice and more. Oliver's choice of poets: Whitman, Bishop, James Wright, Frost, Pound, are all strong choices, their poems providing supportive examples of her discussion of craft. Most importantly, however, she provides the best piece of advise in her opening chapters: read, read, read poems. To be a good poet, you must read a range of poetry, spanning history and geography and style. And after that, Oliver provides the surprise (a heady permission I learned in my very early years of writing which has held fast through many moments of flagging confidence and motivation) "Imitate." We read, we imitate, and from this process we find our own voice and style. As Oliver tells us: "It demands finally, a thrust of our own imagination - a force, a new idea - to make sure that we don't merely copy, but inherit, and proceed from what we have learned." Though beautifully simple and straightforward, I would not categorize this book as being for any particular level of writer: beginner, or accomplished. The beginner will learn well and happily, and the more accomplished writer will find again and again, much needed resonance for the continuing passion of writing poetry.
I**L
This breakdown how to write poems
I t made me understand better
H**T
This book is a book every poetry lovers to buy
Just looking good it guides you to have a better understanding about the poetry just looking good it guides you to have a better understanding about the Poetry people right
E**E
Great Read
This book has been great for my poetry class! It's well made and a great addition to my shelf.
C**N
Poetry understood
Mary Oliver explains the essence of poetry well. Reading her book was like taking a workshop or class. She explained images and the mystic we experience through poetry. Thank you Mary Oliver, for writing this lovely book!
J**H
Great writer!
Great addition to my library!
W**.
A classic worth reading (and rereading!)
A useful tool in the toolbox of any poet, or aspiring poet, or poetry reader...
N**S
Una autora magnífica que nos dejó unos poemas (y prosa) que son pura belleza Y en este libro sus consideraciones, su íntima guía poética se revelan imprescindibles
C**N
After reading this, I'll surely go on with "Rules for the dance", the following book about poetry. Mary is the best.
F**E
Grande autora!
D**A
A Very helpful book for a beginner writer! ❤️📖
E**O
Llegó en la fecha indicada y en buen estado. El libro me está resultando muy útil, es sencillo y claro en sus ejemplos. Va dirigido a quien quiere aprender a leer poesía, o a escribir. Es un buen inicio.
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