Making your own days : the pleasures of reading and writing poetry

From one of the most esteemed American poets of the twenty-first century comes a celebration of poetry and an invitation for anyone to experience its beauty and wonder. Full of fresh and exciting insights, Making Your Own Days illuminates the somewhat mysterious subject of poetry for those who read it and for those who write it—as well as for those who would like to read and write it better. By treating poetry not as a special use of language but as a distinct language—unlike the one used in prose and conversation—Koch clarifies the nature of poetic inspiration, how poems are written and revised, and what happens to the heart and mind while reading a poem. Koch also provides a rich anthology of more than ninety works from poets past and present. Lyric poems, excerpts from long poems and poetic plays, poems in English, and poems in translation from Homer and Sappho to Lorca, Snyder, and Ashbery; each selection is accompanied by an explanatory note designed to complement and clarify the text and to put pleasure back into the experience of poetry.

in making Your Own Days, Celebrated Poet Kenneth Koch Writes About Poetry As No One Has Written About It Before — And As If No One had Written About It Before. Full Of Fresh And Exciting Insights And Experiences, This Book Makes The Somewhat Mysterious Subject Of Poetry Clear For Those Who Read It And For Those Who Write It — And For Those Who Would Like To Read And Write It Better. Treating Poetry Not As A Special Use Of Language But, In Fact, As A Separate Language — Unlike The One Used In Prose And Conversation — Koch Is Able To Clarify The Nature Of Poetic Inspiration, How Poems Are Written And Revised, And What Happens In A Reader's Mind And Feelings While Reading A Poem.

koch Also Provides A Rich Anthology Of More Than Ninety Works: Lyric Poems, Excerpts From Long Poems And Poetic Plays, Poems In English, And Poems In Translation — By Poets Past And Present From Homer And Sappho To Lorca, Snyder, And Ashbery. Each Selection Is Accompanied By An Illuminating Explanatory Note Designed To Complement And Clarify The Text.

in This Book, Kenneth Koch's Genius For Making Poetry Clear And For Bringing Out Its Real Pleasures Is Everywhere Apparent.

library Journal

koch, A Preeminent American Poet And Author Of Two Best-selling Books On Teaching Poetry To Children, Has At Last Produced A Guide For Adults. This Book Is Divided Into Two Parts: A Series Of Essays On Subjects Such As Meter, Rhyme, And Personification And An Anthology Of Favorite Poems. Most Remarkably, Non-english Poems Often Appear With Several Translations, Underscoring The Flexibility Of Poetic Language. Making Your Own Days Will Be Most Useful To Writers Already Familiar With The Basics. However, While Some Of The Playfulness That Marked Wishes, Lies And Dreams (harpercollins, 1980) And Rose, Where Did You Get That Red? (vintage, 1990) Creeps In, The Overall Tone Is That Of A Lecturer, And Koch Covers The Same Ground As Kim Addonizio And Dorianne Laux's The Poet's Companion: A Guide To The Pleasures Of Writing Poetry (lj 10/15/97), Though In A Less Engaging Manner.--david Kirby, Florida State Univ., Tallahassee

From one of the most esteemed American poets of the twenty-first century comes a celebration of poetry and an invitation for anyone to experience its beauty and wonder.Full of fresh and exciting insights,__Making Your Own Days__illuminates the somewhat mysterious subject of poetry for those who read it and for those who write it—as well as for those who would like to read and write it better. By treating poetry not as a special use of language but as a distinct language—unlike the one used in prose and conversation—Koch clarifies the nature of poetic inspiration, how poems are written and revised, and what happens to the heart and mind while reading a poem.Koch also provides a rich anthology of more than ninety works from poets past and present. Lyric poems, excerpts from long poems and poetic plays, poems in English, and poems in translation from Homer and Sappho to Lorca, Snyder, and Ashbery; each selection is accompanied by an explanatory note designed to complement and clarify the text and to put pleasure back into the experience of poetry. This book makes the somewhat mysterious subject of poetry clear for those who read it and for those who write it and for those who would like to read it and write it better. Koch accomplishes this revelation of poetry by presenting the idea that poetry is a separate language, a language in which music and sound are as important as syntax or meaning. Thus he is able to clarify the many aspects of poetry: the nature of poetic inspiration, what happens when a poet is writing a poem, revision, and what actually goes on while one is reading a poem - how confusion or only partial understanding eventually leads to truly experiencing a poem. Among the poets whose work is included are Homer, Ovid, Sappho, Shakespeare, Byron, Dickinson, Baudelaire, Li Bei, Stevens, Williams, Lorea, Ashbery, and Snyder. "A Touchstone book." Includes index Poet Kenneth Koch shares his reflections on the art of reading and writing poetry, discussing rhyme, meter, language, and other topics. Includes a collection of works by such poets as Homer, Sappho, Byron, Ezra Pound, and Elizabeth Bishop