The Art of Poetry : How to Read a Poem

In The Art of Poetry , Shira Wolosky provides a dazzling introduction to an art whose emphasis on verbal music, wordplay, and dodging the merely literal makes it at once the most beguiling and most challenging of literary forms. A uniquely comprehensive, step-by-step introduction to poetic form, The Art of Poetry moves progressively from smaller units such as the word, line, and image, to larger features such as verse forms and voice. In fourteen engaging, beautifully written chapters, Wolosky explores in depth how poetry does what it does while offering brilliant readings of some of the finest lyric poetry in the English and American traditions. Both readers new to poetry and poetry veterans will be moved and enlightened as Wolosky interprets work by William Shakespeare, John Donne, William Blake, William Wordsworth, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Sylvia Plath, and others. The book includes a superb two-chapter discussion of the sonnet's form and history, and represents the first poetry guide to introduce gender as a basic element of analysis. In contrast to many existing guides, which focus on selected formal aspects like metrics or present definitions and examples in a handbook format, The Art of Poetry covers the full landscape of poetry's subtle art while showing readers how to comprehend a poetic text in all its dimensions. Other special features include Wolosky's consideration of historical background for the developments she discusses, and the way her book is designed to acquaint or reacquaint readers with the core of the lyric tradition in English. Lively, accessible, and original, The Art of Poetry will be a rich source of inspiration for students, general readers, and those who teach poetry. A Step-by-step Introduction To Poetic Form, The Art Of Poetry Moves Progressively From Smaller Units Such As The Word, Line, And Image, To Larger Features Such As Verse Forms And Voice. In Fourteen Chapters, Wolosky Explores In Depth How Poetry Does What It Does While Offering Brilliant Readings Of Some Of The Finest Lyric Poetry In The English And American Traditions. Both Readers New To Poetry And Poetry Veterans Will Be Moved And Enlightened As Wolosky Interprets Work By William Shakespeare, John Donne, William Blake, William Wordsworth, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Sylvia Plath, And Others. The Book Includes A Superb Two-chapter Discussion Of The Sonnet's Form And History, And Represents The First Poetry Guide To Introduce Gender As A Basic Element Of Analysis.--jacket. Preface -- Word Choice -- Syntax And The Poetic Line -- Images : Simile And Metaphor -- Metaphor And The Sonnet -- The Sonnet -- Poetic Conventions -- More Verse Forms -- Personification -- Poetic Voice -- Gender And Poetic Voice -- Poetic Rhythm : Metric -- Poetic Rhythm : Sound And Rhyme -- Rhetoric : More Tropes -- Incomplete Figures And The Art Of Reading -- Appendix -- Glossary -- Bibliographical Backgrounds -- Index Of Poems -- Index Of Poets. Shira Wolosky. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [201]-216) And Indexes. Anyone who has been asked to read and understand a poem has probably wondered: What does this really mean? Have I understood this the way I was supposed to? Did I get it? As the least literal of all of forms of creative writing, poetry is for many readers also the most cryptic. Confronted by the mysteries of poetic interpretation, some people are intrigued, some become addicted, others are left frustrated. Shira Wolosky's accessibly written book, The Art of Poetry, provides a road map of the poetic form that will help its readers understand and enjoy poetry.

The Art of Poetry offers a step-by-step introduction to skills for reading poetry, working progressively from smaller units such as the individual word, the line, and the image to larger ones, such as verse forms, voice and gender, and metrical patterns. These basic skills of poetic analysis are presented in conjunction with a selection of poems that acquaints the reader with the great lyric poets in the English and American tradition. As a whole, The Art of Poetry presents a vision of poetry as dynamic, historical, and culturally engaged.

About the Author:
Shira Wolosky is Professor of English and American Literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

## Abstract Anyone who has been asked to read and understand a poem has probably wondered: What does this really mean? Have I understood this the way I was supposed to? Did I get it? As the least literal of all of forms of creative writing, poetry is for many readers also the most cryptic. Confronted by the mysteries of poetic interpretation, some people are intrigued, some become addicted, others are left frustrated. Shira Wolosky’s accessibly written book, The Art of Poetry, provides a road map of the poetic form that will help its readers understand and enjoy poetry. The Art of Poetry offers a step-by-step introduction to skills for reading poetry, working progressively from smaller units such as the individual word, the line, and the image to larger ones, such as verse forms, voice and gender, and metrical patterns. These basic skills of poetic analysis are presented in conjunction with a selection of poems that acquaints the reader with the great lyric poets in the English and American tradition. As a whole, The Art of Poetry presents a vision of poetry as dynamic, historical, and culturally engaged. Contents......Page 14 1. Individual Words......Page 18 2. Syntax and the Poetic Line......Page 32 3. Images: Simile and Metaphor......Page 44 4. Metaphor and the Sonnet......Page 56 5. Verse Forms: The Sonnet......Page 68 6. Poetic Conventions......Page 84 7. More Verse Forms......Page 96 8. Personification......Page 108 9. Poetic Voice......Page 120 10. Gender and Poetic Voice......Page 134 11. Poetic Rhythm: Meter......Page 150 12. Poetic Rhythm: Sound and Rhyme......Page 166 13. Rhetoric: More Tropes......Page 182 14. Incomplete Figures and the Art of Reading......Page 196 Appendix......Page 210 A......Page 214 F......Page 215 M......Page 216 R......Page 217 T......Page 218 Z......Page 219 Bibliographical Backgrounds......Page 220 I......Page 236 T......Page 237 W......Page 238 P......Page 240 Y......Page 241 E......Page 242 M......Page 243 S......Page 244 Z......Page 245 A uniquely comprehensive, step-by-step introduction to poetic form, The Art of Poetry moves progressively from smaller units such as the word, line, and image, to larger features such as verse forms and voice. In fourteen engaging, eloquently written chapters, Wolosky explores in depth how poetry works while offering brilliant readings of some of the finest lyric poetry in the English and American traditions. Both readers new to poetry and poetry veterans will be moved and enlightened as Wolosky interprets works by William Shakespeare, John Donne, William Blake, William Wordsworth, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Sylvia Plath, and others. Featuring a comprehensive bibliography, a glossary of poetic terms, and a new appendix of suggestions for further reading, The Art of Poetry is a rich source of inspiration Preface. 1. Word Choice. 2. Syntax and the Poetic Line. 3. Images: Simile and Metaphor. 4. Metaphor and the Sonnet. 5. The Sonnet. 6. Poetic Conventions. 7. More Verse Forms. 8. Personification. 9. Poetic Voice. 10. Gender and Poetic Voice. 11. Poetic Rhythm: Metric. 12. Poetic Rhythm: Sound and Rhyme. 13. Rhetoric: More Tropes. 14. Incomplete Figures and the Art of Reading. Appendix. Glossary. Bibliographical Backgrounds. Index of Poems. Index of Poets. Index of Terms and Topics As the least literal form of creative writing, for many readers poetry is also the most cryptic. Shira Wolosky introduces the skills needed for reading poetry, working from the individual word, line and image to verse forms, voice, gender and metre