How to Write Poetry

by Paul B. Janeczko

Book Overview

Provides practical advice with checklists on the art of writing poetry. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0590100777
• ISBN13: 9780590100779
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.4" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 9 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 9

Customer Reviews

I Love this book !!!!!!!

i found this book at my library and i loved it so much that i had to buy it!!! i would reccomend this book to anyone who is trying to learn how to write poetry! there is nothing else that i can say about this book , other than IT ROCKS!!!

Even I Can Dare to Write Poetry!!

This book helped me a lot with feeling more confident about writing my own poetry and teaching poetry to my ESOL students. If only more books could be so friendly and clear. A terrific achievement.

I Love This Book!!

I found this book a wonderful guide to writing poetry. I wrote most of my poems while reading this book. My friends love it as much as I do - they are all waiting in line to borrow it!!! If you need ideas or advice with your poems you should definately get this book!! Good luck with your writing.

A Gem: Small and Valuable

Any thoughts I might ever have entertained about writing a book on poetry writing were quickly dispelled when I discovered Paul Janeczko's guide. HOW TO WRITE POETRY is the book I hope I would have written on this subject.First of all, the small format and conversational style invite the reader in. Janeczko begins by suggesting ways for writers to catalog their words and ideas. In addition to notebooks, he recommends the use of a tape recorder when writing notes is not practical. Janeczko also emphasizes the importance of reading. Throughout the book he provides bibliographic lists that provide more information on concepts in each chapter. Yet another list of good poetry anthologies is included at the end of the book.After a sketch of the writing process, Janeczko describes several specific kinds of poems: acrostic poems, synonym poems, opposite poems, clerihews, list poems, poems of address, persona poems, and narrative poems. Elements especially important in poetry (sound, images, word choice, figurative language, and line breaks) are discussed in a recurring "Poetcraft" feature. Poems by students and by famous poets amply illustrate both the poetic elements and the particular formats. Biographical notes on all poets are included near the end of the book.Other special recurring features of HOW TO WRITE POETRY include "Writing Tip from a Poet," "Try This" (specific suggestions for writing), and various checklists. In addition to the biographical and bibliographical information mentioned earlier, the book includes an index and a comprehensive, cross-referenced glossary, which even includes examples of various formats.Although Janeczko maintains that poems must be written for oneself, he also suggests many ways to "publish" finished poems -- from handmade books to cards and posters, to submitting to magazines and contests. He recommends MARKET GUIDE FOR YOUNG WRITERS by Kathy Henderson (Writer's Digest Books, 1996) as an invaluable resource for those interested in submitting for publication.Even beyond the pertinent subjects Janeczko includes, however, is the manner in which he conveys his information. Having taught English and compiled more than a dozen poetry anthologies, Janeczko is a master who projects wholehearted confidence that young poets can and will succeed.

Look no further!

For those of us who teach poetry at the elementary level,Janeczko is indispensible -- and this recent release from Scholasticis further proof. Janeczko takes us through the entire writing process, from getting ready to "when your poem is finished", covering rhymed and unrhymed verse and encompassing the myriad of creative forms we've come to expect from this author/poet/teacher. He intersperses his chapters with offset boxes containing writing tips from well-known poets and includes a "Poetcraft" section where he explains in more detail the skills one needs to write. This book includes wonderful examples and an excellent checklist of good poetry books. In addition, it's aesthetically pleasing: the lovely cover, user-friendly format and easy-to-read font make it a real gem! Grab this one!