Talking Back to Poems: A Working Guide for the Aspiring Poet

by Daniel Alderson

By focusing on the simple tools and methods used by poets across time, TALKING BACK TO POEMS teaches a poetic craft accessible to all would-be poets. Author Daniel Alderson uses this same method in... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0890877955
• ISBN13: 9780890877951
• Release Date: April 1996
• Publisher: Celestial Arts
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Inspired poem guide

The book was very clear-cut and straight-forward. It helped to focus your attention on the rhythm and music involved in the making of a poem.

Poetry How-to

It's an unfortunate fact of our educational system that students are often required to write original poetry without ever being taught what poetry is all about. This book is an excellent introduction to the art of reading and writing poems. The author begins by introducing four basic components of poetry: sound, imagery, structure, and meaning. He then devotes a chapter to each of these four elements, using well-chosen examples from poets both famous and not-so-famous. Readers are encouraged to "talk back" to the poems by writing original poetry that reflects one or more of the techniques--rhyme scheme, structure, imagery, etc.--demonstrated by the examples in the chapter. A sizable glossary is provided for readers who wish further to enhance their understanding of the poetic devices described in the text. The author states that this book is meant to function as a classroom: It is a classroom well worth visiting.