Poetry: A Writers Guide and Anthology (Bloomsbury Writers’ Guides and Anthologies) by Joe Wilkins

Poetry: A Writers Guide and Anthology (Bloomsbury Writers’ Guides and Anthologies) Reviews

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  Amorak Huey

  I’m teaching with this book, which means I have to come up with new things to say in class.
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  Ashlyn

  I use this book to teach HS senior creative writing. The short one-ish page chapters on the “elements” of poetry take the mysticism out of poetry and instead turn it into a craft to be honed.
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  Keith Taylor

  I admit that I have retired now and I don't spend a lot of time anymore thinking about creative writing pedagogy, but before I did I read this fairly recent textbook and blurbed it. Struck me then as one of the very good ones, and still does. Here's the blurb I wrote:
  
  
  For a while now, many of us have seen the need to redefine – and hopefully to reinvigorate – the teaching of poetry writing. Amorak Huey and W. Todd Kaneko, by stressing “practice rather than interpretation,” have made a poetry writing textbook that dances in the mind, even as it takes all of us back to the pleasure and hard work of our art. They are generous with the “elements” of poetry that animate their own teaching. Their illustrative anthology at the end may be the best collection of “contemporary classic” poems currently available. This is a book we – all of us, from beginners to wizened masters – could use in the classroom or simply sit down and read.
  
  
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  Audrey

  Great introduction to poetry for someone who wants to learn the basic techniques. What's special about this book is the combination of techniques and anthologies to demonstrate different types of poems. There's also a list of poetry prompts, which I especially appreciated. This textbook is a perfect pairing with a poetry class ;) or an excellent tool for studying poetry on your own.
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  Ananya Grace Haldar

  Practical advice and clear explanations regarding all elements of poetry including imagery, lyrics, metaphors, movement, punctuation, rhythm and much much more. As a beginner poet with no formal comprehensive writing skills, this book is a tremendous writing tool I return to time and time again. It's not a dry textbook, it's a fun, easy to understand, useful guide that helps through every stage of the art of poetry writing. This textbook is a complete joy to study.
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  Amorak Huey

  Heck, yeah, I'm giving my own book 5 stars!
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  shellyflowers

  This is by far the best craft book for poetry I’ve ever read. I’m 9 years out of my MFA, so this was wonderfully refreshing. I highly recommend this to anyone who is seeking to improve their poetry practice but isn’t sure how to start. One day, when I become a poetry professor, I will use this books.
• 
  Kate

  An incredible resource. As someone who hasn't had a formal writing class in years this book had helped me immensely.
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  Amanda

  Literary Life Reading Challenge 2021 - A Poetry Anthology
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  Jessica

  This is an enjoyable book to read and teach as a poet! I especially love their more holistic exploration of certain elements of poetry, which resists voiding poetry of its magic with over-explanatory and/or didactic definitions. A nice mixture of practical advice / information and inspirational perspective for better approaching, understanding, and writing poetry.