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matthewwester's review
5.0
My only complaint of this book is the title -- which made me think the book might be one of those how-to guides that sticks to basic advice about poetry (like "show don't tell") and then encourages the reader to pursue community rather than publishing credits.
Instead, this book is a talented poet sharing great commentary on selected poems. The author calls her selections "talismans" but the point is that they are poems which can be appreciated on many levels (and with many visits).
I would recommend this book to someone interested in poetry.
Instead, this book is a talented poet sharing great commentary on selected poems. The author calls her selections "talismans" but the point is that they are poems which can be appreciated on many levels (and with many visits).
I would recommend this book to someone interested in poetry.
serenaac's review
5.0
"I found grown -up poetry to be as spongy as a forest floor--your foot sinks into the pine needles, the air smells mushroomy and dank, and filtered light swirls around you till you're deep in another state." (Page 8)
Molly Peacock's How to Read a Poem . . . and Start a Poetry Circle provides a great deal of information in just 200 pages. From how to interpret poems to how to create a poetry circle and join the ranks of those dipping their feet into the poetic pool.
"Yet as strangely contemporary as this art has become, it involves a timeless childhood pleasure: rereading." (Page 13)
Peacock clearly knows her stuff from writing verse to examining its structure and images. She postulates that any poem can be examined in three simple steps. Examine the poem line-by-line, which she notes is considered the skeleton of the poem. Examine the sentence, which readers could consider the muscles of the poem. Finally, readers should examine the image or nervous system of the poem. However, Peacock does not suggest that readers pick apart each element of a poem and discuss it ad nauseam.
"This shimmering verge between what is private and what is shared is the basis of a poetry circle. A poetry circle (which is very different from a writing workshop, where people bring in their own poems to be critiqued by one another or by a teacher) occurs when the mutual reading of poetry is at hand. For me, the circle has its beginnings in the side-by-side reading of a poem by two people." (Page 16)
A number of chapters examine a number of poems, their images, their rhythms, and their internal music. Beyond the application of these techniques on actual poems, Peacock illustrates the beauty of poetry circles, how to start poetry circles, and provides readers with resources to begin their own poetry circles and how to select poetry for discussion in these circles.
"You never know what's going to catch your finger--or your eye. You needn't ever be comprehensive about a book of poetry." (Page 191)
These groups are not like book clubs where copious notes should be taken and entire books should be read. The purpose of a poetry circle is to generate a mutual respect and joy for each line of verse.
Molly Peacock's How to Read a Poem . . . and Start a Poetry Circle provides a great deal of information in just 200 pages. From how to interpret poems to how to create a poetry circle and join the ranks of those dipping their feet into the poetic pool.
"Yet as strangely contemporary as this art has become, it involves a timeless childhood pleasure: rereading." (Page 13)
Peacock clearly knows her stuff from writing verse to examining its structure and images. She postulates that any poem can be examined in three simple steps. Examine the poem line-by-line, which she notes is considered the skeleton of the poem. Examine the sentence, which readers could consider the muscles of the poem. Finally, readers should examine the image or nervous system of the poem. However, Peacock does not suggest that readers pick apart each element of a poem and discuss it ad nauseam.
"This shimmering verge between what is private and what is shared is the basis of a poetry circle. A poetry circle (which is very different from a writing workshop, where people bring in their own poems to be critiqued by one another or by a teacher) occurs when the mutual reading of poetry is at hand. For me, the circle has its beginnings in the side-by-side reading of a poem by two people." (Page 16)
A number of chapters examine a number of poems, their images, their rhythms, and their internal music. Beyond the application of these techniques on actual poems, Peacock illustrates the beauty of poetry circles, how to start poetry circles, and provides readers with resources to begin their own poetry circles and how to select poetry for discussion in these circles.
"You never know what's going to catch your finger--or your eye. You needn't ever be comprehensive about a book of poetry." (Page 191)
These groups are not like book clubs where copious notes should be taken and entire books should be read. The purpose of a poetry circle is to generate a mutual respect and joy for each line of verse.
crissytrap's review
5.0
I liked the way Molly broke this book into chapters that followed some aspect of the poem. She offered her favorite poems and great anecdotes. My favorite was her one-time encounter with Jane Kenyon.
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