Suggested Reading for Poets
Three Helpful Books for Emerging Poetry Writers
Emerging poets and even mid-career writers will want to add one or all of the following books to their professional library. Each book is penned by a contemporary poet and offers valuable information on the art of creating verse.
The Triggering Town: Lectures and Essays on Poetry and Writing by Richard Hugo
(W.W. Norton & Company, 1992 ISBN: 03903309339)
This selection is a very useful introduction to the art and craft of poetry-writing. Hugo has a sense of humor in his chapters, listing his own “rules” and process for writing, clearly indicating that it is not the specific rules or processes that matter, but that a developing writer discover what works for him or her.
One of the beauties of Hugo’s essays and lectures is that they take the lofty seriousness out of poetry writing, which can be very helpful early in the writing journey; the beginning poet feels a sense of freedom to experiment and allow him or herself to “fail.”
The Practice of Poetry: Writing Exercises from Poets Who Teach by Robin Behn(Collins, 1992 ISBN: 006273024X)
One of the greatest lessons to learn when embarking upon the journey of becoming a poet is that the Muse does not always drift from heaven, smiling with the glory of boundless creativity. Sometimes she must be strong-armed and forced to move.
In this book, poet Robin Behn has collected numerous writing exercises and activities used by educators who are all poets themselves, and who have learned that valuable lesson. There is a section of exercises on every aspect of poetry writing, whether it be image and metaphor, sound and rhythm, or, one of the most difficult for new poets, revision.
While some exercises may not light the poetry fire on any given day, the structure of this book makes it very easy to skip around until one finds the prompt that will get the wheels turning.
Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg(Extended Edition: Shambhala, 2005 ISBN: 1590302613)
Goldberg’s book on writing is a wonderful hybrid of the two previously mentioned works. The chapters are easily digested little snippets, many not more than a few pages. She begins a section with a theoretical discussions of why and how to write, or an anecdote of her own active writing life, and from there invites the reader to begin forming his or her own opinions on the topic.
She often closes the mini-essay with an informal invitation to try a new method or subject, and her relaxed treatment of writing practice and her insightful words on the process are constantly inspiring.
Clearly, these are just a few of the many books that discuss the writing process. A trip to the library or bookstore would yield many more possibilities—either way, it is important to remember that the right resources exist for every beginning poet.
The Writer Must Read Books!
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