The Poetry Toolkit: The Essential Guide to Studying Poetry

Williams, RhianRhian Williams is Lecturer in Nineteenth-century Literature at the University of Glasgow, UK.

With examples from an extensive range of poets from Chaucer to today, The Poetry Toolkit offers simple and clear explanations of key terms, genres and concepts that enable readers to develop a richer, more sophisticated approach to reading, thinking and writing about poems. Combining an easy-to-use reference format defining and illustrating key concepts, forms and topics, with in-depth practice readings and further exercises, the book helps students master the study of poetry for themselves.

Now in its second edition, The Poetry Toolkit includes a wider range of examples from contemporary poetry and more American poetry. In addition, an extended close reading section now offers practice comparative readings of the kind students are most likely to be asked to undertake, as well as readings informed by contemporary environmental and urban approaches.

The book is also supported by extensive online resources, including podcasts, weblinks, guides to further reading and advanced study guides to reading poetry theoretically.

Now in its 2nd edition, this guide helps students build the knowledge and tools needed to tackle poetry with confidence. Now in its 2nd edition, this guide helps students build the knowledge and tools needed to tackle poetry with confidence.

Copyright Acknowledgements List of Terms Acknoweldgements Preface to the 2nd Edition Part I: Introducing Poetry Introduction: How to Use this Book 1. Types and Traditions Epic Lyric Ballad Love Poetry Elegy Pastoral Light Verse Part II: Technical Vocabulary 2. Forms Variable Forms Fixed Forms Visual Forms Hybrid Forms 'Formless' Forms 3. Prosody Stress Metre Feet Metrical Lines 4. Rhyme Perfect Rhymes Imperfect Rhymes Sight and Sound Effects Rhyme Schemes 5. Stanza One-line Stanzas and Refrains Two-line Stanzas (Couplets) Three-line Stanzas (Tercets) Four-line Stanzas (Quatrains) Longer-length Stanzas 6. Wordplay Tropes Schemes Part III: Practical 7. Close Readings Sample close reading of Felicia Hemans Sample close reading of Peter McDonald Sample close reading of Hart Crane and Frank O'Hara Sample close reading of William Carlos Williams Sample close reading of William Cowper and Philip Gross Sample close reading of Sharon Olds Suggested Exercises Sources and Suggestions for Further Reading Index