Back in another lifetime, I taught creative writing. I graduated from San Francisco State University with an M.A. in Creative Writing and started working there as a lecturer of an introductory writing class that covered drama, prose, and poetry. This book was recommended to me, as Frances Mayes at the time was teaching at San Francisco State.
I found the book aptly named. It's a very well organized book with clear, well written explanations. In addition, I found the choice of poems to be inspired. She really picked poems that illustrated the points she wanted to make and she chose from a wide range of poets. I felt that, by reading this book, you not only learned about the components that made up a poem, but you also had the opportunity to read all of these great poems of all different sorts of sensibilities. Although I originally read this book primarily to see if I could use it a textbook for a class, which I did, I soon realized that it was a book that could be picked up for pure pleasure.
Sometimes, I think, reading and writing poems can be intimidating. Frances Mayes makes this world not only accessible but inviting. This book provides a portal to a world of many possibilities.
The Discovery of Poetry by Frances Mayes
