A Poet's Work

by Sam Hamill

With this book, the author has written as much a history of a poet's mind as a book of criticism. As the essays eddy and swirl among their objects of scrutiny, we feel as much the moods of the poet,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0887482252
• ISBN13: 9780887482250
• Release Date: April 1998
• Publisher: Carnegie-Mellon University Press
• Length: 229 Pages
• Weight: 0.92 lbs.

Customer Reviews

the river of heroes

I came across this book randomly and was whacked open like a melon. Sam Hamill is humbling. Few living writers can match his erudition, passion, and sensitivity. He is swimming the river of heroes. And long may he swim.

Excellent - but may not be what you expect

This is an excellent book which explores the social, academic, cultural, and moral meanings of being a poet in modern US society. It is an important book for anyone who wants to think about what it means to be a poet today, and why we write poetry. But the reader should understand that this is not a "how-to" book. Hamill does not cover any of the elements of writing skills or how to get published. This is a book about poetry, not about how to write poetry.

A must-read for working poets

Sam Hamill opens the door to the life behind the poetry with his essays and reviews. He never shrinks from stating plainly his feelings about the profession of poetry, as opposed to those who use poetry as a form of self-help. While some carp about Hamill's indulgence with the insider's game of poetry, these are useful and honest essays from a poetry insider who still lives in the real world; a non-academic who is a true scholar, and ultimately, a lover of the poetic tongue.