The Poet's Handbook

by Judson Jerome

Book Overview

Jerome expertly guides readers through the poetry writing process teaching how to merge mechanics with art to produce poetry that will endure. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0898792193
• ISBN13: 9780898792195
• Release Date: January 1986
• Publisher: Writer's Digest Books
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Simply the best.

For many, poetry is a purely subjective art form, impossible to judge and critique. Unfortunately, most people write terrible poetry. For the rest of us, there's Judson Jerome's impeccable handbook. Taking the view that poetry is a mechanical skill much like pottery, Jerome gently but facilely teaches how to construct a poem that *works* -- that is credible, accessible, and accomplishes what its author had in mind. This is very much a nuts-and-bolts book. It does not take the view that poetry is mystical or spiritual, thankfully (I'm sure there are dozens of books that'll offer that). Instead, it teaches the language and technique skills one needs to make poetry that isn't embarassing or fruity.<

There Is No Other Like it

I wanted to be a poet during one particularly misguided point in my youth. Blame it on excellent but misguided teachers in college. So I pursued it at some point by trying to read everything of value on the topic. I read a number of books. One I always recommend is Stanley Burnshaw's the Seamless Web. But I read many. The last I bought was Jerome's Handbook. It was blatantly obvious that there was nothing more to be said in the attempt to learn the fashioning of a poem. Beyond this what more is necessary? Perhaps only the reading of other poets to serve up enough diverse material from which to fashion a personal aesthetic.It's a truly great book

Best Instructional Poetry Book Ever

Simply put, this book may be the best instructional book ever written about poetry. Unlike other books, it isn't dry and tedious, and it doesn't focus on unimportant things. Rather, it's written in a lively, lucid style that is fascinating to read (I've read each chapter about 5 times). It explains everything, including meter, rhyme, alliteration, symbolism, the fixed forms (such as the sonnet), free-verse techniques, publishing realities, and more. GET THIS BOOK WHILE THERE ARE STILL COPIES AVAILABLE! Judson's book "The Poet and the Poem" is similar but is much more personal and uses his own poems as examples.

Excellent source for writers

This is an excellent book on the "nuts & bolts" of form poetry with a sensible explanation of "free" form. Jerome is of the school that you must first understand poetic form before you can toss it aside for the less demanding free verse. I strongely agree. A lot of published poetry today is senseless whining, hardly related to the hard work of proven forms.