The Weather of Words: Poetic Inventions

By Mark Strand

Book Overview

From the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, a brilliant and witty collection of writings on the art and nature of poetry -- a master class both entertaining and provocative.

The pieces have a broad range and many levels. In one, we sit with the teenage Mark Strand while he reads for the first time a poem that truly amazes him: "You, Andrew Marvell" by Archibald MacLeish, in which night sweeps in an unstoppable but exhilarating circle around the earth toward the speaker standing at noon. The essay goes on to explicate the poem, but it also evokes, through its form and content, the poem's meaning -- time's circular passage -- with the young Strand first happening upon the poem, the older Strand seeing into it differently, but still amazed.

Among the other subjects Strand explores: the relationship between photographs and poems, the eternal nature of the lyric, the contemporary use of old forms, four American views of Parnassus, and an alphabet of poetic influences.

We visit as well Strandian parallel universes, whose absurdity illuminates the lack of a vital discussion of poetry in our culture at large: Borges drops in on a man taking a bath, perches on the edge of the tub, and discusses translation; a president explains in his farewell address why he reads Chekhov to his cabinet.

Throughout The Weather of Words, Mark Strand explores the crucial job of poets and their readers, who together joyfully attempt the impossible -- to understand through language that which lies beyond words.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375709703
• ISBN13: 9780375709708
• Release Date: November 2001
• Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.63 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.0" x 7.5"

Customer Reviews

Doubly Illuminating

Though Strand has been widely regarded as a notable poet for over thirty years, this book--which comes hot on the heels of his Pulitzer Prize in poetry--is his first collection of essays. Actually, there are other kinds of prose here as well, including two prose poems on the topics of translation and narrative poetry (reprinted from his 1990 book THE CONTINUOUS LIFE) and a story revolving around the conflicts between public life and poetic sensibility. All three are humorous, as are several of the essays: Strand has always oscillated between pure gravitas and a kind of serious humor. Like the best such collections, THE WEATHER OF WORDS not only illuminates Strand's own poetic practice, but also offers insights into poetry that readers unfamiliar with his work will find valuable. An example is his discussion of the villanelle form--how it turns out to be the "safest" kind of poem in which to talk about loss. Particular standouts here are "A Poet's Alphabet," which opens the book, and Strand's introduction to THE BEST AMERICAN POETRY 1991.

absolutely spectacular

this book is a great picture of poetry by one of america's best living poets. funny, touching, and above all, poetic, strand's new book is definitely worthwhile to anyone interested in poetry.