The Poet's Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing Poetry

From the nuts and bolts of craft to the sources of inspiration, this book is for anyone who wants to write poetry--and do it well. In this fortuitous collaboration, two spirited poets, themselves teachers of poetry, offer guidance to aspiring beginners and those who have already published. Brief essays on the elements of poetry, technique, and suggested subjects for writing are each followed by distinctive writing exercises. ("Compare an actual family photograph with one that was never taken, but might have been.") The ups and downs of the writing life--including the inevitable visitations of self-doubt and writer's block--are here, along with tips about getting published. A special section contains twenty-minute writing exercises, and valuable appendixes cover further reading and marketing advice. On your own, this book can be your "teacher," while groups, in or out of the classroom, can profit from sharing weekly assignments. Numerous examples of contemporary poetry, chosen for relevance and freshness, illustrate salient points and stimulate the imagination. By calling on their own experience and focusing on living American writers for their models, the authors introduce you to poetry as it is right now.

"We wanted to create a book," say poets Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux in their introduction to The Poet's Companion, "that would focus on both craft and process." The book they have created is an impassioned exploration of poetry writing that addresses subject matter, craft, and the writing life. The reigning wisdom is that poets, like other creative writers, should write what they know. "The trick," say the authors, "is to find out what we know, challenge what we know, own what we know, and then give it away in language." Elsewhere they add that, while "as poets, we need to write from our experience ... that experience may be mental, emotional, and imaginative as well as physical."

Addonizio and Laux are lively spokespersons for the poet's life; they pepper their thoughts with well-chosen poems from their contemporaries--including David Bottoms, Jack Gilbert, Linda Gregg, and Jane Kenyon--and they conclude each short chapter with an invigorating collection of ideas for writing. These "ideas" culminate in a terrific section of writing exercises at book's end: write a poem describing "your most acutely embarrassing moment"; "write a poem of praise for an unlikely group of people, things, ideas"; "write a poem about the last time you saw a loved one you lost." I found myself a bit frustrated by the brevity of the discussions (most chapters are under 10 pages) and a bit put off by the first person plural narrative (do Addonizio and Laux really agree on everything they say they agree on?), but these are mere quibbles. This is a fine book indeed. --Jane Steinberg

This is a lovely book and one of the first I have read on writing poetry. I found this book enjoyable to read and easy to understand. There were plenty of useful tips for my writing. This book makes you want to write poetry for the pleasure of it. In this book are plenty of examples of poems and why they work. I believe this book to be good for beginner poets or those experienced who want fresh ideas to ensure their poetry sparkles. The poet's companion may be just what some need to renew their love of writing poetry.

This is the best written evocation of the act of creating / casting your spell with words. It instructs and imparts structural direction while constantly casting an extraordinarily wide net for the reader to work within. Whether you just love reading poetry, or do write poetry, or aspire to writing poetry, reading this book is exhilarating.

this is a brilliant book for anyone struggling for ideas for poems or anyone wanting to try out poetry. it goes through technical aspects as well as poetry topics and each chapter ends with a list of ideas for poems using various techniques. I really enjoy dipping into it every now and then, I find it undemanding yet detailed enough to get me thinking and writing - highly recommended.

I usually am skeptical about books that teach you how to write, as i have read some that were far from helpful. The Poet's Companion has some good chapters and many very awesome and moving poems to elucidate the principles discussed.

I love this book for my undergraduate poetry workshops. It's smart but clear and not at all pedantic. A Poet's Companion is written by good poets, who include good poetry. This isn't so easy to find . . .