saturday_reads's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
4.0
gvenezia's review against another edition
5.0
How a Poet Reads a Poem
Despite a masterful collection of poetry interpretations, this book actually fails to achieve its titular goal: one who does not know how to read a poem or is not a fan would not find an easy transition into the world of poetry. The book’s most respondent audience will be those who—like myself—already know how to read poetry and get something out of it, but want to repeat the experience of reading poetry in upper-level English classes where a knowledgeable and passionate teacher is prepared to lead students through the major stylistic, formal, cultural, and authorial elements of the poem.
Granted, Hirsch does use the first chapter to lay some “necessary groundwork and distinguish some key terms, key features, of lyric poetry” (xii). But he soon after acknowledges that he will rely heavily on the act of poetry interpretation as his method of teaching: “I tend always to focus on unpacking individual poems, letting the issues of poetry emerge in the process” (xii-xiii).
Now, I do think this kind of experiential learning can be effective and engaging. However, Hirsch’s language, too, is less pedagogical and more poetic; Hirsch himself is a poet—which comes as no surprise given his evocative, florid, rich descriptions. For the uninitiated, this high-brow, complex language may simply be another barrier to entry.
Moreover, there’s no linear pedagogical progression in difficulty or techniques for reading. Rather, Hirsch uses each chapter to examine a major element of poetry, like its early roots in dance and lyricism, its religious function, its ability to confront the most traumatic experiences, or its various rhythmic forms.
Fortunately I've had some good poetry teachers and have discovered some favorite poets on my own over the years. So I was very much taken with Hirsch's style and readings. Through his eyes, I got a sense of the great variety of poetry out there, got revelatory insight into minor features of poems I’ve read before, and fell in love with several new poets via Hirsch’s exultant criticism and praise. I will be returning often to the many highlighted sections and intricate readings for inspiration and comfort.
———
Favorite Quotes
I've omitted quote marks except where Hirsch is quoting someone else
Poetry is a form of necessary speech (xii)
“a book is a cubic piece of burning, smoking conscience—and nothing else” —Boris Pasternak (14)
“Like all well-conceived classifications this one is useful and clear; like all classifications, it is false” —Fernando Pessoa (16)
poetry is "a dream dreamed in the presence of reason” —Tommaso Ceva (27)
“We make out of the quarrel with others, rhetoric, but of the quarrel with ourselves, poetry” —W. B. Yeats (42)
Praise lays claim to as much of the extant world as possible by uttering the names of things. . . It would awaken matter and show us the true face of awe. It would transcend history and rename the world. (79)
Poetry is a stubborn art. The poet is one who will not be reconciled, who is determined to leave a race in words, to transform oceanic depths of feeling into the faithful nuances of art. (81)
“In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts, they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty” —Emerson (84)
“For every seeing soul, there are two absorbing facts,” Emerson claims, “I and the Abyss.” The experience of looking over the edge of that abyss can be dizzying, especially when one locates the abyss as something that exists inside us. Poetry is the literature of dizzying heights and lowly depths, of inwardness plunged and brought back to earth. (86)
“The poem is the realized love of desire still desiring” —René Char (98)
“Tell all the Truth but tell it slant” —Emily Dickinson (127)
America began as a utopian idea. It represented a new world. Paz calls it “a victory for nominalism: the name engendered the reality” (224)
“Life is a spell so exquisite that everything conspires to break it,” Emily Dickinson said. One reason I like staying up to read long after everyone else has gone to sleep is that in the middle of the night not much conspires to break that spell. I like the dark hour when the secular world recedes and consciousness is loosened for poetic reverie. (250)
Despite a masterful collection of poetry interpretations, this book actually fails to achieve its titular goal: one who does not know how to read a poem or is not a fan would not find an easy transition into the world of poetry. The book’s most respondent audience will be those who—like myself—already know how to read poetry and get something out of it, but want to repeat the experience of reading poetry in upper-level English classes where a knowledgeable and passionate teacher is prepared to lead students through the major stylistic, formal, cultural, and authorial elements of the poem.
Granted, Hirsch does use the first chapter to lay some “necessary groundwork and distinguish some key terms, key features, of lyric poetry” (xii). But he soon after acknowledges that he will rely heavily on the act of poetry interpretation as his method of teaching: “I tend always to focus on unpacking individual poems, letting the issues of poetry emerge in the process” (xii-xiii).
Now, I do think this kind of experiential learning can be effective and engaging. However, Hirsch’s language, too, is less pedagogical and more poetic; Hirsch himself is a poet—which comes as no surprise given his evocative, florid, rich descriptions. For the uninitiated, this high-brow, complex language may simply be another barrier to entry.
Moreover, there’s no linear pedagogical progression in difficulty or techniques for reading. Rather, Hirsch uses each chapter to examine a major element of poetry, like its early roots in dance and lyricism, its religious function, its ability to confront the most traumatic experiences, or its various rhythmic forms.
Fortunately I've had some good poetry teachers and have discovered some favorite poets on my own over the years. So I was very much taken with Hirsch's style and readings. Through his eyes, I got a sense of the great variety of poetry out there, got revelatory insight into minor features of poems I’ve read before, and fell in love with several new poets via Hirsch’s exultant criticism and praise. I will be returning often to the many highlighted sections and intricate readings for inspiration and comfort.
———
Favorite Quotes
I've omitted quote marks except where Hirsch is quoting someone else
Poetry is a form of necessary speech (xii)
“a book is a cubic piece of burning, smoking conscience—and nothing else” —Boris Pasternak (14)
“Like all well-conceived classifications this one is useful and clear; like all classifications, it is false” —Fernando Pessoa (16)
poetry is "a dream dreamed in the presence of reason” —Tommaso Ceva (27)
“We make out of the quarrel with others, rhetoric, but of the quarrel with ourselves, poetry” —W. B. Yeats (42)
Praise lays claim to as much of the extant world as possible by uttering the names of things. . . It would awaken matter and show us the true face of awe. It would transcend history and rename the world. (79)
Poetry is a stubborn art. The poet is one who will not be reconciled, who is determined to leave a race in words, to transform oceanic depths of feeling into the faithful nuances of art. (81)
“In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts, they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty” —Emerson (84)
“For every seeing soul, there are two absorbing facts,” Emerson claims, “I and the Abyss.” The experience of looking over the edge of that abyss can be dizzying, especially when one locates the abyss as something that exists inside us. Poetry is the literature of dizzying heights and lowly depths, of inwardness plunged and brought back to earth. (86)
“The poem is the realized love of desire still desiring” —René Char (98)
“Tell all the Truth but tell it slant” —Emily Dickinson (127)
America began as a utopian idea. It represented a new world. Paz calls it “a victory for nominalism: the name engendered the reality” (224)
“Life is a spell so exquisite that everything conspires to break it,” Emily Dickinson said. One reason I like staying up to read long after everyone else has gone to sleep is that in the middle of the night not much conspires to break that spell. I like the dark hour when the secular world recedes and consciousness is loosened for poetic reverie. (250)
meganpbell's review against another edition
4.0
I love Edward Hirsch, his poems and how he writes about poetry. For some reason, I struggled with this one. I actually would recommend his collection of Washington Post Book World columns, Poet’s Choice, for falling in love with poetry. Still, this is a rich, beautiful journey through poetry.
kara999's review against another edition
4.0
I bought this book a couple of years ago because I am an AP Literature teacher and am always looking for insight and ideas into teaching and reading poetry. I did not teach AP this past year but will be doing so again this coming fall, so it was the perfect time to pick up Hirsch's book as I prepare to introduce a new batch of students to poem analysis. I have found that teaching poetry has enhanced by love and respect of the form. As a student, I was never much into poetry; I found it enigmatic, but difficult. I think many of my students feel similarly and in the past, some of have been outright hostile toward poetry. Hirsch presents his enthusiasm and passion for the form in a way that is infectious. I did not, like some other reviewers point out, feel like the prose was overly poetical or overly academic. I am accustomed to reading literary criticism and theory, so this writing style felt very readable to me. Hirsch introduced me to several poets I had not yet read. I also enjoyed general commentary on the experiences of writing and reading poetry and what makes it different from other forms. I know, for example, that I will excerpt some quotes from his first chapter, which basically defines poetry in a variety of ways, and some of his analyses of poems for my students.
katieo314's review against another edition
3.0
The prose was rather heavy-handed at times, but Hirsch includes some great poems that I probably wouldn't have otherwise run across. I tended to have a better time with the pages he spent talking about actual poems than the ones where he waxed...poetic...about the experience of poetry itself.
sirah's review against another edition
3.0
I confess, after struggling for over a year to get to 35% finished, I decided to DNF this one. I picked it up because I wanted to learn more about what makes a poem a poem, but I've since determined that the best way to fall in love with poetry is to read a poem itself. While I suppose much of this commentary is lovely and useful if one thinks about it, there's so much flowery enthusiasm that I find myself merely skimming to try to find study-able segments, but there are few. I wouldn't like a step-by-step guide to reading poetry by any means, but this book takes it too far.
senid's review against another edition
5.0
An introduction to the depth and breadth of poetry. I would suggest for anyone who reads poetry and wants to know more about poets and poetry. Includes pieces of poems by many different poets. There is an excellent listing of poets by country in the back.
I like seeing why other people read poems and how they interpret poems. I would take a star off for the paragraphs that felt like a contest for how many people he could quote. He earns the star back for conveying a genuine love and excitement for poetry.
I like seeing why other people read poems and how they interpret poems. I would take a star off for the paragraphs that felt like a contest for how many people he could quote. He earns the star back for conveying a genuine love and excitement for poetry.