“Mary Oliver would probably never admit to anything so grandiose as an effort to connect the conscious mind and the heart (that’s what she says poetry can do), but that is exactly what she accomplishes in this stunning little handbook.”—Los Angeles Times
From the beloved and acclaimed poet, an ultimate guide to writing and understanding poetry.
With passion and wit, Mary Oliver skillfully imparts expertise on the poet’s craft from her long, celebrated career. She walks readers through exactly how a poem is built, from meter and rhyme, to form and diction, to sound and sense, drawing on poems by Robert Frost, Elizabeth Bishop, and others. This essential poetry handbook is an invaluable glimpse into Oliver’s prolific mind—a must-have for all poetry-lovers and students of creative writing.
Written for aspiring poets and devoted readers alike, this concise guide illuminates the thoughtful machinery of the poem:
- A Guide for Writers: An invaluable glimpse into a master poet’s mind, offering practical advice on everything from finding your voice to the art of revision.
- Understanding Meter: Go beyond basic scansion as Oliver demystifies the music of the line, from iambic pentameter to the powerful variations that create rhythm and flow.
- The Power of Imagery: Learn how to move beyond simple description and use figurative language to create authentic, memorable poems with real texture.
- Exploring Free Verse: Master the subtleties of the modern poem, with clear guidance on how to build structure and design even without the constraints of traditional form.
Mary Oliver (1935–2019), one of the most popular and widely honored poets in the U.S., was the author of more than thirty books of poetry and prose. Over the course of her long and illustrious career, she received numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for American Primitive in 1984. Oliver also received the Shelley Memorial Award; a Guggenheim Fellowship; an American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters Achievement Award; the Christopher Award and the L.L. Winship/PEN New England Award for House of Light; the National Book Award for New and Selected Poems; a Lannan Foundation Literary Award; and the New England Booksellers Association Award for Literary Excellence. She lived most of her life in Provincetown, Massachusetts.
