What Is Poetry?: The Essential Guide to Reading and Writing Poems

Celebrated poet and critic Michael Rosen takes readers on a whirlwind tour exploring what poems are, what they can do, and the joys of reading and writing them.

For thousands of years, people have been writing poetry. But what is poetry? Award-winning wordsmith Michael Rosen has spent decades thinking about that question, and in this helpful guide he shares his insights with humor, knowledge, and appreciation — appreciation for poetry and appreciation for twenty-first-century children embarking on their own poetic journeys. Young readers are invited to join him on a welcoming exploration of the British poetic canon, replete with personal insights into what the renowned poet thinks about as he writes and advice on writing their own poetry. When he’s finished, readers will be able to say with confidence: this is poetry. Included in this accessible handbook are writing tips, analyses of classic poems, and an appendix of poets and useful websites.

Michael Rosen is one of the most popular contemporary poets and authors of books for children. He received the Eleanor Farjeon Award for services to children's literature in 1997 and served as Children's Laureate in the U.K. between 2007 and 2009. His books include the worldwide bestseller We're Going on a Bear Hunt and the award-winning Michael Rosen's Sad Book as well as What’s So Special About Shakespeare? and What’s So Special About Dickens? He lives in London.