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Fear Less

Poetry in Perilous Times
By Tracy K. Smith
Series: A Norton Short
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Brief Description
Drawing on deep passion and personal experience, former US Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith demystifies the art form that has too often been mischaracterised as "inaccessible," "irrelevant," or "intimidating." She argues that poetry is rooted in fundamentally human qualities innate to our capacities to love, dream,... Read More
Format: Hardback
$4599
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The Pulitzer Prize–winning poet reveals how poetry is a powerful tool of connection and understanding in a fractured world

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Drawing on deep passion and personal experience, former US Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith demystifies the art form that has too often been mischaracterised as "inaccessible," "irrelevant," or "intimidating." She argues that poetry is rooted in fundamentally human qualities innate to our capacities to love, dream, question, and cultivate community.

Lifting the veil on her own creative process, Smith shows us how reading and writing poetry allows us to better confront life's many uncertainties and losses, build camaraderie with strangers, and understand ourselves more fully.

In six insightful chapters, she grounds readers in the technical elements of the craft and provides close readings of the works of contemporary poets such as Joy Harjo, Danez Smith, and Francisco Márquez, alongside classic poems by Dickinson, Keats, Millay, and others.

By reimagining and reexamining the age-old art form, Fear Less is a warm invitation to find meaning, consolation, and hope through poetry for poetry fans and newcomers to the art form.

Series: A Norton Short

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781324050988

Publisher: WW Norton & Co

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 06 January 2026

Country: United States

Imprint: WW Norton & Co

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 192

Collections

Arts & Culture Non-Fiction Series: A Norton Short Tracy K. Smith

About the Author

Tracy K. Smith is the Boylston Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory at Harvard University. She served as the 22nd Poet Laureate of the United States and is the author of five poetry collections, including the Pulitzer Prize–winning Life on Mars.

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