How to Think Like a Poet

An entertaining guide to history's most influential and inspiring poets – from Homer and Sappho to Shakespeare and Frank O'Hara – and how they can teach us to better understand the world around us.

How to Think Like a Poet explores how the greatest poets in history made the world anew and what we can learn from the magic, wisdom, and humour of their poetry. From the genius of the Ancient Greeks through to the love poetry and metaphysics of the Renaissance, and on to the New York poets of the 20th century, this book serves as the ultimate guide to the greatest writers of the human age.

Through short, biographical portraits, poet and writer Dai George provides an entertaining introduction to the great works of poetry and a welcoming guide to how we can read them. He addresses questions poets have grappled with: How can we truly describe the world? How can we express love, grief, or friendship? How can poetry help us to understand justice, dreams, or anger?

This book paints vivid pictures of a global selection of renowned poets throughout history: from Sappho, Li Bai, and Rumi, to William Shakespeare and John Donne, to Frank O'Hara, Pablo Neruda, and Sylvia Plath. George also seeks to re-examine the canon, traditionally dominated by Western, white, and male poets, and bring to light major figures from other important cultures and communities, including China, India, and the Caribbean.