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Primer for Poets

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( 190 ratings, 36 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
A Primer for Poets and Readers of Poetry by Gregory Orr offers a thoughtful guide for young poets seeking to understand the role of poetry in life. Through exploration of poems like Theodore Roethke's "My Papa's Waltz" and Robert Hayden's "Those Winter Sundays," the book invites writers to embrace their creative thresholdsβ€”where disorder meets orderβ€”and transform language into compelling verse. It features focused writing exercises and covers key concepts such as the personal and cultural threshold, poetic language forces, revision techniques, and how to draw inspiration from personal poetic predecessors.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$5000

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This primer is ideal for young poets, poetry students, and educators looking for accessible yet profound insights into poetry writing and appreciation.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

An innovative and accessible guide to poetry writing by an award-winning poet and beloved professor.

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

Primer for Poets and Readers of Poetry guides the young poet toward a deeper understanding of how poetry can function in their life, while also introducing the art in an exciting new way.

Using poems such as Theodore Roethke's "My Papa's Waltz" and Robert Hayden's "Those Winter Sundays," the Primer encourages young writers to approach their "thresholds"β€”those places where disorder meets order, where shaping imagination can turn language into urgent and persuasive poems.

It provides the poet with more than a dozen focused writing exercises and explains essential topics such as the personal and cultural threshold; the four forces that animate poetic language (naming, singing, saying, imagining); tactics of revision; ecstasy and engagement as motives for poetry; and how to locate and learn from our personal poetic forebears.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Elizabeth Lund of the Washington Post praises Orr for presenting luminous ideas that benefit both beginners and teachers. She describes the book as a sage and gentle guide, rich with wisdom about the creative process and the enriching power of poetry. Lund calls the book revolutionary for helping readers transform fleeting inspiration into a lifelong passion.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780393253924

Publisher: WW Norton & Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 13 February 2018

Country: United States

Imprint: WW Norton & Co

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 142.0mm

Height: 211.0mm

Weight: 275g

Pages: 336

About the Author

Gregory Orr is the author of fourteen collections of poetry and several books of prose, including The Blessings: A Memoir, A Primer for Poets and Readers of Poetry, and Poetry as Survival. He is professor emeritus at the University of Virginia, where he founded its MFA Program in Writing. He lives with his wife, the painter Trisha Orr, in Charlottesville, Virginia.

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