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A Poetry Handbook
A Poetry Handbook | Mary Oliver
Offers advice on reading and writing poetry, and discusses imitation, sound, the line, poem forms, free verse, diction, imagery, revision, and workshops
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ravenlee
A Poetry Handbook | Mary Oliver
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Pickpick

This short-but-sweet guide to poetry is written for the aspiring poet but enlightens readers, too. It refreshed my memories of AP Literature: scansion, metric patterns, imagery. It makes me want to read more poetry. #52Books #under200pages

ravenlee Also this was a #Roll100 pick, so I‘ve already read two for this month! @PuddleJumper 1y
Librarybelle Nice! 1y
AshleyHoss820 I have this! I once accidentally bought books for the right class, wrong section and this was one of them! 🫣😂 I may have to pick this back up! I‘m taking a 3-week course (my university calls it the J-term) on poetry. We‘re using How to Write a Poem by Tania Runyan and the tagged book. Poetry isn‘t my strong suit, so I‘m trying to get better at it. ☺️ This would probably be helpful! (edited) 1y
PuddleJumper You're doing great! 1y
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Rachel.Rencher
A Poetry Handbook | Mary Oliver
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I know I'm a nerd because not only is this book enjoyable for me to read through, but I'm creating assignments in my head to complete so I can hone my poetry analysis skills. 🤓

Smrloomis YES!!! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 2y
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Caryl
A Poetry Handbook | Mary Oliver
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Pickpick

I‘m in the mood for some Mary Oliver poems after reading her Handbook. It is addressed to writers of poetry, but she says readers might get a lot out of it as well. I completely agree! Would be a great foundational text for a class on reading or writing poetry.

(This stack is all the books I am currently reading; the Oliver is my first book finished in August.)

DivineDiana Her poetry is so uplifting to me. ❤️ 3y
Caryl @DivineDiana Yes, isn‘t it beautiful? I ended up purchasing a couple of Mary Oliver collections at one of my favorite local bookstores a couple of weeks ago. 😍 3y
32 likes2 comments
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GingerAntics
A Poetry Handbook | Mary Oliver
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Pickpick

This book was a joy to read. It was lovely from a creative, writer‘s standpoint, but also from a reader, poetry lover‘s standpoint. I honestly recommend this book to anyone looking to improve their knowledge of poetry. My only complaint is that she used asterisks and symbols instead of just using superscript numbers for her footnotes.
#MaryOlivet #APoetryHandbook @CBee

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GingerAntics
A Poetry Handbook | Mary Oliver
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Chrissyreadit I have to sit with this one a little longer. I have so much angst over woulda coulda shoulda as the past still impacts my present. 3y
GingerAntics @Chrissyreadit same here. I hadn‘t read it from that perspective. Hm. Now I have to return to it. 3y
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GingerAntics
A Poetry Handbook | Mary Oliver
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BRING BACK THE WHITMAN!!! I‘m not so sure about this poem. It ended, but never really got going. If this is free verse, they can all have it back.
Plus that name! Will Williams. Will Will. Will Squared. Wills. Uncreative parents. Destructive parents? Sheesh.
#MaryOliver #APoetryHandbook #WilliamCarlosWilliams #TheRedWheelbarrow #poetry #Joetry2021 #WhatWereTheyThinking @CBee @Chrissyreadit

Bookwomble I like this poem. It opens a lot doors in such a few lines 🙂 3y
CBee I always did wonder about his name. And I actually went to school with a Will Williams 😂 3y
GingerAntics @CBee 🤦🏼‍♀️😂🤣😂 3y
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GingerAntics
A Poetry Handbook | Mary Oliver
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TheBookHippie I love him. 💚 3y
CBee I adore Whitman!! 3y
GingerAntics @TheBookHippie @CBee see, this made sense to me. Maybe I need to focus on shatter chunks as I go through some of his epically long poems. I also have an audiobook of Leaves of Grass, so I‘m hoping hearing it will help. 3y
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CBee @GingerAntics someone reading Leaves of Grass? Sigh.... that sounds lovely. Smaller chunks sounds like a plan - he‘s kind of a poet you want to savor. 3y
GingerAntics @CBee Leaves of Grass was the first collection I ever read without stopping after a line or two. I was so determined just to read the whole thing, I focused on that, and it didn‘t help matters. I would get so lost in his longer poems. I didn‘t have a clue what he was talking about or what was happening most of the time. 3y
GingerAntics @CBee the audiobook I have is narrated by a full cast, so it should be a wonderful experience. 3y
CBee @GingerAntics can‘t wait to hear your thoughts! 3y
GingerAntics @CBee I first read it last year in January. I was planning to reread it a year later, but then there were other collections I had and wanted to read, so that got pushed back. Now, I‘m thinking reading these books on writing and reading poetry should definitely come first. I have such a better handle on poetry in general after reading this book. I can‘t wait to read the next one. 3y
CBee @GingerAntics excellent 👏🏻👏🏻 Are there more books Mary Oliver has written on writing and reading poetry then? 3y
CBee @GingerAntics nice! Have you read any of her poetry yet? I love what I‘ve read, which isn‘t much... but so good. 3y
GingerAntics @CBee I‘ve read one collection (Blue Horses), I have another (Upstream), and Devotions is in my cart for when I get paid (or when I get my stimulus check, either way). 3y
GingerAntics @CBee her poetry is wonderful. I love it. 3y
CBee @GingerAntics you‘ve read more than I have! I‘d like to get Devotions at some point ♥️ 3y
GingerAntics @CBee I‘ll keep you posted on how it goes. 3y
16 likes15 comments
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GingerAntics
A Poetry Handbook | Mary Oliver
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@TheBookHippie this book has a section on Leaves of Grass in the chapter about free verse. Maybe this will make my next read of Whitman go more smoothly.
#MaryOliver #APoetryHandbook #WaltWhitman #LeavesOfGrass

TheBookHippie 💚💚💚💚💚💚💚 3y
TheBookHippie I love free verse. 3y
GingerAntics @TheBookHippie I‘m not so sure about free verse. It‘s probably how I was taught about poetry in grade school. I‘m remembering the very small portion poetry played in my education. We never read any, but were expected to write it. 3y
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GingerAntics
A Poetry Handbook | Mary Oliver
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Chrissyreadit Nice! 3y
CBee I like this one! 3y
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GingerAntics
A Poetry Handbook | Mary Oliver
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Okay, this is getting ugly now.
This is after the after.
#MaryOliver #APoetryHandbook #poetry #RobertFrost #StoppingByWoodsOnASnowyEvening

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GingerAntics
A Poetry Handbook | Mary Oliver
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And this is the “after” image. I don‘t think I‘ve ever done this to a poem before. I practically dissected the thing.
#MaryOliver #APoetryHandbook #RobertFrost #StoppingByWoodsOnASnowyEvening #NaturePoetry #poetry #Joetry2021 @CBee @Chrissyreadit

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GingerAntics
A Poetry Handbook | Mary Oliver
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This was a nice example of how sounds (types of letters and letter combinations) effect the feeling/environment evoked by a poem.
Think of this as the “before” image.
#MaryOliver #APoetryHandbook #RobertFrost #StoppingByWoodsOnASnowyEvening #NaturePoetry #Joetry2021 @CBee @Chrissyreadit

CBee Adore this poem ♥️ 3y
GingerAntics @CBee it is quite a lovely poem. I loved Oliver‘s explanation of why it feels almost whispered, and then the third stanza feels a bit different. 3y
CBee @GingerAntics it does seem that way! I never thought of it like that. 3y
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GingerAntics @CBee neither had I. This book is awesome! 3y
CBee @GingerAntics so glad you found one that‘s inspiring you! 3y
GingerAntics @CBee she‘s suggesting that learning to talk and walk, play a sport, read a book, even draw or paint, we imitate first (usually our parents and caregivers) so why is that so frowned upon in poetry? That makes sense to me. Reading poetry is much different than writing it, so take a poem you like, imitate it a couple times, you‘re now far better able to making something of your own. It‘s not “here is a graphic about simile, now write a poem.” 3y
CBee @GingerAntics her process sounds easier, more relaxed even. 3y
GingerAntics @CBee it really seems that way! I should have just started with hers. Own well. Live and learn. 3y
CBee @GingerAntics it‘s the journey, not the destination ♥️ 3y
GingerAntics @CBee exactly 3y
17 likes10 comments
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GingerAntics
A Poetry Handbook | Mary Oliver
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I can‘t possibly be the only millennial that grew up with mother goose and other nursery rhymes. I mean, seriously.
#MaryOliver #APoetryHandbook #NurseryRhymes

CBee I‘m not a millennial, but I definitely grew up with nursery rhymes and Mother Goose 😁♥️ 3y
GingerAntics @CBee I‘m an unwilling millennial. I‘m more like the generation before me. 3y
CBee @GingerAntics ha! My generation then..... but I always get confused. I think I‘m Gen X..... born in ‘77? 3y
GingerAntics @CBee 1965-1980 so you are correct. Sadly, I was 6 years late. 3y
16 likes4 comments
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GingerAntics
A Poetry Handbook | Mary Oliver
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I think I‘ve found the problem I‘m having with the workbook. I like this so much more so far.
#MaryOliver #APoetryHandbook #TeachingPoetry

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GingerAntics
A Poetry Handbook | Mary Oliver
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I‘m so excited to have this now. It‘s actually shorter than I expected, so I‘m feeling really good about this now.
#MaryOliver #APoetryHandbook

Chrissyreadit 🎉🙌 3y
13 likes1 comment
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TK-421
A Poetry Handbook | Mary Oliver
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“Poetry is a life-cherishing force. For poems are not words, after all, but fires for the cold, ropes let down to the lost, something as necessary as bread in the pockets of the hungry.” #pocket #QuotsyApr20

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jen_the_scribe
A Poetry Handbook | Mary Oliver

Eloquently written, this is more than a reference book for writing poetry. It inspires and motivates, and never makes you feel unworthy. Mary Oliver not only understood the technicalities of poetry writing, but she understood the emotion that comes with it.

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kerry
A Poetry Handbook | Mary Oliver
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Mary Oliver, tellin' it like it is. On repeat.

DivineDiana Woke up with a Mary Oliver poem from 7y
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blurb
Vbrrgirl
A Poetry Handbook | Mary Oliver

New to Litsy. I am loving all the great posts and I got my first email yesterday which had great recommendations. Taking Poetry and CNF classes right now so reading craft books. Love Mary Oliver's poetry handbook. Will follow up with her newest on metrical verse and then her book of essays on a writing life. So excited to be a part of this community!

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JTRobertson
A Poetry Handbook | Mary Oliver
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As a #prose #writer, I've never really gotten the hang of #writing #poetry. I'm getting there, I think. Hopefully this book will shed more light on the topic.

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