How to Be Well-versed in Poetry

by E.O. Parrott (Editor)

Book by

Genres: Poetry, Reference, Humor

Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Mark Ward · Rating 1 out of 5]

One star. Nice that it introduced me to a few new forms but EVERY exemplar poem is badly written jokey poetry tailor made for regional newspapers. What a missed opportunity to make an anthology of these forms with decent poems, but then, i think the editors and the poets like these poems so. Yeah. *runs away screaming*

[Gareth Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very witty collection full of examples to help demystify the abundant styles of available verse. Perhaps rather dated but nevertheless valuable, after all, much poetry is more dated still, but none the worse for that!
If you want to measure dactyls and identify a rondeau then this will help. If you want a humorous display from a collection of poets writing to inform as well as entertain, then you may find this very useful.
I tired to read it years ago and couldn’t get i to it. This time I romped through it apace. Lesson? You have to be in the mood.

[Swell Versed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this book at a local used bookstore and was struck the humor and the craft involved in it. It is definitely similar to John Hollander's "Rhyme's Reason" in the sense that it explores poetic aspects and forms through the examples of written verses (rather than prose explanations). However, this book is a lot more light-hearted, funny and tongue-in-cheek. My favorite section is its coverage of many different types of rhyme, including quite a few rare types that I have not seen mentioned in any other texts.

[Darren Stein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. Very useful for a poet, teacher or student.

[James Henderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Wake from out my midnight ramble.
Life is just a massive gambol."
- Bill Greenwell (after Dylan Thomas)


This wonderful book is both an anthology of poetry and an introduction to poetic forms. Apparently it is one of a series of similar literary compilations, all edited by Mr. Parrot. He spent many years as a teacher of English and General Studies, and reminds me of the character Hector in Alan Bennett's play, The History Boys, because of his eclectic taste as demonstrated in this book (and presumably his other collections).

Useful as a reference through the inclusion of all known poetic forms and not a few unknown (to me), it is a review for those, like myself, that are rusty on the details of the form of poetry if not the substance. While rhyming and meter and stanzas are encountered there are sections of poetic fancies, light verse, terse verse and more. The forms are demonstrated in all manner of ways, one being the parody like that in the epigraph above that mocks the famous "Fern Hill" of Dylan Thomas.
The chapters begin with a selection of poems whose subject is poetry itself, with verses like:

"Poetry the pleasure
Madness and treasure."
and:
"So remember: the poetic Muse
It is a sure-fire cure for the blues;
A verse a day
Keeps the hearse away."

This should provide brief evidence that poetry can be fun for all who love words or at least wonder about them. The delight is in learning about the form and being of poetry while experiencing rhymes from a gathering of contemporary poets who provide exceptionally entertaining evidence of the magic of verse. Often with tongue-in-cheek he gathers poems and poetic bits of verse with both demonstration and entertainment in mind. The result is a book of poetry presented in its most entertaining form. For that and for the inspirational value to encourage me to expand my poetry horizons I am grateful.

If you like the classics or Proust you may find the following "Distichs" delightful:

"A tea-soaked madeleine consumed by Proust,
Mon Dieu! What recollections that unloosed."

"She launched a thousand ships, no less, from little craft to whalers;
You'd say that Helen must have got on very well with sailors."
- Stanley Sharpless

[Judith Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love to re-read this every so often to cheer myself up. It's handy for actually teaching you about poetry whilst being entertaining and sometimes laugh out loud funny.

I particularly love the unheroic couplets - "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? You fit the bill - cold, dimmish, wet and grey" and the section where poets' subjects get to answer back (Slough to John Betjeman, the mouse to Burns, Cynara to Ernest Dowson).

[CLM · Rating 4 out of 5]

His book on opera is equally enjoyable - I recommend that one for Susann.