The Poetry Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained

by D.K. Publishing

The perfect introduction to poetry, The Poetry Book offers a fascinating exploration of more than 90 of the world's greatest poetic works.

Discover poems in all their many guises, from the epics of the ancient world through Renaissance sonnets to modernist masterpieces such as The Waste Land, and the key works of the last 50 years, including And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou and Derek Walcott's Omeros.

Using the Big Ideas series' trademark combination of clear explanation, witty infographics, and inspirational quotes, The Poetry Book unlocks the key ideas, themes, imagery, and structural techniques behind even the most complex of poems, in clear and simple terms, setting each work in its historical, social, cultural, and literary context.

Dive into the passionate world of poetry to

Brings together a curated selection of the most celebrated and important poems ever written, majoring on English-language poetry
ANALYTICAL: Provides critical analysis of form, structure, and style, exploring the trademark themes and subjects of the poets who wrote them, and using each poem as a route into wider literary trends, poetic movements and schools, and related poets
GRAPHIC APPROACH: Combines creative typography, graphics, and clear text to explore the world's most famous and important poems, and the people behind them, in a unique way
Thought-provoking graphics and flow-charts explore form and structure, and the central concepts behind each work
Features insightful and inspiring quotes from the featured poems, the poets behind them, and leading writers and critics
Features a glossary section of poetic terms

Delve into the works of Dante, Baudelaire, Rumi, Dickinson, Eliot, and Li Bai with in-depth literary analysis and fascinating biographies. Find out what odes, ballads, and allegories are. Trace recurring motifs, explore imagery, and discover how rhyme and rhythm work.

From Homer's Odyssey to Seamus Heaney's Casualty, The Poetry Book is essential reading for lovers of poetry and aspiring poets alike.

Genres: Nonfiction, Poetry

809 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2024

About the author

Dorling Kindersley (DK) is a British multinational publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 62 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a consumer publishing company jointly owned by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and Pearson PLC. Bertelsmann owns 53% of the company and Pearson owns 47%.

Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.

Source: Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Isaac]

“Each poem is an attempt at perfect communication.”

[Tri✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Instead of diving into poetry this April, I've been geeking out over its fascinating history! I've been reading "The Poetry Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained" by D.K. Publishing, and it's been a perfect match for my curiosity. This book takes you on an enchanting journey through the world of poetry, unraveling the key ideas, themes, and techniques behind iconic poems. Plus, it's packed with captivating stories and biographies of the brilliant poets who brought these masterpieces to life. It's been a real eye-opener! 

[Marianne Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book on the shelf at the library and thought to myself, why kind of silliness is this? I was taken by surprise as to the lovely lesson on poetry and reminder of my college days. This book caused me to pull out poems and read them again with a new understanding.

[GrassHopper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty good overview of the history of poetry. I learnt a lot. Now I want to go read a load of poets. Thank God for libraries!

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative

Big ideas, simply explained and it did cover a lot of ground but alas, for someone from the UK, I found it America centric.