The Connell Guide to How to Read a Poem

by Malcolm Hebron, Jolyon Connell (Editor), Paul Woodward (Editor)

This book has one to help you read, understand and appreciate poetry. Do you really need a guide for that? Can’t you just get on and read some of the wonderful poetry that has been published in English? You certainly can, but there are things you really need to know if you are going to get the most out of it. Malcolm Hebron has spent years studying and teaching poetry. In this friendly, easy-to-read guide, he passes on what he has learnt while helping you read some famous (and not so famous) poems along the way...

Genres: Poetry

Kindle Edition

Published June 19, 2017

Reviews

[LoungeLizard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a basic introduction to the techniques used in poetry and how these shape the effect of a poem. It's pitched at junior high-school student level, and assumes the reader knows nothing about poetry. That means it's useful if that's the case, or if it's a long time since you studied it.

I think the low ratings others have given it are unfair, as they're not marking it against what it aims to be: a gentle introduction that minimises jargon, and gives examples of each of the techniques from well-known poems. Yes, it's basic, but it's meant to be. It's a good introduction to the topic.