Composing Poetry: A Guide to Writing Poems and Thinking Lyrically

by Gerry LaFemina

“What I assume, you too shall assume,” Walt Whitman writes in his famous “Song of Myself,” declaring fully what the art of poetry is all about. The writer of poetry invites the reader to join in the process of the poem, invites the reader into the musings of the poet. Poetry, then, is more than just entertainment, but rather a way for the reader to see through someone else’s eyes, to hear with someone else’s ears.  It is an experience. Composing A Guide to Writing Poems and Thinking Lyrically is a handbook for novice writers as they learn to shape experiences for their readers and its designed to help poets find their voices and the types of poems they want to write. Filled with lively discussions of the different ways poems think, model poems, guided readings, writing prompts, and craft discussions, this book asks writers to consider not just the formal elements of poetry or just subject matter, but to consider how such things, among others, affect readers. By insisting that poetry is a means of thinking, the poem can lead to discovery for the writer and, therefore, the reader. “Nothing new for the writer, “Frost said, “nothing new for the reader. No tears for the writer, no tears for the reader.” Whether we’re reading it or writing it, poetry is an act of discovery, an act of emotional revelation and Composing Poetry examines the ways in which various types of poems lead to different kinds of discovery.

254 pages, Paperback

Published November 22, 2016

About the author

Gerry LaFemina believes poetry is the highest art form; believes everyone should rock out with a guitar at least once--even if they can't play; believes teaching is a calling; believes the New York City subways are beautiful (even if they smell badly); believes in love, bigfoot and other mythic creatures; believes in the power of a good meal, a good night's sleep, good wine, etc; believes laughter is a type of prayer....

A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, LaFemina holds an MFA in Poetry from Western Michigan University as well as an MA in Literature with an emphasis on Twentieth-century Literature from WMU. He has taught at Nazareth College, Kirtland Community College, West Virginia University, Wheeling Jesuit University and Sarah Lawrence College. He directs the Center for Literary Arts at Frostburg State University, where he is an Associate Professor of English, and he serves as a poetry mentor in the Carlow University MFA program He divides his time between Maryland and New York.