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The Strategic Poet: Honing the Craft
One of twelve craft books recommended
by Poets & Writers, Sept/Oct 2022
The Strategic Honing the Craft
Named a Best Book for Writers by Poets & Writers
The Strategic Honing the Craft focuses on the craft of poetry and is based on the belief that craft can be taught and the best teacher of craft is a good poem. This book assumes a knowledgeable reader, that is, one who already knows the language of poetry and already practices the craft. This book is organized into thirteen sections, each one devoted to a specific poetic strategy. While only thirteen strategies are used for organizational purposes, the reader will find many additional strategies referred to and discussed within the sections. There is a progression from one section to the next, but each section also stands alone, so the reader or teacher can follow the order of the Contents or move about freely among the sections.
Each section begins with a Craft Talk solicited from a well-known poet with a clear mastery of craft. Each Craft Talk is followed by Model Poems and Prompts. Each Model Poem is followed by an analysis of its craft elements, especially its use of the section's strategy. One Model Poem in each section is followed by a Commentary from the poet who wrote the poem and is focused on a particular strategy used in the poem.
Each of the thirty-six Prompts is followed by two Sample Poems written to the prompts. These seventy-two poems demonstrate that the prompts are not mere exercises and can produce terrific poems.
Each section ends with three Bonus Prompts. There thirty-nine additional prompts were contributed by thirteen contemporary poets. These short prompts provide additional practice with the strategies, can be used multiple times, and should lead to some good poems.
Contributors include 114 of our best contemporary poets.
This book is suitable for use by poets working independently, by poets in writing groups, and by teachers in the classroom.
by Poets & Writers, Sept/Oct 2022
The Strategic Honing the Craft
Named a Best Book for Writers by Poets & Writers
The Strategic Honing the Craft focuses on the craft of poetry and is based on the belief that craft can be taught and the best teacher of craft is a good poem. This book assumes a knowledgeable reader, that is, one who already knows the language of poetry and already practices the craft. This book is organized into thirteen sections, each one devoted to a specific poetic strategy. While only thirteen strategies are used for organizational purposes, the reader will find many additional strategies referred to and discussed within the sections. There is a progression from one section to the next, but each section also stands alone, so the reader or teacher can follow the order of the Contents or move about freely among the sections.
Each section begins with a Craft Talk solicited from a well-known poet with a clear mastery of craft. Each Craft Talk is followed by Model Poems and Prompts. Each Model Poem is followed by an analysis of its craft elements, especially its use of the section's strategy. One Model Poem in each section is followed by a Commentary from the poet who wrote the poem and is focused on a particular strategy used in the poem.
Each of the thirty-six Prompts is followed by two Sample Poems written to the prompts. These seventy-two poems demonstrate that the prompts are not mere exercises and can produce terrific poems.
Each section ends with three Bonus Prompts. There thirty-nine additional prompts were contributed by thirteen contemporary poets. These short prompts provide additional practice with the strategies, can be used multiple times, and should lead to some good poems.
Contributors include 114 of our best contemporary poets.
This book is suitable for use by poets working independently, by poets in writing groups, and by teachers in the classroom.
- GenresPoetryWritingNonfiction
326 pages, Paperback
Published October 13, 2021
21 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Diane Lockward
34 books192 followersDiane Lockward is the editor of The Strategic Poet: Honing Your Craft as well as the editor of The Practicing Poet, The Crafty Poet II, and The Crafty Poet II. She is also the author of four poetry books, most recently The Uneaten Carrots of Atonement. Her previous books are Temptation by Water, What Feeds Us, which received the 2006 Quentin R. Howard Poetry Prize, and Eve's Red Dress (2003). Her poems have been published in several anthologies and in such journals as the Harvard Review, Spoon River Poetry Review, and Prairie Schooner. Her work has also been featured on Poetry Daily, Verse Daily, The Writers Almanac., and Ted Kooser's American Life in Poetry. She lives in northern New Jersey and can be contacted at her website.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 26, 2022
Diane Lockward has outdone herself with The Strategic Poet: Honing the Craft. Each of the 13 chapters--covering such items as diction, repetition, syntax, hyperbole, and so many others--is a small treasure trove of craft talks, poetry prompts, commentary, and poems, and each ends with several bonus prompts. Unlike Lockward's previous craft books, I took this one slowly, and was well rewarded with the time I spent with the content. Of course, there are the big names interspersed throughout--Ellen Bass, Annie Finch, Diane Seuss, to name a few--but what pulls the book beyond mere craft into craft into practice are the dozens of sample poems that stem from the talks and prompts, providing a working dialogue with them, many by poets I know (Andrea Hollander, Penny Harter, Lucy Griffith. etc.), but just as many I don't, including excellent work by Brad Aaron Modlin, Kim Klugh, Tiel Aisha Ansari, etc. Discoveries abound in the, the best of the fine series from Terrapin Books. Highly recommended!
January 5, 2022
At last a craft book that doesn’t focus on beginning writers! The Strategic Poet includes craft talks by contemporary poets — two immediate favorites are by Diane Seuss, and Dion O’Reilly. I will not pretend to have read the entire book, although I marked it as finished, because this is one I will return to again and again for the poems, commentaries, prompts and craft talks. Outstanding.
November 1, 2021
I've been taking more time lately to read The Strategic Poet and find I will be taking more and more time. What a joy to have all these poems and chats gathered together for inspiration, entertainment and companionship. My pleasure grows in pride at the honor of your inclusion of a poem of mine. My double thanks to you, Diane. And I swear I am being objective!
October 10, 2021
A book that will never make it to the bookshelf because I'll refer to it so often. This book should be at the top of every poet's wishlist.
October 29, 2021
An essential book for anyone interested in the craft and art of poetry.
July 1, 2022
Named a Best Book for Writers by Poets & Writers, the ingenious craft book The Strategic Poet: Honing the Craft, edited by Diane Lockward, exhilarates me—its wisdom and poetry selections eclectic and breathtaking. The book is separated into thirteen spectacular sections, each focusing on one theme: descriptive details, diction, imagery, sound devices, repetition, similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, apostrophe, syntax, sonnet, and peculiar poetic forms. Each section starts with a short introductory note (aka, craft talk) composed by a different author. For example, in Section I, poet Ellen Bass discusses the importance of the section’s central theme, descriptive details. After each note, each section presents lyrically wonderous, accessible, imagistic poems and writing prompts based on the poems. Referred to in the book as commentaries, explications of and reflections on some of the sample poems are scattered throughout as well. I enjoy reading The Strategic Poet, whose wisdom and poetry selections deserve to be cherished by novices and more experienced poets alike. I especially love the poems, including the following: “Dreaming Alabama” by Melanie McCabe, “Old Man Wandering the Roads” by Jesse Graves, “How Your Favorite Aunt Made Spring Your Favorite Season” by Shayla Hawkins, “Moxie” by Geraldine Connolly, “The Pining Goldfish” by Robin Rosen Chang, and “At the Theatre” by Lisken Van Pelt Dus. I highly recommend The Strategic Poet!
January 26, 2022
A good jumping-off point for poets who may feel stuck in a rut. The wide variety of prompts and technical commentary is helpful, though I can also see how it is easy to “over-follow”prompts and create work that lacks individuality. (Anyone who’s read poetry journals has seen examples of what I reference.) To me, the best way to utilize this book is as a set of coherent ideas for what one CAN do, and not as a wholly prescriptive “how-to” of poetry composition.
October 14, 2021
The submission call for this book broke through my pandemic writing doldrums. Close readings with structured prompts. Highly recommend. This will keep me busy- and learning- for a while. Full disclosure, I just received my contributor copy. And 3 more purchased to give as gifts.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews