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Strange Terrain: A Poetry Handbook for the Reluctant Reader
Poetry. Reference. Criticism. Poet, educator, and Poetry Foundation bestseller Alice B. Fogel has written the perfect book for those who feel uncomfortable with reading poetry. Divided into eight "steps," this "handbook" looks at such topics as shape, words, sound, images, and emotion. Fogel illustrates each step from her own poetry. "Great advice, good humor, excellent examples . . . and not textbooky. Playful and accessible, the continuing point that you don't have to 'get' poems to get them will ease a lot of minds. This is an important and mysterious subject-the reading of poetry. I learned a lot. Painlessly"--Rebecca Rule. The book is an essential resource for individuals, reading groups, teachers--even friends and families of poets who want to feel more comfortable with poetry.
- GenresPoetry
208 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2009
29 people want to read
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April 30, 2025
Poetry And Handbooks
Although many guidebooks offer assistance to readers in approaching poetry, Alice Fogel's book, "Strange Terrain: A Poetry Handbook for the Reluctant Reader" is unusual in that Fogel relies almost entirely on her own poems to illustrate her themes. This is both the strength and the weakness of her book. Fogel is both a poet and a teacher who has taught poetry and creative writing at the college level. She also gives seminars of varying lengths to teachers and other groups, using her book as a source, with the aim of allowing better teaching and understanding of poetry. A resident of New England, Fogel's book is published by a small New England press, Hobblebush Books, which kindly offered me the opportunity to review it.
Fogel writes simply and colloquially as she invites readers into what many view as the "strange terrain" of poetry. She tries to overcome the reluctance that even good readers face in approaching poetry by emphasizing that they will find in the medium much of what they already know. As befitting the use of the book in seminars, she breaks down her approach into steps. At first she states her aim as a three-fold process: demystification -- taking the fear out of approaching poetry -- information -- providing simple cues to reading -- and then remystication -- recapturing the strangeness of poetry without the fear of reading. Most of the book is given over to the eight steps of reading poetry, as Fogel breaks down poetry into some of its component parts, including shape (form), words, sounds, images, emotion, thoughts, and fiction's devices. The last step, "unknowing", is the most critical as Fogel reintroduces the necessary mystery to the reading of poetry without the fear. Fogel concludes with some excellent guidance to poetry and its ways, which differ from day-to-day discursive reasoning:
"Some of the most life-affirming, necessary things in the world cannot be thoroughly explained, or can only be 'understood' through intuitive acceptance of their mystery. Poetry, as ancient as human love, art, or a sense of the spiritual is one of them. So be curious. Aim for what the scientist Lewis Thomas wonderfully called 'enlightened bewilderment'. Learn as many concrete clues as you can, sidle up to the challenge by means of whatever route you stumble across, approaching obliquely with brave baby steps. Then stare into the eye of wonder, surrender, and let it take you from there."
Fogel intersperses her discussion with examples from her own poetry. In each chapter, she offers general introductory remarks followed a poem of her own which she discusses in some detail. After additional discussion, she generally concludes each chapter with several of her additional poems. She makes references to other poets and poems, but the only poem by another author which receives sustained attention is Walt Whitman's "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking", which Fogel discusses perceptively.
Fogel is an excellent poet who writes in a deceptively simple, non-academic style that reminded me of an early New Englander, Robert Frost. She offers 52 of her poems in full over the course of the book. This is a great many poems to absorb particularly by a single author. Some poets are reluctant to discuss and explain their own work, but Fogel is not among their number. She is able to discuss her poetry in illuminating detail. In the process, Fogel recognizes that the "steps" she develops to simplify the understanding of poetry have something arbitrary about them. Each of her poems illustrate more than the one "step" that they are offered to show, and some of them may bear little particular relationship to that step.
As a reader who has read poetry, I focused in this book on Fogel's poems rather than on what she said about them or on her recommendations for approaching poetry. Although her poetry is lovely, I think the number of poems and the almost exclusive focus on Fogel's own work will be too much for the reader new to poetry. I found myself digging into Fogel's poems rather than in thinking about poetry or how to approach it. I felt skeptical about how readers without much background in poetry would be able to transfer their readings of Fogel's work to their reading of other poets.
I enjoyed and learned and relearned from Fogel's book, but I suspect its primary appeal will be to experienced readers of poetry who will like the detailed reading of a poet of her own poetry. I don't know how the book fares at the seminars in which Fogel presents it, although I am sure it is of benefit to her audiences. It is hard for any reader to say how he or she comes to poetry. I think it is usually a product of reading, exploration, and experience rather than from handbooks. Still, Fogel's book is a good attempt and an excellent collection of her poetry.
Robin Friedman
Although many guidebooks offer assistance to readers in approaching poetry, Alice Fogel's book, "Strange Terrain: A Poetry Handbook for the Reluctant Reader" is unusual in that Fogel relies almost entirely on her own poems to illustrate her themes. This is both the strength and the weakness of her book. Fogel is both a poet and a teacher who has taught poetry and creative writing at the college level. She also gives seminars of varying lengths to teachers and other groups, using her book as a source, with the aim of allowing better teaching and understanding of poetry. A resident of New England, Fogel's book is published by a small New England press, Hobblebush Books, which kindly offered me the opportunity to review it.
Fogel writes simply and colloquially as she invites readers into what many view as the "strange terrain" of poetry. She tries to overcome the reluctance that even good readers face in approaching poetry by emphasizing that they will find in the medium much of what they already know. As befitting the use of the book in seminars, she breaks down her approach into steps. At first she states her aim as a three-fold process: demystification -- taking the fear out of approaching poetry -- information -- providing simple cues to reading -- and then remystication -- recapturing the strangeness of poetry without the fear of reading. Most of the book is given over to the eight steps of reading poetry, as Fogel breaks down poetry into some of its component parts, including shape (form), words, sounds, images, emotion, thoughts, and fiction's devices. The last step, "unknowing", is the most critical as Fogel reintroduces the necessary mystery to the reading of poetry without the fear. Fogel concludes with some excellent guidance to poetry and its ways, which differ from day-to-day discursive reasoning:
"Some of the most life-affirming, necessary things in the world cannot be thoroughly explained, or can only be 'understood' through intuitive acceptance of their mystery. Poetry, as ancient as human love, art, or a sense of the spiritual is one of them. So be curious. Aim for what the scientist Lewis Thomas wonderfully called 'enlightened bewilderment'. Learn as many concrete clues as you can, sidle up to the challenge by means of whatever route you stumble across, approaching obliquely with brave baby steps. Then stare into the eye of wonder, surrender, and let it take you from there."
Fogel intersperses her discussion with examples from her own poetry. In each chapter, she offers general introductory remarks followed a poem of her own which she discusses in some detail. After additional discussion, she generally concludes each chapter with several of her additional poems. She makes references to other poets and poems, but the only poem by another author which receives sustained attention is Walt Whitman's "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking", which Fogel discusses perceptively.
Fogel is an excellent poet who writes in a deceptively simple, non-academic style that reminded me of an early New Englander, Robert Frost. She offers 52 of her poems in full over the course of the book. This is a great many poems to absorb particularly by a single author. Some poets are reluctant to discuss and explain their own work, but Fogel is not among their number. She is able to discuss her poetry in illuminating detail. In the process, Fogel recognizes that the "steps" she develops to simplify the understanding of poetry have something arbitrary about them. Each of her poems illustrate more than the one "step" that they are offered to show, and some of them may bear little particular relationship to that step.
As a reader who has read poetry, I focused in this book on Fogel's poems rather than on what she said about them or on her recommendations for approaching poetry. Although her poetry is lovely, I think the number of poems and the almost exclusive focus on Fogel's own work will be too much for the reader new to poetry. I found myself digging into Fogel's poems rather than in thinking about poetry or how to approach it. I felt skeptical about how readers without much background in poetry would be able to transfer their readings of Fogel's work to their reading of other poets.
I enjoyed and learned and relearned from Fogel's book, but I suspect its primary appeal will be to experienced readers of poetry who will like the detailed reading of a poet of her own poetry. I don't know how the book fares at the seminars in which Fogel presents it, although I am sure it is of benefit to her audiences. It is hard for any reader to say how he or she comes to poetry. I think it is usually a product of reading, exploration, and experience rather than from handbooks. Still, Fogel's book is a good attempt and an excellent collection of her poetry.
Robin Friedman
November 10, 2014
The subtitle of this book is "A Poetry Handbook for the Reluctant Reader." I've spent most of my life teaching reluctant readers, and I have come to one conclusion: They are called "reluctant readers" because they are reluctant to read. Unfortunately, this book does not take that into consideration. The poems are too difficult, the writing too complex. It is more for adults who read, read a lot, than reluctant readers. I have to honestly admit it was a major disappointment for me.
July 26, 2019
Best for the serious reader and teacher
This is a beautifully presented and edited book that works as a showcase for Alice Fogel’s poetry and as a guide for the teaching and appreciation of poetry.
Fogel’s poetry is precise and deeply felt on matters both near and far. She sings of meadowlands in “Unlocking,” of snow and the presence of someone dear in “Snowstorm,” and of the weight of life in “No Less.” Her sense of careful diction and precise punctuation give evidence of a deep commitment to craft. Fogel is a traditional poet for the most part, a poet committed to examining and reflecting to us the studied essence of the natural world and what it means to be alive. In subject matter she owes something to Robert Frost but with a different sense of rhythm and she doesn’t like to rhyme.
Her didactic purpose finds its culmination in the last chapter, “Step Eight: Unknowing” which is subtitled “Poems Can Mystify You.” She writes “Unlike in political or commercial talk, with which we are inundated, poetry is a language of concision and precision that imparts not less than it literally means but more than it verbally says.” (p. 157)
She adds on the next page, “…unlike in math, poetry adds up to a total greater than the sum of its parts.”
Poetry then is holistic and unlike machinery cannot be reductively analyzed. I like to say (and do say in my book of poems, “Like a Tsunami Headed for Hilo”):
“…it is in poetry that we find the true power of the language. It is in poetry that words are made to soar above their moorings so that something beyond a linear expression is achieved. Because poets employ many literary devices such as rhythm, rhyme, allusion, alliteration, metaphor, symbolism, irony, and so on, they are able to achieve a density of meaning that is greater than what can be achieved through the mere denotative use of words. In short, poetry is a multidimensional expression that evokes simultaneously our senses of sound, vision, and mindfulness.” (p. 105)
One of Fogel’s ideas is that of “unknowing” mentioned above. She believes that poems are created from an “‘unknowing’ state of mind.” She quotes poet Franz Wright as describing his unknowing as a “deliberate unconsciousness of subject material.” (p. 158) I think we can agree that for real art to take place the artist must rely on something greater than the ordinary mind. Art is too complex for us to set it out like a blueprint or hope to achieve what we want with mere denotative language. So I agree with Fogel.
In addition to works like Fogel’s I suggest that the reader who is deeply interested in understanding and creating poetry also have reference to works that illustrate poetic ideas and techniques with the examples from the great poets. A couple of good books are X.J. Kennedy’s “An Introduction to Poetry,” and Laurence Perrine’s “Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry.” I think what is missing in Fogel’s volume is what Brock Dethier, who wrote the Introduction, warned against, namely “interpretation.” On the contrary I think it is a fine thing to have an interpretation of a poem, an idea about what the poem means in terms of what the poet intended and how that might mesh with the experience of readers. I am not worried (as Dethier apparently is) about the interpretation being, as he writes, “the teacher’s.” My students were always quite insistent upon their own interpretations, sometimes even to the extent of ignoring the poet’s words!
It may well be that, as Fogel has it, poetry to the average person is “strange terrain” that makes them “squirm with a sense of inadequacy…” (p. 3) At any rate, Fogel hopes to cure this “Poem Traumatic Stress Disorder” with this book, “your self-help manual.” (p. 4)
Well, bonne chance! Alas, I must say that her book aimed in the subtitle at “the Reluctant Reader” will more likely be read and appreciated by fellow poets and the occasional teacher of poetry than it will be by reluctant readers.
Of particular interest to teachers, by the way, is the final offering in the book, “Optional Ramblings” which includes suggestions for discussion, and questions and activities for readers.
--Dennis Littrell, author of the mystery novel, “Teddy and Teri”
This is a beautifully presented and edited book that works as a showcase for Alice Fogel’s poetry and as a guide for the teaching and appreciation of poetry.
Fogel’s poetry is precise and deeply felt on matters both near and far. She sings of meadowlands in “Unlocking,” of snow and the presence of someone dear in “Snowstorm,” and of the weight of life in “No Less.” Her sense of careful diction and precise punctuation give evidence of a deep commitment to craft. Fogel is a traditional poet for the most part, a poet committed to examining and reflecting to us the studied essence of the natural world and what it means to be alive. In subject matter she owes something to Robert Frost but with a different sense of rhythm and she doesn’t like to rhyme.
Her didactic purpose finds its culmination in the last chapter, “Step Eight: Unknowing” which is subtitled “Poems Can Mystify You.” She writes “Unlike in political or commercial talk, with which we are inundated, poetry is a language of concision and precision that imparts not less than it literally means but more than it verbally says.” (p. 157)
She adds on the next page, “…unlike in math, poetry adds up to a total greater than the sum of its parts.”
Poetry then is holistic and unlike machinery cannot be reductively analyzed. I like to say (and do say in my book of poems, “Like a Tsunami Headed for Hilo”):
“…it is in poetry that we find the true power of the language. It is in poetry that words are made to soar above their moorings so that something beyond a linear expression is achieved. Because poets employ many literary devices such as rhythm, rhyme, allusion, alliteration, metaphor, symbolism, irony, and so on, they are able to achieve a density of meaning that is greater than what can be achieved through the mere denotative use of words. In short, poetry is a multidimensional expression that evokes simultaneously our senses of sound, vision, and mindfulness.” (p. 105)
One of Fogel’s ideas is that of “unknowing” mentioned above. She believes that poems are created from an “‘unknowing’ state of mind.” She quotes poet Franz Wright as describing his unknowing as a “deliberate unconsciousness of subject material.” (p. 158) I think we can agree that for real art to take place the artist must rely on something greater than the ordinary mind. Art is too complex for us to set it out like a blueprint or hope to achieve what we want with mere denotative language. So I agree with Fogel.
In addition to works like Fogel’s I suggest that the reader who is deeply interested in understanding and creating poetry also have reference to works that illustrate poetic ideas and techniques with the examples from the great poets. A couple of good books are X.J. Kennedy’s “An Introduction to Poetry,” and Laurence Perrine’s “Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry.” I think what is missing in Fogel’s volume is what Brock Dethier, who wrote the Introduction, warned against, namely “interpretation.” On the contrary I think it is a fine thing to have an interpretation of a poem, an idea about what the poem means in terms of what the poet intended and how that might mesh with the experience of readers. I am not worried (as Dethier apparently is) about the interpretation being, as he writes, “the teacher’s.” My students were always quite insistent upon their own interpretations, sometimes even to the extent of ignoring the poet’s words!
It may well be that, as Fogel has it, poetry to the average person is “strange terrain” that makes them “squirm with a sense of inadequacy…” (p. 3) At any rate, Fogel hopes to cure this “Poem Traumatic Stress Disorder” with this book, “your self-help manual.” (p. 4)
Well, bonne chance! Alas, I must say that her book aimed in the subtitle at “the Reluctant Reader” will more likely be read and appreciated by fellow poets and the occasional teacher of poetry than it will be by reluctant readers.
Of particular interest to teachers, by the way, is the final offering in the book, “Optional Ramblings” which includes suggestions for discussion, and questions and activities for readers.
--Dennis Littrell, author of the mystery novel, “Teddy and Teri”
May 28, 2020
Do you like reading poetry but find it baffling or "hard to get"? In STRANGE TERRAIN, poet and teacher Alice B. Fogel makes the process not just easier, but also more enjoyable. Using an eight-step process, Fogel gently and playfully guides the reader on how to immerse oneself in a poem and experience it for all its layers. Poets can learn a lot about the craft of writing poetry from this book, too, since Fogel explores essential elements such as shape, word choice, sound, imagery, and emotion.
The one surprise? Fogel uses only her own poems as examples. I don't think I've ever seen that before in a book about the craft of poetry, be it writing- or reading-oriented. And while I wasn't sure how to react to this at first, eventually it wasn't a concern - because Fogel's choices were excellent illustrations of each step. (I also liked her work so much that I may pick up one of her poetry collections in the future!) Her blend of lighthearted humor, fresh insights, and nimble prose also made each chapter a pleasure to read. It also reminded me a lot of Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge's POEMCRAZY, my favorite craft-of-poetry book ever. If you're looking for a book that will help you navigate poetry's intricacies and mysteries without stripping it of its beauty, STRANGE TERRAIN is a lovely and useful shepherd.
The one surprise? Fogel uses only her own poems as examples. I don't think I've ever seen that before in a book about the craft of poetry, be it writing- or reading-oriented. And while I wasn't sure how to react to this at first, eventually it wasn't a concern - because Fogel's choices were excellent illustrations of each step. (I also liked her work so much that I may pick up one of her poetry collections in the future!) Her blend of lighthearted humor, fresh insights, and nimble prose also made each chapter a pleasure to read. It also reminded me a lot of Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge's POEMCRAZY, my favorite craft-of-poetry book ever. If you're looking for a book that will help you navigate poetry's intricacies and mysteries without stripping it of its beauty, STRANGE TERRAIN is a lovely and useful shepherd.
August 10, 2009
I enjoyed Fogel as a guide and teacher even more than I enjoyed her poetry. Unlike many "textbooks," Fogel's handbook is a slow-paced, plushly exampled, and contemplative view of how poets use SHAPE, WORDS, SOUND, IMAGES, EMOTION, AND THOUGHTS. Using her own poetry and experience as her referents, she carefully examines how her poetry works in integrating these elements to make meaning. And, after demystifying poetry, she celebrates the parts of poetry that we do not get, endorsing "remystification" and lack of tidiness as an appropriate response to a poem. I think this book is a refreshing one for all readers of poetry, and it led me to appreciate some poetry that I might have missed before.
December 25, 2013
The author gives insight into how poems are crafted. She heightens the enjoyment of reading poetry by demystifying it, explaining poetry’s splendid ability to speak to us on both the levels of language and of music. By talking about her own process in making poems (and in my opinion, hers is among the very best contemporary poetry being written today) she enlightens readers and helps writers become more carefully conscious of word choice and arrangement, showing that poetry-loving is a normal human activity. If you’re already a poetry-lover, you might want to give a copy of this book to your loved ones. It will help them understand that we poetry-lovers aren’t weirdos; we’re sensitive souls who enjoy contemplating the multi-dimensional nuances of the mystery of words and of life.
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