Writing Resources: A Poetry Handbook

Poetry is the music of language, the fine art of the written word. Reading and writing poetry are excellent exercises for a writer’s mind. Poetry will grow your vocabulary and stretch your language skills. It will help you add musicality to your word craft, and show you the power of imagery and succinct writing.

Basically, poetry reading and writing improves all other writing.

So, whether you are a poet or not, as a writer, you should have a basic understanding of poetry.

Writing Resources

Poetry starts in childhood with nursery rhymes and the famous works of authors like Shel Silverstein and Dr. Suess. But what comes next? There is a vast universe of poetry out there, so it helps to start exploring the world of poetry with a few, basic resources.

Ideally, you’ll engage in both poetry reading and poetry writing. Both of these activities will improve your own writing, whether you write fiction, nonfiction, or even business writing, marketing, or copywriting.

Good poetry writing resources touch on reading and writing poetry. Most include poems by accomplished poets and use these poems as examples to teach you the nuances, structure, and techniques that go into poetry writing.

A Poetry Handbook

Mary Oliver’s A Poetry Handbook is a simple but comprehensive guide to reading and writing poetry. It’s a perfect introductory text — ideal for beginners and for folks who have strayed from poetry but feel like it’s time to come home.

Under 125 pages, this text is a quick and easy read with straightforward examples and clear explanations. Oliver talks about how to read a poem, how to imitate the greats, and then gets into the technical aspect of poetry, covering sound, literary devices, line, and form. Finally, she takes a look at free verse.

Mary Oliver herself is an acclaimed poet and her tone is friendly and witty and very easy to follow. From the text:

Something that is essential can’t be taught; it can only be given, or earned, or formulated in a manner too mysterious to be picked apart… Whatever can’t be taught, there is a great deal that can, and must, be learned.

If you’ve ever read a written work and been captivated by the magic of its language, then you have already experienced the power of poetry. The concepts you’ll learn in dealing with poetry can be applied to all forms, including songwriting. So do yourself a favor and start collecting some writing resources that deal exclusively with poetry reading and writing. Having reviewed dozens of books on poetry, I recommend starting with A Poetry Handbook.