Writing and Understanding Poetry for Teachers and Students A Heart's Craft [Hardcover]

I find this text smart in three important ways. First, since many young people think they can write poems worth hearing in spite of the fact they've never listened themselves, it stresses reading from the get-go. Second, it provides poems written by peers of the book's target audience in response to the authors' craft suggestions so students can model on the work of people their own age. Third and most importantly, the creators of this book are not only academics but also poets themselves, so not only can they teach; they personally know what they're doing- all of which makes this book a very fine addition to the genre.A Heart's Craft: An Introduction to Reading, Writing, and Understanding Poetry?is a remarkably versatile resource in that it is beneficial for writers and readers?of various levels.? Often in my teaching, a developmental writing student will surprise me with beautifully communicated images in his or her writing.? This text is the perfect text to introduce such a beginning writer to his or her creative abilities and the poet who within.? In addition, as a reading teacher, I also appreciate the clarity of the poetry explications.? They are written in such?a way?as to?eliminate much of the mystery,?intimidation, and fear developmental readers usually experiences in their encounters with poetry.Like most Creative Writing teachers, I have gone through more than one book on how to write poetry. Upon reading just a few lines from?A Heart's Craft: An Introduction to Reading, Writing, and Understanding Poetry, I was immediately engaged. I could tell Cassandra Robison and Suzanne Keyworth had the kind of prose that is both fluent and accessible, not to mention beautiful, which is rare for a how-to book. They touch on the seemingly small things, such as ellipses, to the obviously large ideas, like avoiding sentimentality, even in poems about love and loss. It doesn't surprise me that this pair of writers has written such an excellent book on poetry. I first met l4