Getting the Knack

Award-winning poets Stephen Dunning an William Stafford offer this delightful manual of exercises for beginning poets. The book is divided into twenty sections, each covering a different kind of phase of poetry writing. Working through this sequence of writing assignments, would-be-poets are guided toward full participation in and appreciation of the power of poetry. The first writing exercises focus on poems that are made from the plain language found in everyday writing-headline and found poems, letter poems, acrostics, and recipe poems. As they gain confidence with these introductory activities, students move on to writing form (syllable-count) poems, imitation poems, and finally, original confession and monologue poems. Interspersed are exercises for dream-writing and memory-mapping. The authors provide thorough and witty explanation of each exercise, numerous examples of poems drawn from the work of both students and professional poets, and enlightening "Interludes," which discuss the art and philosophy of poetry. Dunning and Stafford's breezy and humorous style will appeal to experienced and novice poets of all ages.