Discovery of Poetry: A Field Guide to Reading and Writing Poems [Paperback]

The bestselling author of Under the Tuscan Sun brings poetry
out of the classroom and into the homes of everyday readers.

Before she fell in love with Tuscany, Frances Mayes fell in love with verse. After publishing five books of poetry and teaching creative writing for more than twenty-five years, Mayes is no stranger to the subject. In The Discovery of Poetry, an accessible field guide to reading and writing poetry, she shares her passion with readers. Beginning with basic terminology and techniques, from texture and sound to rhyme and repetition, Mayes shows how focusing on one aspect of a poem can help you to better understand, appreciate, and enjoy the reading and writing experience. In addition to many creative and helpful composition ideas, following each lyrical and lively discussion is a thoughtful selection of poems. With its wonderful anthology from Shakespeare to Jamaica Kinkaid, The Discovery of Poetry is an insightful, invaluable guide to what Mayes calls the natural pleasures of language-a happiness we were born to have.

PRAISE FOR UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN AND BELLA TUSCANY
Mayes displays a gift for conveying everyday life through her writing. . . . [She] presents a simpler, less frantic version of how to live one's life.
-USA Today
Frances Mayes is, before all else, a wonderful writer. -Chicago Tribune
Somehow, this is a narrative at once joyful and full of common sense,
a balance that few other writers have struck so perfectly. It's as intimate as
a lover's whisper, honest and true, and vividly captures a sense of place.
-San Francisco Chronicle