Perrine's Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry

Book Description

An introduction to poetry presented in a compact and concise anthology, SOUND AND SENSE continues the tradition of offering clear, precise writing and practical organization initiated by Laurence Perrine years ago.

Customer Reviews:

Perriene's Sound and Sense.......2007-09-24

This book came to me in a short amount of time. It was also in perfect condition. Thanks.

Excellent for use with students.......2005-11-02

I am currently using this book with 11th grade English students, and they have been truly caught up in it. We are actually having arguments in class over poetry!! I do find, however, that it is helpful to do the chapter on rhythm and meter much earlier than I would if I were following the chapters in order. My experience is that students have a difficult time hearing the rhythm of poetry and are generally unable to read aloud with any success. Jumping ahead early to the chapter on rhythm and meter and having the students tap out the meters and then mark the scansion produces a wonderful improvement in their ability to hear the poems and read them aloud. I would heartily recommend this book for use in grades 11 and 12, and for college freshman. It makes the study of poetry hugely enjoyable, as it should be but rarely is, for both student and teacher.

Good AP Textbook.......2004-12-16

My senior AP Literature and Composition class is using this book as a textbook, and I would have to say it is the best high school English book I've ever used. The questions following each included piece really helps you to focus on what is important in the passage, and the introductions to each chapter are brief and to the point.

Almost a great resource (that I'd give 3.5 Stars, actually).......2003-07-11

My first exposure to Sound and Sense was in high school, and, at the time, I found the book so valuable a resource that I later purchased a copy. Post-college, my views have changed somewhat.

If the tone of the writing was not so condescending, this could be a great book. It defines most of the terms necessary to understand critical texts on poetry, including those analyses related to meter, style, and tone. I find the questions after each poem to be helpful and thought-provoking. That said, it is frustrating to me that the author presents ideas and arguments in absolutes (must, must not, never, always, etc.) and then asserts that the logic that MUST be applied to point A CANNOT be applied to point B (but maybe I have spent too many hours working with lawyers).

My suggestion would be to read the text with a grain of salt. Glean the terminology, answer the questions posed at the end of each poem, follow their suggestions of rereading and considering the many facets of poetry, and try to overlook the condescending manner in which the authors display their opinions as fact.

a little at a time.......2003-02-23

I've been nibbling away at a 20 year old edition of this book for a few years in my spare time, and almost every bite has increased my abitity to appreciate poetry. I like the examples, most of them seem pretty old, Frost is about as modern as he gets, but thats ok with me. You might find this book a little annoying if it was required reading in a course, sometimes it asks more questions than it answers.

A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I am a missional, evangelical, post/protestant, liberal/conservative, mystical/poetic, biblical, charismatic/contemplative, fundamentalist/calvinist, ... anabaptist/anglican, metho (Emergentys)

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An excellent vision of a Christian orthodoxy
a few good bits
The Best of All Worlds
A repentant look at Christianity
McLaren the theologian?

A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I am a missional, evangelical, post/protestant, liberal/conservative, mystical/poetic, biblical, charismatic/contemplative, fundamentalist/calvinist, ... anabaptist/anglican, metho (Emergentys)
Brian D. McLaren
Manufacturer: Zondervan/Youth Specialties
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0310258030

Book Description

By celebrating strengths of many traditions in the church (and beyond), this book will seek to communicate a “generous orthodoxy.”

Customer Reviews:

An excellent vision of a Christian orthodoxy.......2007-09-29

I absolutely loved Brian McLaren's "A New Kind of Christian", a book that opened up a whole new world for me of possibilities of staying within the Christian faith, something on which I had almost given up. Rob Bell's "Velvet Elvis", in a different way, did the same. So I approached this next book by McLaren feeling exceptionally positive towards him and his writing.

I wasn't disappointed. However this book is very different than "A New Kind of Christian". Once you get past the amusingly-titled but a little wordy Chapter 0 McLaren goes on a tour through different denominations and styles within Christianity, highlighting the good points about them (as well as looking at the bad), showing what we can all learn from this part of the church, and taking those good parts in order to build them into a new 'generous' orthodoxy. It's a great idea and it's also good to read a book which is very positive about so many denominations.

Of course there are the negatives, and Brian says that he is from a particular part of the church and so perhaps he gives them a harder time (the conservative evangelical/fundamentalist wing). As this coincides very much with how I feel about that branch of Christianity that's no problem for me but I suppose readers from that tradition might find it uncomfortable reading at times. We're left in no doubt that McLaren is not a big fan of televangelists but he is a strong supporter of the green movement, that he is learning more to value the Roman catholic and Anglican ideas about liturgy and the mystical side of the church.

What works very well is that each of the different elements in the book (missional, evangelical, post/protestant, liberal/conservative, mystical/poetical, biblical etc) get their own chapter where he delves into that tradition/idea and often gives the history of the movement which was fascinating for me with many of these. He seems able to see the bigger picture with many of these denominations and, as usual in his style, he is positive about many things within them. It was good to read an upbeat book although there were also parts where, with Brian, I almost despaired. The chapter arrangement meant that I read this book over a couple of weeks, dipping into a chapter here and there, and it gave me time to mull over what he was saying and to think about the overall point.

I salute Brian McLaren for this excellent look at a generous orthodoxy (or at least working towards creating one), a church for our 21st century which learns from the mistakes of the past but also doesn't throw out the baby with the bathwater but picks up those good aspects of the traditions and incorporates them into our postmodern world. This was an excellent read, a book I am sure I will return to many times, and of course the author's humble writing style is, as always, appealing.

a few good bits.......2007-08-25

Its hard to pin this guy down. he doesn't seem to want to take a stand on much that is not PC. That does make him controversial.

His point about the Bible being narrative theology was well done, though I've thought about the Hebrew taking of the promise land in quite the terms he described. He seems to be open to evolution as an idea, which may bother some, but he doesn't really dwell on this. At one points he mentions that the substitutionary atonement was not in the original creeds and seems to infer that perhaps shouldn't be among our fundamentals (though he doesn't say this directly). Many others, including myself, see this as one of the very foundations of Christian belief and how one can practice the presence of God (which he calls us to) without experiencing this truth atonement puzzles me. I also am not sure what he has against the Patriarchs in the Bible bt he apologises for the fact that patriarchy is there.

His presentation of the Anabaptists was great. So was his presentation of Pentecostals and contemplatives, two groups that aren't often associated. He does sight the reformed faith as being a creed which led to slavery in the new world or at least justified it. As far as I know, it was the Northern part of America which tended to be of the reformed faith and the south (especially the rich slave owning ones) tended to adhere mostly to the Anglican Church. (I am neither)

I would disagree with one of his presuppositions, namely, that we need to change our message because we live in a dynamic context. I disagree. There is nothing new under the sun. The problems of sin, immorality, evil, depression that faced my parent's (and McLaren's) generation are the same today. Our reaction to them maybe different and our culture may be different, but our problems are the same and we need the eternal gospel preached to us, though perhaps in a different form, we need the same message.

The Best of All Worlds.......2007-08-22

Instead of criticizing and bashing those believers and sects of the Christain Faith who see and beleive things differently than he does, Brian McLaren takes a new and novel approach.

Instead of concentrating on and ferreting out things, views and perspectives that divide, sometimes little and insignifican things, he chooses instead to concentrate on things, views, perspectives, beliefs and actions that unite.

He seeks out and finds common ground of Christians of different persuasions...an impressive piece of work, as most of his books are.

Fresh, novel approach...a good addition to Christian thought and literature. An especially good book for those who are beginning to doubt and question the faith as a whole because of the actions of a fanatic few.

A repentant look at Christianity.......2007-06-06

So I had purposely put this book off in my "emerging/emergent" reading list until now because I was afraid of it. I was afraid of it because I heard all sorts of stuff about McLaren's views of scripture, atonement, doctrine, ec --- and I had heard that those views wouldn't jive with a good ole Lutheran boy such as myself.

They were partially right. There are some things in this book that I patently don't agree with because they're not really Scriptural. The whole idea of the Anonymous Christian is one of those ideas that I don't agree with that keep on popping up (an 'Anonymous Christian' is a Christian who doesn't know he/she is a Christian but is a 'Christian' by proxy through being led to do good works --- Click here for an explanation of the Anonymous Christian by Karl Rahner, one of the idea's main proponents) Part of that problem is alleviated for McLaren because he has a different view of Scripture than what I do, one that would be very comfortable in some of the more liberal branches of mainline protestantism.

Liberal theology is no new thing, however. Even the title of this brand of theology that tends to deemphasize Scripture and overemphasize acceptance shows its age. Putting "Liberal" and "Conservative" on opposite ends of a spectrum anymore is like putting "Communist" and "American" on opposite ends --- it still may be true, but it's missing the crux of the argument.

A Generous Orthodoxy seeks to momentarily deprive the reader of their security in their "spectrum opposite" thinking. It shows up on the cover --- an amalgamation of words that seek to explain who Brian McLaren is while being careful not to put him on a spectrum between "Liberal Protestant" and "Fundie" or "Heretic" and "Doctor of the Church."

Some have called this work by McLaren, "a manifesto of the emergent church." That's not what it is. It's a call to repentance that we should maybe pay some attention to no matter if we agree with McLaren on the atonement or not.

Manifestos and heresies often contain one thing that this book is very short on: answers. Don't read this book if you want "5 steps to a better church." First of all - answers don't sell nearly as well as questions do, which McLaren clearly identified when he put out his other book "The Secret Message of Jesus" alongside the DaVinci Code blow up. Instead, read this book if you're one of two kinds of people:
1. You're pretty sure that most everything your church body does and says is without error...even if you wouldn't agree to that sentence in public.
2. You would like to know what kinds of questions are fueling a national drop in church attendance across the United States.

Also - don't read this book if you're trying to figure out what Lutherans believe, because in the 3 or 4 times he mentions us - he gets us way wrong (i.e. McLaren says Lutherans go back and forth in between believing Baptism is a saving work of God instead of a human rite. Wrongo. Lutherans believe Baptism is God's Saving work, period.)

McLaren never went to a seminary. He's kind of a hack when it comes to some of this theological stuff.....ok, maybe amateur is a better way to put it than "hack." What McLaren is good at pointing out, however, is the dissatisfaction with "boomer-churchism" that has given us Emergent Village, Shane Claiborne, and Open Source Theology.

Oh...and no, I wouldn't give this book to an 11 year old to read because it has some glaring problems theologically - but it is hardly the "we're-gonna-burn-this-one-at-the-stake" kind of heretical work that everyone told me it was. Take heart, you're not going to go to hell if you read it as some might tell you, just don't swallow everything you read.

This book doesn't offer answers, but a call to repent. Honestly, that mirrors our own faith lives. We are called to repent because we know something is right. We know that we're not good enough inside to know what the right answer is. For answers we look to God. For questions, sometimes it helps to look at people we disagree with.

McLaren the theologian?.......2007-05-04

This reads like a theological autobiography with McLaren exploring the positive contributions of various theological perspectives. This is the main point of the book and as such it kind of leaves me wondering: What was the point? People who are generous probably already appreciate various perpectives, and those who are not generous will find in this book ample opportunity to attack McLaren on theological grounds - they have plenty of room to do so, because McLaren merely skates over many complex theological and historical issues.

That is why I was bored for the first 215 pages. I have mixed feelings about McLaren's appreciation for various viewpoints of Orthodoxy (and other religions, crf. chpt. 17). On the one hand Christians need to be generous and charitable. On the other hand, I fear that by appreciating all perspectives I wonder if we risk losing the real distinctives of any perspective. This feeds into our current culture's fascination for buffet style religion and doctrine: Take a little of this and a little of that and mix and match to suit your tastes. Fact: McLaren, himself, does not endorse this approach. But this goes back to my above question about what this book accomplishes.

But there is real genius in McLaren's writing and thinking, and this book is no exception. This first reveals itself at page 215:

"Each of these new challenges and opportunities requires Christian leaders to create new forms, new methods, new structures - and it requires them to find new content, new ideas, new truths, new meaning to bring to bear on the new challenges. These new messages are not incompatible with the gospel of the kingdom Jesus taught. No, they are inherent in it, but previously undiscovered, unexpressed, perhaps unimagined."

To conservative theological watchdogs this seems very threatening. However, the faith must be expressed anew in each generation. We can never be satisfied to pass down a doctrinal statement that is devoid of meaning and significance. This is all the more true in this generation where culture is moving at the speed of light. Frankly, I think most conservative theologians simply don't get it. They either are deficient in their understanding of postmodern culture or postmodern theory or both. But McLaren thinks outside of the box and understands the need to radically rethink how we express the Christian faith in the 21st Century. Unfortunately, as he himself would confess, he is no theologian. So, the more he wades into theological waters the more he is out of his element.

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Poetic Rhythm: an Introduction
A very informative book on rhythm
This is the single best book on reading poetry I have found.
If you love poetry, you MUST own this book!!

Poetic Rhythm: An Introduction
Derek Attridge
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521423694

Book Description

This is the first introduction to rhythm and meter that begins where students are: as speakers of English familiar with the rhythms of the spoken word, nursery rhymes, song and rap. Poetic Rhythm builds on this knowledge and experience, moving from basic questions about the rhythms of spoken English to the elaborate achievements of past and present poets. Terminology is straightforward and there are frequent practical exercises. Poetic Rhythm will help readers of English poetry experience and enjoy its power, subtlety and diversity, and will serve as an invaluable tool for those who write or discuss poetry in English.

Customer Reviews:

Poetic Rhythm: an Introduction.......2000-08-15

Derek Attridge radically changed my thinking about poetry and prosody. I have been reading, writing and teaching poetry for many decades and have always felt intuitively that the ideas expressed in this book were correct though unfortunately I lacked the vocabulary to describe them. Speaking as both poet and teacher, I found this book a liberation. Anyone interested in the art of poetry should inhale this book.

A very informative book on rhythm.......1999-04-06

This book starts at the dirt basics of poetic rhythm and scansion and works its way up. It tells about the nitty-gritty in different kinds of meters, and it's helpful for learning what to use rhythm for in poetry (heightened language, etc).

This is the single best book on reading poetry I have found........1999-03-11

Attridge is a careful and helpful reader of English poetry. This book, one of several he has written on the subject, is both elementary and profound. The field is fraught with difficulties and ambiguities, but Attridge sensibly avoids the silly stuff. He provides a helpful summary with each chapter, and numerous exercises that are both instructive and enjoyable. This is the kind of book one feels ought to mark a turning point in the study of prosody. If others may be persuaded to adopt his system of scansion, the field will be enormously rejuvenated. Having read it, one returns to earlier work by Fussell, Gross, Hartman and others wishing they might revise their books accordingly. In any case, the book is spirited, wide-ranging, and important.

If you love poetry, you MUST own this book!!.......1998-03-19

This is absolutely the best book on poetic rhythm I have ever read. You must posess this book if you are, as I am, a student of poetry who wishes to get a feel for how rhythm actually works in English verse. Attridge makes it clear from the start that if you speak English, then you have all the tools you need to understand how rhythm works because you already use those tools whenever you speak. Through numerous examples and exercises you will learn to focus on what you natually do when you read a poem and how it affects the way you understand it. You will find (as I did) that Attridge's distinction between stress verse and sylable stress verse clears up a lot of confusion. There's even a chapter on the rudiments of phrasal anaylsis that will, in my opnion, have you thinking like an expert in no time. I've read the book twice in three weeks I enjoyed it so much. Get the book!

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English, please
Whats the big deal
very pleased
An inspirational analysis
A book to savor .......

The Poetics of Space
Gaston Bachelard
Manufacturer: Beacon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0807064734

Amazon.com

This is a deep, magical, densely captivating book about space, our homes, how we live in them, and how dwellings and space affect us; it is as much a book of philosophy as a work of serious literature. It requires careful, preferably leisurely reading, with the possibility of moments to pause and digest and re-read the words. It will change the way you look at your home and your life, providing a deeper, more insightful relationship with the spaces you occupy.

Book Description

The classic book on how we experience intimate spaces.

"A magical book. . . . A prism through which all worlds from literary creation to housework to aesthetics to carpentry take on enhancedâand enchanted-significances. Every reader of it will never see ordinary spaces in ordinary ways. Instead the reader will see with the soul of the eye, the glint of Gaston Bachelard."
âfrom the foreword by John R. Stilgoe

6473-4 / $15.00tx / paperback

Customer Reviews:

English, please.......2007-06-25

I don't know if the problem is in the content of the book, or in the translation, but the book was almost incomprehensible. Unfortunately, I don't speak French, so I can't read the original and compare them, but I suspect it is the translation, which appeared a bit stilted and unnatural (similar to translations of Frederick Bastiat's The Law, or Pierre Boulle's Planet of the Apes, both of which were oddly worded, although easily readable, and Bastiat wrote more than 150 years ago).

Maybe the translator didn't quite understand the topic, or have a conversational grasp of the English language, either of which would make translating difficult. I almost picked up my Strunk & White's Elements of Style to review their readability formula just to quantify how dense this book was, but restrained myself.

To the reviewers I read before buying this book, now I understand why a number of them wrote things like, "you have to be able to sit back and ponder the book, savoring the words before digesting them." I took this as a sign that there were deep meanings that mesmerized the reader, and looked forward to it. No. To translate that phrase into common English, it means, "the translator has an Oxford English Dictionary and he's going to use it."

Whats the big deal.......2007-02-07

I don't get why this is the bible of architects. Its boring as hell. Sure people are affected by the spaces they inhabit for various conditioning reasons. OK thats obvious but do I need to read a whole book written in pompous philospeak to learn that.

Honestly I put it down half way. Too boring and too many other things to read. Life is short.

very pleased.......2007-01-12

Book itself was in great condition, and was waiting at home for me sooner than expected.

An inspirational analysis.......2006-12-17

This book is hardly new, but Bachelard's analysis of the psychology of space remains as fascinating and lyrical as when it was first published. I've recommended this book to artists and sculptors and students over the years, and they in turn recomend it to others. Bachelard went on to write a book on the poetics of reverie and the "psychoanalysis of fire" but his book on space remains the most readable and the most genuinely poetic.

A book to savor ..............2006-08-27

........ this book is about house and its space and remembrance and meaning. House as protector, memory store, place in the world, construct. This is a philosophy book about house written by a poet, reflecting his views, and other's, on the importance and vital organism that is shelter. If you love word that conjures thought...and love home (whatever that means for you) I believe you will savor this book.

In the Palm of Your Hand: The Poet's Portable Workshop

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Do you think you know something about Poetry?
Vaguely pedestrian
it's this poet's companion
Need a Portable Poet Workshop? Here it is!!!!
It is so great that I want to keep writing!

In the Palm of Your Hand: The Poet's Portable Workshop
Steve Kowit
Manufacturer: Tilbury House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0884481492

Amazon.com

Steve Kowit believes, and rightly so, that poetry should show, not tell. The same could be said for good teaching, which is what makes this volume so remarkable. In In the Palm of Your Hand Kowit employs more than 100 poems and excerpts to illustrate his discussions on everything from metaphor to meter to metaphysics. Working your way through this book--and it is work--is like sitting in on a terrific creative-writing seminar, minus the criticism (both constructive and destructive) of fellow students. If you go by the book, you'll have written at least 69 poems by the end. Because of its explication of the basic tenets of poetry, In the Palm of Your Hand might be mistaken for a beginners' book only. That would be a shame. There are so many good ideas here that more experienced poets won't want to miss out; Kowit has lots of exciting ways to invigorate one's writing. (Here's a favorite quick tip: "A good rule of thumb is never to use a word that you're proud of.") In the Palm of Your Hand is also recommended for members of writing groups who are interested in imposing some kind of structure on their meetings.

Book Description

An illuminating and invaluable guide for beginners wary of modern poetry, as well as for more advanced students who want to sharpen their craft and write poems that expand their technical skills, excite their imaginations, and engage their deepest memories and concerns. Ideal for teachers who have been searching for a way to inspire students with a love for writing--and reading--contemporary poetry.

Customer Reviews:

Do you think you know something about Poetry?.......2007-08-07

As I started to read this book, I thought I had a pretty good idea about poetry. I was totally wrong. I knew nothing at all. In the foreword to this book Dorianne Laux writes:"I was lucky. And now you can be lucky too". I thought that it sounded promising, but then I did not think more about it. As I started reading and after just a couple of pages, I understood what Dorianne Laux meant. If you hold this book in your hand and if you are prepared to discover what Steve Kowit has to show you about the world of poetry - then you are truly lucky. As the title says, you hold the Poetry in the Palm of Your Hand. Go for it!

Vaguely pedestrian.......2006-10-13

I chose this book because of the glowing reviews. I was disappointed. I expected a discussion of the nature of poetry and how it is constructed. What I got was "A process for recovering memories" (Recall a pleasant time in the past., Recall a building in which you once lived., etc.)

I gave this book one star because some of the critiques of the ibcluded poems were interesting although the choices of poems was not. Knowing what I now know, I would pass on this book.

it's this poet's companion.......2006-09-20

Since 1996, I have kept this book handy on my nightstand and carried it with me on every vacation I take, just to make sure it is accessible when I am ready to learn more about reading poetry, to improve my writing of poetry, to give myself assignments for writing, or just to read and re-read some of the beautiful samples included inside. I have and have utilized a number of "poetry handbooks," but find this one the best. It is just a great book for anyone interested in poetry from any angle. It is also helpful for discovering new poets, too, as the samples included are drawn from a wide body of authors.

Need a Portable Poet Workshop? Here it is!!!!.......2006-04-08

Don't have the funds for a Poetry Workshop but want to improve your writing? Here it is! This is a wonderful book. It contains tons of exercises, practices and methods of improving your work! I highly recommend it!

It is so great that I want to keep writing!.......2006-03-22

This book came to me as an excersize work book. I started it and realized that he was reaching a goal with the way he handled the teachings.

I stuck to each and every lesson and poem assignment. If it meant research, I took a trip to the library. I would put my mind, body and soul into what I would put on paper. My old poems were redone to boot. My friends saw my revised poems and went "Oh WOW! And this is from the studies from this book?"

I highly suggest any poet, beginner, intermediate or advanced, to do read this book. It was from my open-mindedness and my perserverance to do each exercise with ferver.

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Share the ambivalence
Ungenerous Hypocrisy
Generous? I think so
Generous indeed
This book proves only one thing

A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I Am a Missional, Evangelical, Post/Protestant, Liberal/Conservative, Mystical/Poetic, Biblical, Charismatic/Contemplative, Fundamentalist/Calvinist, Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Green, Incarnational, Depressed-yet-Hopeful, Emergent, Unfinished CHRISTIAN
Brian D. McLaren
Manufacturer: Zondervan/Youth Specialties
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0310257476

Book Description

By celebrating strengths of many traditions in the church (and beyond), this book will seek to communicate a “generous orthodoxy.”

Customer Reviews:

Share the ambivalence.......2007-09-28

The one thing I most appreciate about this book is how clearly MacLaren shares his own ambivalence and his own internal struggle over theological issues. His candor is something not always seen in members of the clergy, much less in people who are publishing about their faith.

If you don't like long, convoluted sentence structure (see Faulkner here), you'll likely have trouble taking much away from this book. I think it's unfortunate that his writing style does manage to make his ideas so much less accessible for some people.

Ungenerous Hypocrisy .......2007-08-30

McLaren takes aim mostly at the Evangelical culture and Lord knows we need to get smacked down, but what he fails to understand is how dogmatic, prideful and just plain wrong his spiritually enlightened comrades are on many counts. Case in point is his fawning over environmentalists while he takes hypocritical fundamentalists to task for using scare tactics. I've worked on an environmental issue for four years and daily witness unbelievable slander and misinformation being spread by the leading green groups who use junk science and emotion to lie. This is precisely what McLaren accuses overzealous evangelicals of doing and of course there's some truth to that charge. But the fact that he self righteously hails his environmentalist friends as noble and heroic exposes the weakness of this book, and McLaren's lack of credibility in general.

Generous? I think so.......2007-08-12

After reading this book as well as the reviews that were written here, this book appears to be a big mirror held up for the reader. Those who take themselves too seriously (you'll read many reviews by these folks), those who have built up a large, rule-based "religion", and watch-dog alarmists will not like what they read/see. Those who can take something simply for what it is (not what they want it to be), are open minded yet Biblically ground, and don't mind reading a book that will challenge some of their doctrinal and cultural biases, will thoroughly enjoy this book.
The reason I only gave it 4 stars was because some of the disclaimers in the book got a little old...although after reading the reviews here I can see why he needed to add them. The style of writing is very light...but occasionally almost too light.
In general, I thought this was a great book to sit down with other Christians and discuss and McLaren has some great thoughts on the church and it's direction.

Generous indeed.......2007-07-22

I bought this book because I am really interested in becoming more conversant in the new "emergent" or "open" theology. I suppose that McLaren does a good job of representing the prevailing emergent views, from what I have read in other places. But although his theology is "generous", one wonders how seriously it should be taken. It strikes me as a throw-back to the Jesus movement in the 60's, when people said, "all I need is Jesus". Well, isn't Jesus all we need in 2007? It's a kind of unanswerable question. Of course all we need is Jesus. Of course Jesus was generous and loving. Of course God's arms extend wider than the church is comfortable in admitting. But should we throw out the last two millennia of theology and buy something that we have "missed" until the last 10 years? I think not. This new theology is shallow, and a hair-breadth from Universalistic.

I find McLaren's book to be thought provoking and perhaps a kind of correction to some of modern evangelicalism. But this book, written by an admitted non-theologian with little theological training, must be taken with a grain of salt, at least. He is terribly prone to overgeneralizations, setting up "straw men", and misrepresentations of views other than his own. And his definition of "post modernity" and the resulting disdain for "modernity" is troubling. And is this book biblical? I should have started the review with that question... No, it is not. McLaren does little more than proof-text.

My enthusiastic advice: Do not read this book without some sort of balance or counterpoint readily at hand. D.A. Carson's book, "Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church" is a must read if you are going to read McLaren's works!

This book proves only one thing.......2007-06-19

The title of this book and the writing within proves only one thing: that Mr. McLaren is not a 'true' Christian in any sense of the word. One cannot have the Holy Spirit residing within and believe that their is any way to God other than Jesus. Also, unless Mr. McLaren repents and receives the One who died and shed His blood for him, he will discover that their really is a literal hell, something he states that he does not believe in. All true Christians must pray for this man who is being used by our enemy to deceive many.

Average customer rating:

"poetry for those who are severely retarded," would have been a better title.
A great read
Helpful for beginners!
Never Expected it to Be This Good.....
Simplifying the Obscure in Poetry

Poetry for Dummies
The Poetry Center , and John Timpane
Manufacturer: For Dummies
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ASIN: 0764552724

Book Description

Sometimes it seems like there are as many definitions of poetry as there are poems. Coleridge defined poetry as “the best words in the best order.” St. Augustine called it “the Devil’s wine.” For Shelley, poetry was “the record of the best and happiest moments of the happiest and best minds.” But no matter how you define it, poetry has exercised a hold upon the hearts and minds of people for more than five millennia. That’s because for the attentive reader, poetry has the power to send chills shooting down the spine and lightning bolts flashing in the brain — to throw open the doors of perception and hone our sensibilities to a scalpel’s edge.

Poetry For Dummies is a great guide to reading and writing poems, not only for beginners, but for anyone interested in verse. From Homer to Basho, Chaucer to Rumi, Shelley to Ginsberg, it introduces you to poetry’s greatest practitioners. It arms you with the tools you need to understand and appreciate poetry in all its forms, and to explore your own talent as a poet. Discover how to:

Understand poetic language and forms
Interpret poems
Get a handle on poetry through the ages
Find poetry readings near you
Write your own poems
Shop your work around to publishers

Don’t know the difference between an iamb and a trochee? Worry not, this friendly guide demystifies the jargon, and it covers a lot more ground besides, including:

Understanding subject, tone, narrative; and poetic language
Mastering the three steps to interpretation
Facing the challenges of older poetry
Exploring 5,000 years of verse, from Mesopotamia to the global village
Writing open-form poetry
Working with traditional forms of verse
Writing exercises for aspiring poets
Getting published

From Sappho to Clark Coolidge, and just about everyone in between, Poetry For Dummies puts you in touch with the greats of modern and ancient poetry. Need guidance on composing a ghazal, a tanka, a sestina, or a psalm? This is the book for you.

Customer Reviews:

"poetry for those who are severely retarded," would have been a better title........2007-05-06

i recently decided to have a go at the world of poetry. so i armed myself with a half-dozen, or so, books on the subject. this was one of them. I am a dummy. I am not retarded beyond hope, as the dummies who put this crappy book together seem to think. i bought it based on a blurb on the front cover by lawrence ferlinghetti, who i have heard is a highly regarded poet. I do not know what is going on here, but mr ferlinghetti should be ashamed of himself, calling this book "wonderful." let me share with you just a few bon mots from this thing. on page 11 we get this bit of wisdom: "Poetry isn't the only way of using language to make art, of course - for example, short stories and novels are works of art, too." REALLY. WHAT A REVELATION. let's now check out some advise on page 14: "Your local library is a great source for poetry - and best of all, it's free! When you visit your library, ask the librarian where the poetry section is." GREAT STUFF. But page 21 has something even better. Check this out: "If you really like certain lines, reread and enjoy them again." INCREDIBLE ADVICE. I would have never thought of that myself. and it just goes on and on. page 28 tells the reader this: "Become as sensitive as you can, both to life and to language." BRILLIANT. And check out this nugget of wisdom from page 31: "When you read poetry, make sure you're open to what the poem is about. Your frame of mind is best when you're Alert. Pay close attention to the poem." WOW. HEAVY. I could go on & on here, but i'll share just one more. this is perhaps my favorite. from page 41 comes this genius observation: "Language is what successful poets are good with. Whether they're born or made, poets are language people." POETS ARE LANGUAGE PEOPLE! Glad that was cleared up for me. Holy mackerel, people. what is going on out in the world? every other person who reviewed this book gave it 5 stars. FIVE! gee, i wonder why the world is a mess? anyway, if you are thinking about buying this book, i have shared with you a glimpse of the wisdom to be found between its covers. you decide. but if you have two brain cells to rub together, i would avoid this horrible waste of money like the plague.

A great read.......2007-01-07

The authors have a gift for writing good simple prose as well as good poetry. Like others I had my doubts about this book but it was a surprise. It was so well written that I found it hard to put down. I've read it many times but still have it close by to aid me in my poetic jottings. What I liked best was their style of writing, very hip and trendy. It brings poetry into the 21st century.

Helpful for beginners! .......2006-06-20

It's good for getting acquainted with some famous poets and some poetic forms. I'd recommend it for high school students. For those with basic knowledge of poetry and meters and scheme, I'd recommend "How to Read a Poem: and fall in love with poetry" by Edward Hirsch, which helps with the art of interpreting. But it's not as easy reading as this book (which I applaud for it simplicity).

Never Expected it to Be This Good............2004-03-28

Poetry for Dummies was another of those books I was really hoping I didn't like. The whole "For Dummies" series gets on my nerves to begin with, so it is double trouble when I picked this title up and found it valuable on so many counts.

The opening section: Poetry 101 is an excellent read and in and of itself makes the book worth the purchase.

Each chapter clearly marks the intent across the top and is chock filled with check lists, hints and suggestions for the reader AND the practicing (new and old alike) poet. I was thinking, "This will all be old hat, I am sure" until I saw the authors include the staff from The Poetry Center in San Francisco.

What poet or poet-in-the-making doesn't nod, smile and point when we read this affirmation? "Poetry has more meaning, music and emotion per words, per syllable, per letter than any other kind of writing." (I could have sworn I heard an "Amen!" from the crowd or maybe... that was me.)

The book also includes some very valuable appendices with websites and poetry organizations.

Excellent resource for all poets and the people who love them. Check this one out.

Simplifying the Obscure in Poetry.......2001-12-31

Poetry For Dummies is the first book of its kind to be readable, sensible and understandable. For the novice or the more proficient, it is a great source book. Lots of innovative ideas and suggestions as well as rock solid poetic info! The college course I took in Creative Poetry (an upper division course!) didn't give me the easy access and insight that this book did.
Guess I qualify as a "Dummie!"

Average customer rating:

Greatest Creative Writing Book since Writing Down the Bones!
Delightful!
Crazy about PoemCrazy !
Love it
Great exercises, teaching that touches. Not just for poets

Poemcrazy: Freeing Your Life with Words
Susan G. Wooldridge
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0609800981
Release Date: 1997-04-01

Amazon.com

Poemcrazy is the poetic analog to Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird or Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones, two classic works on how to forget that you "can't write" and just start the pen moving. Susan Wooldridge is a swimming instructor in the wide ocean of language, encouraging us to move ever farther from the shore, dive deep, and dance on the waves.

Book Description

Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge is a poet and teacher who conducts workshops privately, as well as in the California Poets in the Schools program. Her exuberant, critically acclaimed teaching guide takes instructors, writers, and general readers into the very heart and intensity of life and the craft of expressing what one feels therefrom through the written word.

Customer Reviews:

Greatest Creative Writing Book since Writing Down the Bones!.......2007-08-17

This is a great book for writers as well as lovers of poetry, perhaps even those who just love words and language.
We get a peek into the author's creative life and mind.
She gives writing suggestions with spark and spunk.
Her enthusiasm jumps off of every page, just as she herself leaps in joy on the cover of the book.

Delightful!.......2007-05-02

I just finished reading my 50th book this year, "Poemcrazy: Freeing Your Life with Words" by Susan G. Wooldridge. The entire book is a poem in the form of essays on reading and writing poetry. There are some great ideas for releasing your "inner poet" as well. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. I bought this for myself as a birthday present. I always give myself the perfect gift!

Here is an excerpt that describes my feelings about poetry exactly:

"I can't stand to lose anything. That's part of what all this writing is about for me. I create a container around me so I won't lose myself. I won't just evaporate into the univers unannouced or undefined. I write to catch myself. Me. Who is me?

I'm a row of little black books filled with tiny writing. I'm pasted-in pictures, scribbles, drawings and poems.

"It's hard for me to see myself. When I put words on paper, in poems, in journals, there's evidence I exist. Here's my beauty, my vanity, fear, joy, loneliness. Me. If I put words in poems, I can begin to see my value. A mirror shows me my face, a poem shows me my soul." -- Susan G. Wooldridge

Highly recommended!

Crazy about PoemCrazy !.......2007-04-16

***************** Needs more stars ! This little book is one of the best books you will ever buy in your life. I had so much fun reading it and writing poems based on her specific creative inspirational suggestions. Don't think about it -- Buy it ! The cover tells the whole story. That is what this book's about. It captures Susan Wooldridge's spirit !

Love it.......2007-03-19

I'm an aspiring poet and for me this book is great. I also use what I learn in the book to introduce my children to poetry. This is a real winner!

Great exercises, teaching that touches. Not just for poets.......2006-12-20

This highly personal work is not only a delight to read, it is also a great textbook on writing poems, creativity, and word crafting using imagery. The book appears thin, but its 60 short chapters spanning 200 pages are jammed with creative ways to write poetically. These exercises interrupt your reading and force you to do (sometimes embarrassingly) creative things that unearth rich word details.

The author's approach to active creativity and her delightful exercises force me to return to this book often. Highly recommended for anyone who writes.

Average customer rating:

A failed text
A Good, but Conservative, Anthology
A wonderful textbook on poetry.
This Is A Textbook?
Good variety!

An Introduction to Poetry
X. J. Kennedy , and Dana Gioia
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0321470346

Book Description

Kennedy/Gioia's An Introduction to Poetry, 12e continues to inspire readers and writers with a rich collection of poems and engaging insights on reading, analyzing, and writing about poetry.

This bestselling anthology includes more than 500 of the discipline's greatest poems, blending classic works and contemporary selections. Both noted poets themselves, the text's editors X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia write of their subject with wit and a contagious enthusiasm. Informative, accessible apparatus presents readable discussions of the literary devices, illustrated by apt works, and supported by interludes with the poets. This edition features more than 50 new poems, a new masterwork casebook on T. S. Eliot’s âThe Love Songs of J. Alfred Prufrock," extensively revised and expanded chapters on writing, and a fresh new design.

New students of poetry.

Customer Reviews:

A failed text.......2007-08-15

I'm sorry to adopt an irritated tone, but in complete disagreement with the admiring reviewers, I perceive this as a failure in introducing beginning students to the beauty, complexity, and art of poetry. In all aspects, I found it far less useful and intelligent than Helen Vendler's "Poems, Poets, Poetry." (I believe that critical essays on difficult poems, however useful, have no place in an introductory text.)

Having acquired the "skills" purveyed in Kennedy and Gioia, I used to read poetry with almost complete incomprehension. Then, by good luck, I found Vendler's book, in all ways a purge and salvation from this vacant attempt. ("Poems, Poets, Poetry" has nothing to do with the continued bafflement before masterful poems.)

Seriously: if you're interested in a rigorous and complete beginning poetry text, please consult Vendler's, or the venerable Brooks/Warren "Understanding Poetry," or even the Norton Introduction to Poetry--both less useful than "Poems, Poets, Poetry," but far superior to Kennedy and Gioia's inert, uninformative, uninteresting book.

A Good, but Conservative, Anthology.......2007-02-26

Much to like in this book; despite a lot of dreary examples of ancient poets writing drearily about dreary topics, there's actually a very good selection of vigorous, interesting stuff from the modern era. I can highly recommend the book as a whole, but do pity the beginning student trying to wade through the dry-as-dust academic treatment of some topics and poets. Despite the impeccable credentials and good intentions of the editors, they pick 'way too many pre-20th century poets whose intellectual milieu is totally lame, man, and they too often "academize" and make dull what could be lively, fresh, and compelling. I'd hope that X.J. and Dana would think hard about what it's like for a college freshman to be confronted with turgid, overly-long, and frankly unimaginative essays such as the one that launches this volume: "Reading a Poem," instead of sparking some real interest through any of thousands of current-day examples that might really hook post-literate teenagers, drags out a piece of road-kill by W.B. Yeats (Lake Isle of Innisfree), follows with a museum-piece by D.H. Lawrence, and then astoundingly unearths a bland piece by 22-year-old Adrienne Rich (written before she learned how to set a page on fire and leave nothing but holy ash behind). Too many of the introductory sections have this faded, trudging-toward-M.A. feel, which is too bad, since the overall selection of poems (setting aside the overrepresentation of dead white European males) is pretty darned good, and you've gotta know that these two editors do have more salsa on their burritoes than they're admitting to in this book.

A wonderful textbook on poetry........2006-11-04

This was a wonderful book, very easy to read, and including hundreds of poems of all eras and genres... it provides a good education on poetic forms and ideas, with each chapter including many examples of the topic being discussed... and at the end there is a huge anthology of poems, many of which were new to me, which made it a real bonus.

This Is A Textbook?.......2004-05-26

Maybe I shouldn't have even used the term "textbook". After all that word generally connotes a book that is tedious, dry and full of obscure jargon. This is a different book, however. It is indeed a sprightly introduction to poetry that informs and entertains. It has sections on Irony, Tone, Words, Metaphors, Sound, Rhythm, Form, Symbol, Myth, and Narrative, just to mention a few.

The discussion of each topic is illustrated by the provision of relevant poems. The poems are generally analyzed, and the reader is asked pertinent questions about them. I can't praise the authors enough for their choice of poems. Most are relatively brief works, but they are excellent examples of the topic at hand.

What could be a better poem exemplifying Irony than this little classic deploring child labor written by Sarah N. Cleghorn in 1917:

The golf links lie so near the mill/That almost every day/The laboring children can look out/ And see the men at play.

There are many other goodies in this book:

1. A chapter that provides poems and brief critical essays on the works of Langston Hughes, and Emily Dickinson.
2. A section that provides brief but informative biographies of many of the poets represented in the book.
3. A large chapter of more poems for reading and enjoying. These are very accomplished poems that are generally very accessible to the general reader.
4. A section on literary criticism. Yes, I know that is a dreaded term, but the authors do a good job of clearly presenting the material -even when deconstructionism is the topic- and provide brief extracts from noted literary critics.
5. At the end of the book is a convenient glossary of literary terms.
6. For those who become enthused about writing poetry there is a chapter covering this topic.

There are other introductory books on the market (such as "The Poetry Reader's Toolkit", by Marc Polonsky, and the venerable "Understanding Poetry" by Cleanth Brooks), but this is a truly astounding work. It's a big book of over 700 pages that is guaranteed to make any reader a poetry lover..

Good variety!.......2001-12-16

This book offers a great collection of poetry and background information on many poets. Walks through poetry lingo with the reader, great educational source for teachers of literature!!

The Making of a Poem: A Norton Anthology of Poetic Forms

Average customer rating:

A Good Intro
for high school
Better Books Available
Thumbs Down
Great reference!

The Making of a Poem: A Norton Anthology of Poetic Forms

Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0393321789

Amazon.com

The Making of a Poem is among the best how-to-read-poetry titles. Edited by two of our greatest living poets, one Irish and female, the other American and male, it is both an exploration of poetic forms and an anthology. Eavan Boland and Mark Strand each offer an introduction and then give us a series of chapters devoted to particular verse forms--the sonnet, the ballad, the sestina, the villanelle, blank verse, the stanza--as well as a long section devoted to what they somewhat vaguely call shaping forms. This refers to poetic structures established not by a specific rhyme and/or metrical pattern but by content: the elegy, for example, or the pastoral or ode. The book then concludes with a section on open forms. Each chapter is conveniently subdivided, each topic simply defined: a single page gives "The Ballad at a Glance" (or, for that matter, the pantoum) as a quick overview of the form's structure. A page or two on the history of the form follows, along with a brief comment on "the contemporary context." Then a chronological anthology of poems demonstrates the particular form. In the sonnet's case, for instance, we are treated to 23 brilliantly chosen examples--everything from Shakespeare's "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" to Seamus Heaney's "The Haw Lantern" to Mary Jo Salter's playful "Half a Double Sonnet." The section then concludes with another brief analysis of one example. In this spot, the villanelle features Elizabeth Bishop's classic heartbreaker, "One Art," and blank verse gives us far too brief a take on Robert Frost's tantalizing "Directive." Itself worth the price of admission, the poem begins:

Back out of all this now too much for us,
Back in a time made simply by the loss
of detail, burned, dissolved, and broken off
Like graveyard marble sculpture in the weather,
There is a house that is no more than a house
Upon a farm that is no more than a farm
And in a town that is no more than a town.

One can readily see both the advantages and the limitations of such a format: definitions are kept lean, at times approaching the sound bite, and the short sentences and brief paragraphs often seem designed for a readership more accustomed to journalism than to the complexities of Dante (see, for example, the one-page history of the sestina). All of this looks like an attempt to reach an audience of both college students and general readers. While more information might help (brief comments on why certain poems in the anthology are defined as odes, pastorals, or elegies, for example), the bottom line is that The Making of a Poem does an excellent job of taking the inexperienced reader inside the mystery of poetic form. In these terms the volume succeeds, giving us a way into the history of poetry, along with an excellent anthology as a starting point for a deeper exploration of the glories of the genre. --Doug Thorpe

Book Description

Two beloved and esteemed poets have collaborated on this intimate and useful anthology illuminating the history, practice, and wonder of our most elusive art. Intended for all those who love poetry, including teachers, readers, writers, and students, The Making of a Poem will be especially valued by those who feel that an understanding of form—sonnet, ballad, villanelle, sestina, etc.—would enhance their appreciation of poetry, but are daunted by the terms, the names, and the histories of various poetic forms. This anthology draws the reader in, by example and explanation, to the excitement and entertainment of these forms. It explains their origins, traces their development, and shows examples from the past and present. In a feature called "The form at a glance" the reader can try his or her own hand writing a particular form. Included are essays by each of the editors describing their own personal journeys toward a form for their poetic voice. Above all, this anthology shows that poetic form is a continuing adventure. Contemporary poets can be seen here trying out the same forms that poets used hundreds of years ago, but in the new circumstances of a complicated modern world. In this way poetic form is illustrated not as a series of rules, but as a passionate conversation in which every reader of poetry can become involved.

Customer Reviews:

A Good Intro.......2007-03-27

This was a good introduction to poetic forms, giving clear definitions of villanelles, sestinas, sonnets, etc. As a matter of personal choice, I found some of the poems not particularly apt for the poetic form they were trying to define: why was Keats' "Ode on a Grecian Urn" in the "Pastoral" chapter and not the "Ode" chapter? The editors seemed to make arbitrary choices that were sometimes off-kilter. Otherwise, the selection of poems was quite good. As for the complaints about Eurocentrism...let's be honest if not politically correct: nearly all poetic forms in classical poetry were created by Eurocentrist poets. And this book is about classical forms of poetry and how contemporary and modern poets adapted to those forms.

for high school.......2007-01-09

While objections might be appropriate for high-end poets and advanced university students, I have found this book quite helpful at an introductory high school level. It is short and to the point, and does not overly discourage a young student trying to become acquainted with traditional poetic forms.

Better Books Available.......2006-07-03

This book is about writing poetry. It is not about the content of a poem, it is about the formal structure. The authors compile descriptions of seven poetic forms (eight, if you count stanza as a form, as the authors inexplicably do) and three thematic categories. Following each description is a long list of examples of the forms, from the point when each form entered English up to... well, up to...

And that's where we run into the first problem with this book. There are good poets out there writing sonnets and sestinas today, but if the authors are to be believed, formal poetry came to a juddering halt when Robert Frost died. As a reader of poetry, I like Dylan Thomas, Robert Browning, and William Shakespeare, but if a student learning poetry uses this book as the yardstick of where these forms are right now, that student will at best be over forty years out of date.

That's not to suggest that the selections of poems in this book aren't good. They are. Not only do the compilers select the best poets of days gone by, but they select the best examples of the work of those poets. But the selection is slanted in favor of the past. To be really useful a book needs to include both a historical overview of a form and a synoptic look at where poetry lives right now.

Likewise, the selection of forms is brief. I like villanelles and ballads as much as the next guy, but would it really break the editors to dedicate a little more space to ghazals, cinquains, tercets, and haiku? The selection of forms in this book is very introductory, limited to the forms the editors could find in English in profusion. Perhaps somebody fairly new to poetry, who hasn't learned what the forms are and how they work, will find this collection useful. But a poet eager to make the leap beyond mere beginner status will be frustrated with this book.

This book isn't bad. What it does focus on, it focuses on in depth and fairly globally (as much as limiting the selection to English can be global). For beginners, this book may well be a handy introduction to versification. But for those who have been writing for a while, and those who want to move beyond the beginning, there are better books available. Take your time to comparison-shop, ask more experienced poets, and just read. Because you will find books that suit your needs far better than this one.

Thumbs Down.......2006-04-15

The examples are archaic, the introductory material weak, the discussion of how to write cursory.

Save your money for STRONG MEASURES by Dacey and Jauss, a much more expensive book, but worth it many times over.

Great reference!.......2006-03-28

If you're studying poetry for pleasure or for school, you need this book.

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