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/lit/ - Literature

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16577892 No.16577892 [Reply] [Original]

Before some of you start throwing a tantrum, I should note that I have read the text on the /lit/ wiki.
But, I still can't choose the book about the theory of poetry to start with. I was thinking about Mary Olivers's A Poetry Handbook, but I'm not sure if it will teach me meter, figurative language and other important characteristics of a poem.
Also, I should note that I, unfortunately, currently don't have much time for reading, so can you, anons, recommend me something that isn't too long?

>> No.16577910

I don't know if you need those things necessarily. Why don't you just read a poem and, if you really care about the autistic poetic terminology, look up what kind of meter it's in afterwards?

>> No.16577921
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16577921

Don't read theory. Read poetry. Read it in your native language, read it in your second language, read it in direct translation, read it in indirect translation. Write a few verses, become ashamed of yourself and trash them. Learn folk poetry and write it (if you can play an instrument, even better). Go out in the world, plant your feet in the sand, in a mound of dirt. Take a dip in the salty seas or swim in a nearby lake. Just please don't read theory. It is boring, nobody cares about it, it isn't illuminating. It won't help you understand the poets, nor will it make you a better poet. It's just a black hole of death.

>> No.16577925
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16577925

>>16577892
I think one of the best things you can do for yourself is just work though Stephen Fry's The Ode Less Traveled.

Also, not necessarily a be-all, end-all source for theory, but I really like Louise Gluck's on poetry criticism.

Don't forget to have fun!

>> No.16579427

What are your goals? Are you trying to improve your writing? I don't like Mary Oliver's poems and don't trust her to be a good guide to the subject, but I could be mistaken. One favorite I always recommend is James Fenton's "The Strength of English Poetry." It varies in density and topic, and has a few piquant anecdotes.