The Poetry Toolkit

Poetry is a core part of the undergraduate English curriculum but is seen as particularly difficult and students often find it intimidating. This guide helps to build the knowledge and tools needed to tackle poetry with confidence.Poetry is a central part of literary study but is often seen as intimidating due to its apparent complexity and the difficulties in getting to grips with its terminology. "The Poetry Toolkit" helps students starting to study poetry by giving clear and concise guidance for reading and writing about poetry in a easy-to-use format. By providing accessible commentary on the formal traditions of poetry across the ages - and by emphasising the empowering effect of technical vocabulary - this book is designed to foster confidence and enjoyment.Its simple and clear explanations of key terms, genres and concepts enables readers to develop a richer, more sophisticated approach to reading, thinking and writing about poems.
Moving from introductory overviews to a series of short sections on key concepts, forms and topics, each entry includes a technical definition, an overview of its historical and cultural significance, illustrative examples from a range of poems and finally further reading and suggestions for further work.Through this unique combination of introductory survey essays followed by user-friendly entries on technical terms, "The Poetry Toolkit" offers a practical solution to the difficulties of reading and writing about poetry. It will provide students with the key tools needed to read, study and write about poetry with confidence.