The Craft of Poetry

This was a clever, interesting and accessible book covering the various components of poetry. It is spilt into 5 parts - foundations, figures, techniques and concepts. 

This isn’t your average poetry craft book, instead each concept is told through a poem, introducing you to each one, allowing you to get a small glimpse as it what it’s about. 

I loved this - there were no massive blocks of paragraphs and no complicated explanations of what they were about. It’s perfect for anyone starting our writing poetry or even for someone who is interested in a fresh take on the world of crafting poetry.

It was a brave move from Author/Poet Lucy Newlyn to structure ‘The Craft of Poetry’ as a collection of poetry styles linked to together by a meander through a village in North Yorkshire but the final result is a well connected and excellent introduction to poetry in all it's forms.

This is the sort of book that would make an excellent addition to any poetry curriculum, course or reading group allowing the reader to obtain an understanding of differing poetry styles while opening up paths to discover more about individual styles that appeal to the reader.

The author mentions in the introduction that they hope to:

“… build a bridge between academic and practical methods … introduce and exemplify key poetic figures, techniques, forms and concepts.”

A goal that is well achieved throughout the book.

Highly recommended for anyone as both an introduction to the form or as a reference example of poetry forms.

This collection of nature poems has a fascinating concept: it's a book that teaches you how to read it as it goes.

The poems are grouped under sections such as foundations, figures, techniques, and form. I love the poems on onomatopoeia and metrical feet, which I can see being used to teach the concepts very effectively in classrooms - part of the poet’s stated intent.

It does help if you have some understanding of the poems’ headings (which include Chiasmic Rhyme and Archaism) to get the full appreciation of what they’re trying to do, but for learning and illumination on the techniques of poetry, they’re really useful, and the poetry is accessible even if you’ve got no interest in learning the difference between symbol and allegory.

This marvellous, innovative guide to poetry will leave you wondering why nobody else has thought to write such a book before. I've read a few poetry guides over the years and while they've nearly all provided me with useful technical information concerning the composition or appreciation of poetry, few have stayed with me as satisfying reading experiences in their own right. With The Craft of Poetry, Lucy Newlyn has written an enjoyable, playful volume of poetry that reveals its machinery while it entertains. This is an enriching book for both readers and writers.

She begins with a memory, of time spent on the banks of a stream, and then returns to this place over and over again in poems that employ an array of techniques and forms. The scope of the book is huge: there are poems that define common poetic terms (metaphor, allegory, ballad, tone) and poems for terms much less familiar (polysemy, virelay, aubade, anacoluthon). But the explorations of craft here are never dry, we engage with the concepts while reading image-rich, skilful poems that remain a pleasure to read. The book that came to my mind was Queneau's masterpiece Exercises in Style (a book Newlyn mentions in her afterword), but that was a work of prose, I can't recall coming across any work similar in relation to poetry.

I received an advanced copy in e-format in return for an honest review, but I will be seeking out a hard copy upon release (I see I've made 34 highlights in the e-book on my first reading); this is a book I will return to. The Craft of Poetry will be a great tool for writers looking for inspiration, readers of poetry who want a deeper understand of how good poetry casts its spell on us, and for any teachers of writing/English.

Written entirely in verse, this handbook shows rather than tells us how to write poetry. Divided into five sections, Newlyn covers poetry foundations, figures, techniques, forms, and concepts. The poems take the reader on a journey, walking us through a village in North Yorkshire and exploring its beauty while demonstrating an incredible range of techniques. The result is an original, absorbing, and accessible guide that also stands on its own as an enchanting poetry collection.