Author David Orr argues that “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost is both the best known and most misunderstood American poem.
Poetic Voices: Shelley Puhak and Jennifer K. Sweeney
Two recent poetry collections, by Shelley Puhak and Jennifer Sweeney, illustrate how well poetry can convey the idea of longing.
Poetic Voices: Molly Fisk and Miriam Bird Greenberg
Imagery is a critical aspect of poetry, and using it well, as Molly Fisk and Miriam Bird Greenberg do, significantly enhances the strength of the writing.
Poetic Voices: Paula Marie Coomer and Donna Vorreyer
Poets Donna Vorreyer and Paula Marie Coomer write about their lives, showing us that poetry is work and it is like windows into the soul.
Poetic Voices: Megan Fernandes and Sandra Marchetti
Two poets – Megan Fernandes and Sandra Marchetti – write words that linger in the memory long after the books are closed.
How to Write a Poetry Review
One approach for how to write a poetry review is to follow the “Five Ws and One H” that flowed from the journalism philosophy of Walter Lippman.
Poets and Poems: Susan Lewis
Poet Susan Lewis asks how we can fully understand each other, and she does it within the frameworks of both prose poetry and the more familiar verse form.
The 6 Most Overused Words in Poetry Reviews
Six words are nominated for the “Most Overused Words in Poetry Reviews Hall of Fame.” And three more are contenders.
Poetic Voices: Rachel Heimowitz and J.L. Jacobs
In recent collections Rachel Heimowitz and J.L. Jacobs deal with the sense of place – contemporary Israel and the places of childhood and imagination.
Poetic Voices: Jehanne Dubrow and Sally Kindred
Jehanne Dubrow uses form and substance for the poems of “The Arranged Marriage, ” while Sally Rosen Kindred uses the metaphor of flowers in Book of Asters.
Poets and Poems: Sarah Blake and “Mr. West”
Poet Sarah Blake wrote 46 poems about rapper Kanye West, an “unauthorized biography” that speaks profoundly about popular culture today.
Poetic Voices: Sheila Squillante and Jessica Goodfellow
The poetry of both Sheila Squillante and Jessica Goodfellow presents the familiar in completely new terms, clarifying or uncovering insights and ideas.
Poetic Voices: Allison Carter and Maggie Smith
Allison Carter explores echoes and space, calling them ghosts, while poet Maggie Smith creates fables for contemporary readers.
Poets and Poems: Wendell Berry and “Terrapin”
The poems of “Terrapin and Other Poems” by Wendell Berry contain an essential and childlike innocence; the illustrations by Tom Pohrt match that innocence.
Poetic Voices: Susan Lewis and Katherine Hoerth
Susan Lewis and Katharine Hoerth approach poetry from two different directions: Lewis with the prose poem form and Hoerth anchored in geography.
Poetic Voices: Karen Paul Holmes and Claire Trevien
Karen Paul Holmes and Claire Trevien examine marriage failure and the problems of living in a shipwrecked house, respectively, in recent poetry collections.
Poetic Voices: Jessica Goodfellow and Michalle Gould
Jessica Goodfellow tackles the poetry of natural elements, while Michalle Gould consider the artistic imagination engaging the meaning of death.
Poets and Poems: Daniel Bowman Jr.’s “A Plum Tree in Leatherstocking Country”
“A Plum Tree in Leatherstocking Country” by Daniel Bowman Jr.is a beautiful collection, poems of quiet, reflection, and memory.
Poets and Poems: Tania Pryputniewicz and “November Butterfly”
“November Butterfly” by Tania Pryputniewicz does what often only poetry can do – rework a familiar subject into a different (and intriguing) understanding.
Poets and Poems: Jeannine Hall Gailey and “The Robot Scientist’s Daughter”
“The Robot Scientist’s Daughter” by Jeannine Hall Gailey is a story of point-counterpoint of nature and technology, and the bargain we make between them.