Dianne White

I wish our clever young poets would remember my homely definitions of prose and poetry; that is, prose,—words in their best order; poetry,—the best words in their best order. Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Over the next few months, I expect to be adding titles and other resources to this list.   Here are a few favorites to get things started…

Awakening the Heart: Exploring Poetry in Elementary and Middle School (Heinemann, 1999) and

For the Good of the Earth and Sun: Teaching Poetry (Heinemann, 1989), both by Georgia Heard, are  wonderful books about teaching, writing, and encouraging poetry in your own life and the lives of your students.  I’ve found chapter 4 in Awakening the Heart, on the meaning and music toolboxes, to be particularly helpful in my own study of the “sense and song” of poetry.

* * * * * * * * *

How to Write Poetry by Paul Janeczko (Scholastic, 1999) is another favorite.  I especially love the POETCRAFT sections on topics such as “Sound,” and “Creating Images.” Janeczko also includes tips from poets, suggested reading, and short ” Try This…” prompts.

* * * * * * * * *

Poem-Making: Ways to Begin Writing Poetry (HarperCollins Publishers, 1991) by Myra Cohn Livingston covers an enormous amount of ground in short, easy-to-read chapters.  I suppose, like How to Write Poetry, this book was written for younger students of poetry.  But I found it to be an easy and concise primer on some poetry basics such as: voices of poetry, sound, rhyme, rhythm and metrics, form, and figures of speech.  If you’re just getting started in poetry, this is a must have.

* * * * * * * * *

Poetry Matters: Writing a Poem from the Inside Out (HarperCollins Publishers, 2002) and

What A Writer Needs (Heinemann 1993) are just two of a number of books on my shelves by Ralph Fletcher.  As a writing teacher and author/poet, Fletcher brings practical knowledge of students and the art of teaching to the page.  While Poetry Matters is geared more toward the student reader, I discovered plenty of inspiration for my own writing journey in What a Writer Needs.

* * * * * * * * *

A Poetry Handbook (Harcourt Brace & Company, 1994) by Mary Oliver must be considered a primer for those looking for a succinct and fundamental understanding of some of the basics of reading, understanding, and writing poetry.  One of my all-time favorite quotes comes from the first chapter.  It’s a bit too long to quote here, but I’ve written about it and will include another snippet to pique your interest: “Writing a poem…is a kind of possible love affair between something like the heart (that courageous but also shy factory of emotion) and the learned skills of the conscious mind.