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A Poet's Glossary
A major addition to the literature of poetry, Edward Hirsch’s sparkling new work is a compilation of forms, devices, groups, movements, isms, aesthetics, rhetorical terms, and folklore—a book that all readers, writers, teachers, and students of poetry will return to over and over. Hirsch has delved deeply into the poetic traditions of the world, returning with an inclusive, international compendium. Moving gracefully from the bards of ancient Greece to the revolutionaries of Latin America, from small formal elements to large mysteries, he provides thoughtful definitions for the most important poetic vocabulary, imbuing his work with a lifetime of scholarship and the warmth of a man devoted to his art. Knowing how a poem works is essential to unlocking its meaning. Hirsch’s entries will deepen readers’ relationships with their favorite poems and open greater levels of understanding in each new poem they encounter. Shot through with the enthusiasm, authority, and sheer delight that made How to Read a Poem so beloved, A Poet’s Glossary is a new classic.
736 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
200 people are currently reading
552 people want to read
About the author
Edward Hirsch
81 books171 followersEdward Hirsch is a celebrated poet and peerless advocate for poetry. He was born in Chicago in 1950—his accent makes it impossible for him to hide his origins—and educated at Grinnell College and the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a Ph.D. in Folklore. His devotion to poetry is lifelong.He has received numerous awards and fellowships, including a MacArthur Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship, an Ingram Merrill Foundation Award, a Pablo Neruda Presidential Medal of Honor, the Prix de Rome, and an Academy of Arts and Letters Award. In 2008, he was elected a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets.
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Edward Hirsch’s first collection of poems, For the Sleepwalkers (1981), received the Delmore Schwartz Memorial Award from New York University and the Lavan Younger Poets Award from the Academy of American Poets. His second collection, Wild Gratitude (1986), won the National Book Critics Award.
Since then, he has published six additional books of poems: The Night Parade (1989), Earthly Measures (1994),On Love (1998), Lay Back the Darkness (2003), Special Orders (2008), and The Living Fire: New and Selected Poems (2010), which brings together thirty-five years of poems.Hirsch is also the author of five prose books, including A Poet’s Glossary (2014), the result of decades of passionate study, Poet’s Choice (2006), which consists of his popular columns from the Washington Post Book World, and How to Read a Poem and Fall in Love with Poetry (1999), a national bestseller. He is the editor of Theodore Roethke’s Selected Poems (2005) and co-editor of The Making of a Sonnet: A Norton Anthology (2008). He also edits the series “The Writer’s World” (Trinity University Press).Edward Hirsch taught for six years in the English Department at Wayne State University and seventeen years in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Houston. He is now president of the
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
bio-img
Edward Hirsch’s first collection of poems, For the Sleepwalkers (1981), received the Delmore Schwartz Memorial Award from New York University and the Lavan Younger Poets Award from the Academy of American Poets. His second collection, Wild Gratitude (1986), won the National Book Critics Award.
Since then, he has published six additional books of poems: The Night Parade (1989), Earthly Measures (1994),On Love (1998), Lay Back the Darkness (2003), Special Orders (2008), and The Living Fire: New and Selected Poems (2010), which brings together thirty-five years of poems.Hirsch is also the author of five prose books, including A Poet’s Glossary (2014), the result of decades of passionate study, Poet’s Choice (2006), which consists of his popular columns from the Washington Post Book World, and How to Read a Poem and Fall in Love with Poetry (1999), a national bestseller. He is the editor of Theodore Roethke’s Selected Poems (2005) and co-editor of The Making of a Sonnet: A Norton Anthology (2008). He also edits the series “The Writer’s World” (Trinity University Press).Edward Hirsch taught for six years in the English Department at Wayne State University and seventeen years in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Houston. He is now president of the
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 25, 2015
Not that this is a book you read cover to cover or ever finish, but it's utterly GORGEOUS. I cannot imagine continuing to read and study and attempt to write poetry without it.
December 31, 2014
A sensational holiday gift for any lover of words, and reasonably priced at only $30 (hardcover).
This humbly-named ''glossary'' partakes of the majesty of a Concordance, the wisdom of an Old Testament, the revelatory love of a New Testament, the grandeur of a Summing Up, the impeccable precision of The King's English by Mr. Fowler, the irresistible fun of a TED talk, and the wondrous charm of an Advent Calendar.
My advice to all poets is this: Instead of playing yet another round on Facebook of the personality quiz, ''Which Famous Poet Are You?'', use that minute instead to read just one entry in this book. This book IS all the technology you need for exploring your identity as a poet, finding your place within 4500 years of recorded texts, and discovering kinship with countless other Makers -- female, male, gay, and anonymous -- from all over the world.
This humbly-named ''glossary'' partakes of the majesty of a Concordance, the wisdom of an Old Testament, the revelatory love of a New Testament, the grandeur of a Summing Up, the impeccable precision of The King's English by Mr. Fowler, the irresistible fun of a TED talk, and the wondrous charm of an Advent Calendar.
My advice to all poets is this: Instead of playing yet another round on Facebook of the personality quiz, ''Which Famous Poet Are You?'', use that minute instead to read just one entry in this book. This book IS all the technology you need for exploring your identity as a poet, finding your place within 4500 years of recorded texts, and discovering kinship with countless other Makers -- female, male, gay, and anonymous -- from all over the world.
June 11, 2017
A wonderful companion.
Read
May 3, 2014I picked up this book because I know little of poetry. I remember bits and pieces from my literature classes, but nothing that could really help me learn more about it. I believe this book is to go hand in hand with Hirsch's book How to Read a Poem. Alas I have not read that book either, though I ordered it from Amazon and never received it.
I did find this book extremely helpful. I think it would make a great reference book for students, poets, or laymen like me. It's probably not a complete glossary even though it has over 700 pages of definitions and examples. I love the laid-back way Hirsch explains things. It's not over the top or too wordy. He really does make it easy for the average person to understand.
Even though I not an expert, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about poetry. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Read more at http://www.toreadornottoread.net/2014...
I did find this book extremely helpful. I think it would make a great reference book for students, poets, or laymen like me. It's probably not a complete glossary even though it has over 700 pages of definitions and examples. I love the laid-back way Hirsch explains things. It's not over the top or too wordy. He really does make it easy for the average person to understand.
Even though I not an expert, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about poetry. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Read more at http://www.toreadornottoread.net/2014...
October 18, 2014
An excellent, must own resource book for all serious poets.
October 6, 2020
If you are interested in poetry you must have this book. If you are a poet... why don't you already?
As someone else wrote, the Glossary in the title is (somewhat) misleading. It is much more than that. In fact it has huge literary merit, almost each entry is a gem. It is difficult to use it just as a reference book. I almost read it as a novel... Every entry is a gem.
As someone else wrote, the Glossary in the title is (somewhat) misleading. It is much more than that. In fact it has huge literary merit, almost each entry is a gem. It is difficult to use it just as a reference book. I almost read it as a novel... Every entry is a gem.
June 1, 2017
wish I owned it--
January 18, 2021
A generous glossary I will be reading forever and ever.
January 3, 2025
I didn't go through the whole glossary of over 700 pages, but I focused on the sections that caught my interest, and they were interesting and useful.
August 31, 2014
I love Hirsch's poetry and so I was thrilled to pick this up as soon as it came out. I learned an INCREDIBLE amount from this book and can't wait to put so much of it to use in my own writing. Hirsch is wonderful to include so many example poems for the entries. I can't imagine how much work he had to do in order to put this together. Particularly beautiful is Hirsch's entry on the "lyric" or "lyric poetry."
One caveat: I think this book is most useful for poets. I am also an English teacher and found much of this useful as reference material, but I'm not sure it's worth what would be a slog through so many entries which define such obscure poetic forms or techniques. This will become a staple for poets.
One caveat: I think this book is most useful for poets. I am also an English teacher and found much of this useful as reference material, but I'm not sure it's worth what would be a slog through so many entries which define such obscure poetic forms or techniques. This will become a staple for poets.
April 7, 2014
Author
Edward Hirsch
Publication Date
April 8, 2014
Synopsis
A comprehensive glossary of terms useful to the study and analysis of poetry.
High Points
You can tell Hirsch has a poet's soul. He even included a lovely poem of dedication to poetry.
Low Points
It is a glossary, so it's not the most captivating reading, but it is incredibly thorough.
Overall
5 stars
E-Galley was received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. For more reviews from the Readist, please visit www.thereadist.com.
Edward Hirsch
Publication Date
April 8, 2014
Synopsis
A comprehensive glossary of terms useful to the study and analysis of poetry.
High Points
You can tell Hirsch has a poet's soul. He even included a lovely poem of dedication to poetry.
Low Points
It is a glossary, so it's not the most captivating reading, but it is incredibly thorough.
Overall
5 stars
E-Galley was received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. For more reviews from the Readist, please visit www.thereadist.com.
December 31, 2015
Not a book that one reads straight through, this is an idiosyncratic and wonderful collection of entries introducing different poetic forms, traditions, and technical terms. It has given me some of the greatest reading pleasure I've experienced this year, and I'll be back to dip into it regularly. The entries serve as a marvelous jumping-off point for Internet searches for the names and traditions and specific poems Hirsch recommends.
December 30, 2015
Well, it's huge. It's expensive. And it's a glossary.
So of course I haven't "read" it all. But often I have opened it up on a random page and found fascinating reading ... like the magic that I found as a child in the Encyclopedia Britannica.
If you are a poet or fan of poetry, there is much for you in this book. If you are not, save your money and shelf space.
So of course I haven't "read" it all. But often I have opened it up on a random page and found fascinating reading ... like the magic that I found as a child in the Encyclopedia Britannica.
If you are a poet or fan of poetry, there is much for you in this book. If you are not, save your money and shelf space.
September 19, 2014
I didn't read all or much of this book, but I probably should. I'm noting it on here because I definitely want to use it again, and maybe even make it a part of my library. It's new, published in 2014, and seems to be quite interesting, and certainly needs more of my attention.
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May 27, 2014808.103 H6691 2014
August 17, 2014
This glossary of terminology is a lovely guide for poets and those who wish to learn more about poetry. It has become my go-to book for writing exercises.
February 22, 2015
This is not a book I've read all the way through, but I'm finding it to be an immensely helpful resource. It has all kinds of entries on poetic forms, devices, movements, from all over the world.
August 27, 2015
5 stars.
February 1, 2024
School book🫠
November 27, 2024
This is one of those books I've never read cover to cover but reference often, especially when I'm writing.
August 27, 2015
5 stars.
March 28, 2017
Excellent Reference
I return to this book again and again, and over a period of months actually did manage to read through, A to Z. No reference to poetry can be truly comprehensive, but A Poet's Glossary can usually answer most questions in a straightforward manner and give further suggestions for learning as well. Reading this is like perusing an art display of cool poetry facts.
I return to this book again and again, and over a period of months actually did manage to read through, A to Z. No reference to poetry can be truly comprehensive, but A Poet's Glossary can usually answer most questions in a straightforward manner and give further suggestions for learning as well. Reading this is like perusing an art display of cool poetry facts.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews