An Introduction to English Poetry

By James Fenton

Book Overview

A wise, absorbing, and surprising introduction to poetry written in English, from one of England's leading poets James Fenton is that rare scholar "not ashamed to admit that he mostly reads for pleasure" (Charles Simic, The New York Review of Books). In this eminently readable guide to his abiding passion, he has distilled the essense of a library's--and a lifetime's--worth of delight. The pleasures of his own verse can be found in abundance here: economy, a natural ease, and most of all, surprise. What is English poetry? Fenton argues that it includes any recited words in English that marshall rhythm for their meaning--among them prisoners's work songs, Broadway show tunes, and the cries of street vendors captured in verse. From these beginnings, Fenton describes the rudiments of--and, most important, the inspiration for--the musical verse we find in books, and concludes with an illuminating discussion of operas and songs. Fenton illustrates his comments with verse from all over the English-speaking world. Catholic in his taste, shrewd in his distinctions, and charmingly frank, Fenton is an ideal guide to everything to do with poetry, from the temperament of poets to their accomplishment, in all its variety. In all his writing, prose or verse, Fenton has always had the virtue of saying, in a way that seems effortless, precisely what lies at the heart of the matter. In this vein, An Introduction to English Poetry is one of his highest accomplishments.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374104646
• ISBN13: 9780374104641
• Release Date: November 2002
• Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
• Length: 152 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

For those of you who hate text books this is a great resource. :P

Fenton writes in a way that is not too difficult to understand for those of you who are just beginning to study poetry. He's engaging and interesting while he skims over the basics and sinks into the more difficult aspects of English poetry. If you are the kind of person who would rather read a book than study a text book this is the perfect choice for you. This book was required for an English class that I was taking and I found that I was able to understand the more complicated poets a little easier than I have with any other texbook I've read.

interesting

Fenton's Intro to English Poetry is an interesting book to read, but not because it will teach you anything. It is too short. He covers just about everything, but each chapter (which covers a different topic) is only a couple of pages long. He just doesn't go into it enough. This book is not for teaching. This book is not for beginners. What this book is for is for those who know what they are doing or have an idea and are interested in what Fenton has to say. And it is interesting.