Calling all poets! When was the last time you actually bought a book of poetry?

Question

Or read one? Did you learn anything about writing poetry?

Good for you, Phool.

Answer 1

I don't profess to being a poet,but my mind thinks in rhyme form a lot of the time.At age 16 I bought the book"The Best Loved Poems of the American People"I read it from cover to cover.I marked all my favourite poems.When I was newly married I re-read it and found I thought differently then and re-marked my favourites at that time.After the birth of my first child, I re-read it again.Again I found poems I had never really related to before and loved them.Then my daughter took my book to school and it got lost.I cried for days.Two years later she found a book at a second hand store that had tick marks all over it.She purchased it and it was my beloved book of poems.I re-read it again, found new poems I loved.
Did I learn anything about writing poetry,most likely not,but I
learned something about myself.Your understanding of poetry changes as you mature.I give my grand-daughters books of poetry and they may not enjoy them now,but I know in time they will learn to appreciate them.

Answer 2

The last book of poetry I bought was Alexander Blok's dual edition of his collection "Избранное" - his poems up to 1917.
I bought it last week and I'm still exploring it. The reason I bought it is because it's got the original verse which is important to feel, and although I don't speak Russian I can understand it quite well, Serbian being my mother tongue. I learnt that Blok may not be as attractive to an average reader as some other Russian poets, but that he has a deeper and more complex imagery than many.
I read random poetry from the many poetry books I have every morning and every night - much in the same way that some people read the Bible. And I always learn a new thing or feel a different sensation.

Answer 3

Three days ago I bought a very old (estimated publishing in the 1880's by an appraiser I had look at it) book of poetry by Sir Walter Scott. So far I've only glanced through it, but mostly because it's rather delicate and the pages are brittle with age, and I intended to just add it to my collection. However, I did spend about an hour or so last night reading several poems by a variety of Scottish poets last night.

Answer 4

Honestly (and this is sad), the last time I bought a book of poetry was for my final semester in college, in early 2004. It was Selected Poems by Denise Levertov and it is quite possibly my favorite book of poetry ever. Yes, I learned quite a bit about writing poetry. She is a confessional poet and a female (both like me), so my writing is heavily influenced by hers.

Answer 5

Just two (2) months ago I re-purchased
"Collected Poems"
"1909 - 1962"
T.S. Eliot.

This is a replacement for the collected works that I had of his, that were lost in a flood.

In answer to your question, Yes I read it.

Eliot has taught me a lot as have some of the other writers of this art have done. I do not limit myself to only one style or form of poetry. There are many colors in this world, I appreciate them all.

Sam

Answer 6

I'm waiting for "The Fall of America" A. Ginsberg, 1973. It's on hold at the library. I did just finish a Robert Frost anthology and a short collection by ee cummings. I told Santa that I want "On Days Like Today" by Dan Quissenberry.

Answer 7

A book of poetry? Oh dear, oh my!
A book of poetry did once I buy,
whenst last I stepped into a book store
and the raven never said nevermore,
but last I stepped across such threshold
last week I bought one proud and bold!

Answer 8

I made my last buy 3-5 months ago:

The Wild Iris by Louise Gluck--taught me how to write parables in poetry, and a fantastic read.

A Linguistic Guide to English Poetry by Leech--Annabelle recommended this and I've been slowly working through it to help me on hearing metrical feet.

The Wasteland by Eliot--haven't gotten to it yet, but it is on the list.

Answer 9

well i was writing an essay on Robert Frost poetry for my English 102 college class, and i decided to write about his two poems: Birches and The Road Not Taken, i was hook because i knew what the poems were about and already had a book about them, so that was easy.lol. and i also got all A's on my essay's whoop whoop. ( 8

Answer 10

Trout Fishing in America, by Richard Brautigan.

My bad.