What is poetry?

With no prior interest in poetry, what poet or poetry book should I look into in order to learn to appreciate and enjoy poetry?

• I've never been interested in poetry, and for the most part never understood it, but I'm hoping to broaden my horizons and try again. What poet or collection of poems would be a good introduction into the world of poetry?

• Answer:

  I'd recommend the Norton Introduction to Poetry or a similar introductory textbook. (check your local college bookstore) Reading poetry is very different from reading prose. It helps a lot to have a text to guide you through the process. Most textbooks will introduce fundamental concepts like tone, imagery, symbolism, etc. with explanatory text and follow up with poems that provide good examples of the concept. Often there are follow up questions to each poem, I find these quite helpful in analyzing a given poem. The other great thing about anthologies is you'll gain exposure to a wide variety of poets from many different periods. If you don't yet know who or what you like an anthology is a great way to explore your options.