The Discovery of Poetry: A Field Guide to Reading and Writing Poems

Long before she fell in love with Tuscany, Frances Mayes fell in love with poetry. The author of five poetry collections, she was also a professor of creative writing at San Francisco State University. In this accessible field guide, Mayes invites readers to share her lifelong passion. Beginning with basic terminology and techniques, The Discovery of Poetry reveals how focusing on each aspect of a poem can help you better understand, appreciate, and enjoy the whole reading and writing experience. In addition to creative composition ideas, lyrical and lively discussions are followed by a thoughtful selection of poems. With its distinguished anthology of work from Shakespeare to Jamaica Kincaid, this is an insightful, invaluable guide to what Mayes calls "the natural pleasures of language-a happiness we were born to have." Frances Mayes is the author of the bestselling Under the Tuscan Sun, Bella Tuscany, and In Tuscany, which have been translated into twenty languages. She has written five books of poetry including, most recently, Ex Voto. Formerly the chair of the Creative Writing Department at San Francisco State University, she divides her time northern California and Cortona, Italy.