Writing Poetry to Save Your Life


Book Description




Poetry Will Save Your Life


Book Description

From a critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling author and poet comes “a delightfully hybrid book: part anthology, part critical study, part autobiography” (Chicago Tribune) that is organized around fifty-one remarkable poems by poets such as Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Wallace Stevens, and Sylvia Plath. For Jill Bialosky, certain poems stand out like signposts at pivotal moments in a life: the death of a father, adolescence, first love, leaving home, the suicide of a sister, marriage, the birth of a child, the day in New York City the Twin Towers fell. As Bialosky narrates these moments, she illuminates the ways in which particular poems offered insight, compassion, and connection, and shows how poetry can be a blueprint for living. In Poetry Will Save Your Life, Bialosky recalls when she encountered each formative poem, and how its importance and meaning evolved over time, allowing new insights and perceptions to emerge. While Bialosky’s personal stories animate each poem, they touch on many universal experiences, from the awkwardness of girlhood, to crises of faith and identity, from braving a new life in a foreign city to enduring the loss of a loved one, from becoming a parent to growing creatively as a poet and artist. Each moment and poem illustrate “not only how to read poetry, but also how to love poetry” (Christian Science Monitor). “An emotional, sometimes-wrenching account of how lines of poetry can be lifelines” (Kirkus Reviews), Poetry Will Save Your Life is an engaging and entirely original examination of a life while celebrating the enduring value of poetry, not as a purely cerebral activity, but as a means of conveying personal experience and as a source of comfort and intimacy. In doing so the book brilliantly illustrates the ways in which poetry can be an integral part of life itself and can, in fact, save your life.




Writing the Life Poetic


Book Description

Writing Poetry for Everyday Life &break;&break;"Poetry is just the evidence of life," says Leonard Cohen. "If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash." &break;&break;You don't need an advanced degree to reap the rewards of a rich poetic life–writing poetry is within the reach of everyone. Poet Sage Cohen invites you to slow down to the rhythms of your creative process and savor poetry by: &break;&break; Offering explorations of the poetic life and craft &break; Inspiring a feeling of play instead of laborious study&break; Weaving together lessons in content, form, and process to provide a fun and engaging experience&break; Inviting you to add poetry to your creative repertoire &break;&break;Writing the Life Poetic is the inspirational companion you've been looking for to help you build confidence in your poetic voice. It takes poetry from its academic pedestal and puts it back into the hands of the people. &break;&break;Join the conversation with other poets at: www.writingthelifepoetic.typepad.com.




Write a Poem, Save Your Life


Book Description

“Join Heller on her quest to help save the world, one poet at a time.” — from the foreword by Susan G. Wooldridge Write a Poem, Save Your Life helps writers of all ages and experience levels navigate their way through all aspects of life. With writing prompts, tools, encouragement, and moving student examples, Meredith Heller gently guides us in the art of using poetry to figure out who we are and what matters to us and to heal the deeper issues many of us face, such as depression, addiction, health and body image issues, low self-esteem, trauma, gender and sexual identity issues, and home and family problems. Along the way, we learn that writing poems helps us believe in ourselves, make positive life choices, and find direction, purpose, and meaning.




101 Poems That Could Save Your Life


Book Description

Prozac has side effects, drinking gives you hangovers, therapy's expensive. For quick and effective relief -- or at least some literary comfort -- from everyday and exceptional problems, try a poem. Over the ages, people have turned to poets as ambassadors of the emotions, because they give voice and definition to our troubles, and by so doing, ease them. No matter how bad things get, poets have been there, too, and they can help you get over the rough spots. This is the first poetry anthology designed expressly for the self-help generation. The poems listed include classics by Emily Dickinson, Lord Byron, Ogden Nash, and Lucretius, to name just a few, along with newer works by such current practitioners as Seamus Heaney and Wendy Cope. This book has a cure or consolation for nearly every affliction, ancient or modern. And no side effects-except pleasure.







Write a Poem, Save Your Life


Book Description

“Join Heller on her quest to help save the world, one poet at a time.” — from the foreword by Susan G. Wooldridge Write a Poem, Save Your Life helps writers of all ages and experience levels navigate their way through all aspects of life. With writing prompts, tools, encouragement, and moving student examples, Meredith Heller gently guides us in the art of using poetry to figure out who we are and what matters to us and to heal the deeper issues many of us face, such as depression, addiction, health and body image issues, low self-esteem, trauma, gender and sexual identity issues, and home and family problems. Along the way, we learn that writing poems helps us believe in ourselves, make positive life choices, and find direction, purpose, and meaning.




Writing Poetry from the Inside Out


Book Description

In Writing Poetry from the Inside Out, poet and national poetry workshop leader, Sandford Lyne, offers the writing exercises, guidance, and encouragement you need to find the poet inside you. Lyne's techniques, which he developed through twenty years of teaching poetry workshops, flow from an understanding that poetry is an art form open to everyone. We all can-and should-write poetry. In this enchanting and inspiring volume, Lyne will introduce you to the pleasures and surprises of writing poetry, and his methods and insights will help you tap into your own unique voice and perspective to compose poems of your own in as little as a few minutes. Whether you are an experienced writer looking for new techniques and sources of inspiration or a novice poet who has never written a poem in your life, Writing Poetry from the Inside Out will help you to craft the poems you've always longed to write.




How To Write Poetry For Teenagers


Book Description

If you want to learn how to write poetry and you are a teenager, then get "How To Write Poetry For Teenagers" written by a poetry teacher who has experience teaching poetry to kids. Those who want to learn how to write poetry should consult this how-to guide. Without any previous knowledge, experience, or training, any teen can write poetry. Here you will learn how to: - Write poetry from beginning to end and do a good job of it. - Learn about different types of poems and their origins. - Discover how you can get started, including what tools and equipment to use. - Develop the confidence and high esteem needed to create quality poetry. - Accept that you are creative (even if you do not believe it). - Apply easy poetry writing processes and skills. - Go from being shy about sharing your poetry to being fearless in presenting it publicly. - Meet other poets like yourself…and accomplished poets, too! - Compile a portfolio of your own original poems. - Adopt habits that will help you write your poetry. - Deal with stress by having a constructive outlet for it. Everything you need to begin writing poetry is included in this guide, and it is simple. By the time you finish, you will have a worthwhile hobby that can morph into a wonderful gift or talent! Take advantage of this offer today! The achievement of healthy self-expression is an advantage that will serve you for the rest of your life. About the Expert Deidre Simpson is the author of two books of poetry. During her teen years, she wrote often and was an avid reader as well. Writing poetry kept her balanced and gave her an excellent outlet for her emotional personality. She later became a member of a creative writers’ group at her high school. When the group decided to publish a magazine, she gladly contributed by writing poems and inviting other students to submit their work. In her senior year, she entered a poetry contest held by a local university and received Honorable Mention for her poem. Receiving two diaries for her 10th birthday is what started her writing career. Fiction novels and studying poetry in her middle school English class helped her hobby grow. Her worst experience was having to memorize a favorite poem by a famous author and recite it on video. She was petrified, but her poetry skills were advancing. One of her best memories is of two local poets that visited her creative writing class. According to her, doing what you truly love is the definition of work. Writing is one of the best ways to say something, even if it is only to the self. As she puts it, “Poetry is like a firecracker. It is small and has one form when unlit, like when the poem is finalized. Then when you share it with someone or a group of people, much like lighting it, it shoots into the sky and becomes a huge, beautiful, untouchable cloud after the rain.” HowExpert publishes quick 'how to' guides on all topics from A to Z by everyday experts.




The Poet's Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing Poetry


Book Description

From the nuts and bolts of craft to the sources of inspiration, this book is for anyone who wants to write poetry-and do it well. The Poet's Companion presents brief essays on the elements of poetry, technique, and suggested subjects for writing, each followed by distinctive writing exercises. The ups and downs of writing life—including self-doubt and writer's block—are here, along with tips about getting published and writing in the electronic age. On your own, this book can be your "teacher," while groups, in or out of the classroom, can profit from sharing weekly assignments.