Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Beauty Poetry.

Llanas, Sheila Griffin.  Beauty Poetry.  Enslow  2014  128p  $31.93  ISBN 978-0-7660-4343-8  ms/hs  series: Pure Poetry  Nonfiction  VG-BNS

In this title, eight famous works of poetry are examined, each known for its exploration of beauty.  They include works by William Shakespeare, Phyllis Wheatley, Edgar Allan Poe, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Keats, Christina Rossetti, and Ella Wheeler Wilcox.
     
The author presents an analysis of these eight poems by first presenting an overview of each poem and its place in time, and something about the author.  This is followed by a summary of the poem; an explication of it; the style, technique and poetic devices utilized; and finally the thematic relevance of the work.  Further questions can be found at the conclusion of each analysis, making this an ideal companion work for the study of poetry.  Words that might become problematic for readers are defined as footnotes on the appropriate page, such as those found on page 23 and 78.  Sidebars are found throughout each section, each one highlighting a topic relevant to the author and/or the poem, such as “growing up a slave”, page 27, and “fireside poets” on page 107.  Portraits are provided of each poet.  The book concludes with sample answers to further study questions, a glossary, a list of suggestions for further reading (both print and web) and an index.      

The Pure Poetry series explores and analyzes famous poems, making them more accessible to the average reader.  These books would make excellent companions for students studying poetry, especially the poems analyzed in these books.

Poetry                                                --Lynn Fisher

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