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Variety of Poetica Genres: Ars Poetica

Author: 
Year:
Pages:124
ISBN:0-7734-3056-3
978-0-7734-3056-3
Price:$139.95
A collection of poems that displays a myriad of poetic genres complete with references. It provides ample opportunity for students to learn about all the different kinds of prose poems, even the lesser known tropes.

The first section of Dr. Christopher's book is titled "Theory", which has a number of poems about poetic genres: "Prose Poetry", "What's a Sonnet for?," "A Genre is a Norm," "Comment on Naturalism," "The Novel Has Replaced the the Long Poem," and others. He also comments on style, on literary movements, on religous verse, on writing conferences, and criticism. The second section is titled "Practioners," and it contains poems commenting on the works of other poets (beginning in the classical period) or parodying their works or (in a few cases) translating their poems. In short Christopher's work is not focused on one aspect of poetry as John Holland's Rhyme's Reason was about verse forms, but it belongs in the same class of poetry about poems.

The book aims to toy with the idea of what it is to write poetry, even while evoking styles used by famous poets from the past.

Reviews

“The author offers no small challenge to the casual reader…this collection of poems offers a reminder of the felicity that arises when form and meaning fall into place. More than that, this book gives evidence to the delight and learning that is poetry.”

-Prof. Audell Shelburne,
Northeastern State University


“Offers and impressive array of ways to define the art of poetry…the book is a tour-de-force…part parody, and pure pleasure, it aims to delight its reader, even as it instructs and hits its mark.”

-Prof. Alaimo O’Donnell,
Author – Saint Sinatra & Other Poems