The discussion of each topic is illustrated by the provision of relevant poems. The poems are generally analyzed, and the reader is asked pertinent questions about them. I can't praise the authors enough for their choice of poems. Most are relatively brief works, but they are excellent examples of the topic at hand.
What could be a better poem exemplifying Irony than this little classic deploring child labor written by Sarah N. Cleghorn in 1917:
The golf links lie so near the mill/That almost every day/The laboring children can look out/ And see the men at play.
There are many other goodies in this book:
1. A chapter that provides poems and brief critical essays on the works of Langston Hughes, and Emily Dickinson.2. A section that provides brief but informative biographies of many of the poets represented in the book.3. A large chapter of more poems for reading and enjoying. These are very accomplished poems that are generally very accessible to the general reader.4. A section on literary criticism. Yes, I know that is a dreaded term, but the authors do a good job of clearly presenting the material -even when deconstructionism is the topic- and provide brief extracts from noted literary critics.5. At the end of the book is a convenient glossary of literary terms.6. For those who become enthused about writing poetry there is a chapter covering this topic.
There are other introductory books on the market (such as "The Poetry Reader's Toolkit", by Marc Polonsky, and the venerable "Understanding Poetry" by Cleanth Brooks), but this is a truly astounding work. It's a big book of over 700 pages that is guaranteed to make any reader a poetry lover..
Kennedy/Gioia's An Introduction to Poetry, 12e continues to inspire readers and writers with a rich collection of poems and engaging insights on reading, analyzing, and writing about poetry.
This bestselling anthology includes more than 500 of the discipline's greatest poems, blending classic works and contemporary selections. Both noted poets themselves, the text's editors X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia write of their subject with wit and a contagious enthusiasm. Informative, accessible apparatus presents readable discussions of the literary devices, illustrated by apt works, and supported by interludes with the poets. This edition features more than 50 new poems, a new masterwork casebook on T. S. Eliot?s ?The Love Songs of J. Alfred Prufrock," extensively revised and expanded chapters on writing, and a fresh new design.
New students of poetry.