“Within these pages you’ll find not only a guide to the nuts and bolts of how poems are made, but discussions ranging from how to tackle your subjects to how to cope with rejection and self-doubt,” write Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux in the preface to this 1997 book on the craft of poetry, which features essays and curates poems on a range of topics such as imagery, the music of the line, voice and style, writing the erotic, and the energy of revision. Throughout the guide, the two renowned poets encourage and challenge writers of all levels to write about one’s own life and to be unafraid of taking risks, equipping each chapter with writing prompts and tips on how to begin a poem. Readers will be led through the ins and outs of what it is like to be a poet, emphasizing the power of imagination and language.
