HOW TO READ A POEM

In a successful effort to demonstrate the value of her oft-neglected medium, poet and memoirist Molly Peacock (Paradise, Piece by Piece, 1998, etc.) guides the reader through 13 of her favorite poems with grace, humor, and warmth. Peacock, who has been responsible for bringing poetry into the lives of millions of commuters via the nationwide “Poetry in Motion” series, now sets herself to the task of helping readers understand just what it is they are reading. Starting at her own childhood delight in the appearance and construction of words, and with a brief and painless stop to explain her basic terminology, Peacock moves on to detailed readings of her “talismans——the poems that are emblematic of the various emotions or stages of her life. She presents a selection of poets diverse in both style and period. From the soothing repetition of the late Jane Kenyon’s hymnlike “Let Evening Come,” which she recommends as a spiritual tonic, to the unadorned free verse of Yusef Komunyakaa’s “My Father’s Loveletters,” with which she examines her own family life, Peacock rarely falters as she reveals the nuances of language and meaning inherent in each writer’s work. Occasionally the author’s own poetic constructions obscure the clarity she is trying to elicit from the poems; but her sheer delight in them is infectious even when her point is unclear. The final chapter of the book is dedicated to advocating that readers start poetry circles, and Peacock has fellow poets suggest their own “talisman” poems for readers” use. “Poetry circles,” the author writes, “make you know you have a soul, and that other people do, too.” A fervent claim, but one that Peacock has, with this book, made valid. Essential for poetry novices yet thoroughly enjoyable for initiates, this illuminating handbook is a joy. (author tour)