Kindle Price: $9.99

Save $10.00 (50%)

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Edward Hirsch
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

How To Read A Poem: And Fall in Love with Poetry (Harvest Book) Kindle Edition

by Edward Hirsch (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 252 ratings
See all formats and editions
A masterful work by a master poet, this brilliant summation of poetry and human nature will speak to all readers who long to place poetry in their lives.

How to Read a Poem is an unprecedented exploration of poetry and feeling. In language at once acute and emotional, National Book Critics Circle award-winning distinguished poet and critic Edward Hirsch describes why poetry matters and how we can open up our imaginations so that its message can make a difference. In a marvelous reading of verse from around the world, including work by Pablo Neruda, Elizabeth Bishop, Wallace Stevens, and Sylvia Plath, among many others, Hirsch discovers the true meaning of their words and ideas and brings their sublime message home into our hearts.

"The answer Hirsch gives to the question of how to read as poem is: Ecstatically."—Boston Book Review
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    374 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Ecco
  5. Publication date
    March 22, 1999
  6. Reading age
    14 years and up
  7. File size
    4508 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. See all details
Next page
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Edward Hirsch's primer may very well inspire readers to catch the next flight for Houston and sign up for any and all of his courses. Not for nothing does this attentive and adoring poet-teacher title his book How to Read a Poem and Fall in Love with Poetry; Hirsch's big guide to getting the most out of this form is packed with inspiring examples and thousands of epigrams and allusions. Above all, he is intent on poetry's physical and emotional power. In chapters devoted to the lyric, the narrative, the poetry of sorrow, of ecstasy, of witness, Hirsch continually conveys the sheer ecstasy of this vital act of communication. (He takes us, for instance, with great care and mounting excitement, through Emily Brontë's "Spellbound," which he discovered at age 8 when "baseball season was over for the year.") Above all, there is the thrill of discovery as Hirsch offers up works by artists ranging from Anna Akhmatova to Walt Whitman, Elizabeth Bishop to Adam Zagajewski, and everyone in between. I defy you not to fall in love with Wislawa Szymborska on the basis of "The Joy of Writing," which begins: Why does this written doe bound through these written woods?
For a drink of written water from a spring
whose surface will xerox her soft muzzle?
Why does she lift her head; does she hear something?
Perched on four slim legs borrowed from the truth,
she pricks up her ears beneath my fingertips. Elsewhere, Hirsch's section on Sterling Brown's redefinitions of African American work songs should put this neglected poet back on the map. And his introductions to Eastern European poets such as Jirí Orten, Attila József, and Miklós Radnóti will make you want to ferret out their hard-to-find work. (Perhaps his publisher should put out a companion anthology...)

Hirsch manages to cram entire worlds and lives into 258 pages of text (which he follows up with a huge glossary and extended reading list). His two paragraphs on Juan Gelman, whose son was murdered and pregnant daughter-in-law disappeared during Argentina's "Dirty War," bring this man's art into clear, tragic focus. But even here, the compulsively generous author is compelled to enshrine the words of other critics, foregrounding Eduardo Galeano and Julio Cortázar, who describes Gelman's art as "a permanent caress of words on unknown tombs." What a pleasure it is to be inside Hirsch's head! He seems to have read everything and absorbed most of it, and he wears his considerable scholarship lightly. Many of his fellow poets have suffered for their art, have been imprisoned and killed--but above all, Hirsch makes us realize that, no matter what the artist's circumstances, subject, or theme, "the stakes are always high" in this game that writer and reader alike must keep playing. --Kerry Fried

From Library Journal

Although it was only a decade ago that doomsayers foresaw the death of poetry as a viable literary genre, there has been a remarkable resurgence of interest. Poetry slams at bookstores and nightclubs, "Poets in the Schools" programs, and the unprecedented appearance of poets on mainstream television all point to the renewed popularity of the genre. Here are two new guides designed to enrich the experience of poetry. Hirsch (On Love, LJ 6/15/98) has gathered an eclectic group of poems from many times and places, with selections as varied as postwar Polish poetry, works by Keats and Christopher Smart, and lyrics from African American work songs. A prolific, award-winning poet in his own right, Hirsch suggests helpful strategies for understanding and appreciating each poem. The book is scholarly but very readable and incorporates interesting anecdotes from the lives of the poets. Part poetry explication and part memoir, Peacock's charming book includes 18 favorite poems that she has collected and cherished over the years. Offering sensitive interpretations of each work, Peacock tends to favor modern and contemporary poets such as May Swenson, Elizabeth Bishop, and Yusef Komunyakaa. Like Hirsch, Peacock is a popular and critically acclaimed poet; she is also a founder of the "Poetry in Motion" program that puts poetry in America's buses and subways. Peacock encourages the shared enjoyment of poetry through reading groups and provides practical advice for organizing a poetry circle. Most public libraries will want to acquire the Peacock book, while Hirsch is a good choice for academic and larger public libraries.AEllen Sullivan, Ferguson Lib., Stamford, CT
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004KZOWEQ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ecco; First edition (March 22, 1999)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 22, 1999
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4508 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 374 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 252 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Edward Hirsch

Edward Hirsch

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
252 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Buckeye
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent introduction to the pleasures of poetry
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2000
Verified Purchase
A mentor of mine always used to say "There are two kinds of people in this world!" and he would then expand on whatever dichotomy was on his mind at the moment. He might well have said that there are those who "get" poetry, and those who don't. I have always been firmly in the latter camp, but perhaps am more recently moving toward the former. Though I still have quite a ways to go, this book really helped move me along. This is a very well-written introduction to the joys of reading poetry. Besides presenting the reader with examples of many different types and styles of poetry it's just very enjoyable to read this author's writing.
While my reaction to the poems in the book is not even on the same scale as the author's very visceral, emotional responses, I feel like I nevertheless grasped enough of his reaction to know what he was feeling, and what he was getting at in his description. But I'll admit that some of the poems I read over and over again trying to detect some of *his* response in *me*, and I rarely did. I think this has more to do with my naivete, and I sort of envied the author's obvious depth of feeling in response to these poems.
Anyway - it's a great read and if you're a lover of poetry or even just curious about it, I recommend this book highly.
77 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Richard
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect... like new.
Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2024
Verified Purchase
Good price. Perfect... like new condition. Never been read, no fading, etc...
Helpful
 Report
Brandon
4.0 out of 5 stars Title misses audience, but overall increases interest in poetry
Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2011
Verified Purchase
This offering from Edward Hirsch may have trouble finding its audience. The title seems to address those who have discovered an interest in poetry. However, after about the first third of the book, the prose becomes increasingly academic and dependent on outside reading. The first third of the book was quite lovely. Edward Hirsch is obviously a knowledgeable poet who is capable of providing insight on a wide variety of poems. It was a delight to read some poets that were neglected in high school and introductory college courses with such a didactic, passionate guide. Moreover, it was a joy using my new kindle to highlight passages here and there.

As the book proceeded, some of the descriptions become a bit tedious and repetitive (this is incantatory, that is incantatory) and I started to notice a bit of a pattern of soft analysis coupled with flowery praise for each poem. When it came to the chapter on dramatic poetry I started flipping through pages due to the absence of the poems referenced in the text. I considered seeking out some of the titles, but then it began to feel like work. As I continued through the text it seemed less like a friendly introduction to new fans and more of a scholarly work aiming to weave a diverse field of poets together through common themes. Hirsch's velocity of references and names increases dramatically during the course of the book and I found myself getting lost.

This is not a book about the the basics, the how, or the why of poetry. This is closer to a series of reviews of great poetry that is meant to spark interest in the reader to the art form.
23 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Capricorn One
3.0 out of 5 stars A bit repetitive and enamored with the author's language
Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2014
Verified Purchase
I fell in love with poetry when I took a college class and my professor opened my eyes, ears, and mind to the beauty of poetic rhythm, message, and how it resonates so easily and clearly the language of life's scenes, tragedies, joys, and beauty. A well-written poem is arguably better than the best short story or literary phrase - the lyric poem has a musical quality inherent in the sequence of words, the rhymes, the "iambic pentameter" repetitive use of words to paint a scene in our minds. The author is eminently qualified to write on this subject, and writes exceptionally well, using numerous examples of poetry across time to make his points. Unfortunately, he seems a little more enamored with his rather lengthy essays about poetry than on accomplishing the title of the book - How to Read a Poem. I did like the book, but about halfway through I concluded the remaining half would be repetitive - a theme I'd seen about a third of the way through. I admire his interest and expertise in poetry, but in terms of achieving his title objective, I can't say the book hit the mark for me.
6 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Harper Curtis
5.0 out of 5 stars Poetry needs readers. Readers need Edward Hirsch
Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2013
Verified Purchase
_How to Read a Poem_ is simply the best book to read to learn about poetry generally and to stoke your passion for it. It is an exuberant book which introduces readers to poetry joyfully.
Too often readers learn the "rules of verse", for example, that a sonnet has fourteen lines and rhymes a certain way, but they're not inspired, they don't know why they should care and they don't understand why anyone would bother to write a sonnet. As a result, they may memorize those rules but never want to read a sonnet again. The inspiration they need is right here in _How to Read a Poem_. This is the only book you need, along with the Reading List offered at the back, which will send you off to the library to explore for a lifetime.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Bud Mckechnie
5.0 out of 5 stars A good treatment of the value of reading poems
Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2018
Verified Purchase
He does a super job of explaining how and why he reads poems. Strangely he likes some very little known works, but he is quite good at exploring their beauty. I found this book hard to put down, and read most of it in just one or two days. I love the concept he uses of comparing reading a poem to finding a message in a bottle, since most poems we read are chance occurrences where a person meets the mind and the heart of a poet in some random opportunity, but finds infinite delight in the discovery. Nobody can properly define a poem, but this gentleman takes you a long way toward understanding and appreciating a good poem.
11 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Ray
5.0 out of 5 stars A great book
Reviewed in Canada on August 15, 2019
Verified Purchase
This is a great book with detailed explanations and the enthusiasm of the author shines through. It is not, however, a light read so don't buy it unless you are truly passionate about poetry.
One person found this helpful
 Report
G. S.
5.0 out of 5 stars Life-changing read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 20, 2018
Verified Purchase
This book is a 'must read' for any lover of poetry and anyone who want to understand it better. Remarkably insightful guide. It may change your life! However, you won't get the mechanical analysis of form, metaphor etc., here. Instead Hirsch has a particular idea to propound: that poetry is created in a state of altered consciousness, a kind of ecstatic reverie, though he combines this with incredibly detailed and sensitive understanding and analysis of the poems he concentrates on. And there are also the seeds of his later ideas about 'duende' - that powerful but ineffable sadness and underlying danger that imbues much great work and which later found expression in his book 'The Demon and the Angel'. It is a poetic book about poetry.
6 people found this helpful
 Report
Byland87
5.0 out of 5 stars Comment mieux apprécier la poésie
Reviewed in France on September 25, 2013
Verified Purchase
Personnellement, j'ai apprécié ce livre. L'auteur est amoureux de la poésie et cet amour transparaît dans chaque page.
Je le recommande aux personnes qui rêvent de pouvoir rentrer dans un poème comme Mary Poppins rentrait dans les dessins que Bert dessinait sur les trottoirs. Ce livre ouvre une porte qui donne sur une nouvelle dimension. Là, la magie s'opère et les mots deviennent comme les ''Daffodils'' de Wordsworth et s'animent devant nos yeux dans une ronde joyeuse...
2 people found this helpful
 Report
allan brotherton
5.0 out of 5 stars How to understand poetry
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 30, 2021
Verified Purchase
I always struggled to understand poetry although I loved reading it this book gives me a new perspective on poetry and I can understand what the poet is expressing.
One person found this helpful
 Report
Carol
4.0 out of 5 stars not good for my senior eyes
Reviewed in Canada on October 27, 2014
Verified Purchase
I generally give all poetry five stars so this is exceptional for me. But the range of poets chosen is very limited and very traditional. It's as if Hirsch stopped adding to his shelves some time ago. There are 88 American poets cited, 50 from England and only two from Canada. I am Canadian and there were many poets writing cutting-edge poetry prior to this book's publication (1999): bill bissett, Irving Layton, Gwendoline Brooks, Margaret Atwood...
The glossary is especially helpful but is in very small print, not good for my senior eyes.
Try Molly Peacock's book on how to read poetry if Hirsch's topic interests you.
Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report