The Practice of Poetry

A distinctive collection of more than 90 effective poetry-writing exercises combined with corresponding essays to inspire writers of all levels.

The Practice of Poetry is the first handbook for poets to combine poetry-writing exercises with illuminating personal essays by each contributor. The editors, Robin Behn and Chase Twichell, who are themselves poets and teachers of creative writing, have collected more than ninety tested and proven exercises intended for poets enrolled in writing programs or working on their own.

Poetry, like any art, is best mastered through practice and, as Behn and Twichell point out in their introduction, “A good exercise serves as a scaffold . . . [and] helps you think about, articulate, and solve specific creative problems.” The exercises in The Practice of Poetry addresses a broad range of topics: the struggle from inspiration, transforming memory and experience into writing, the process of revision, experimenting with formal structure, as well as many others. The result is a comprehensive, distinctive collection of exciting exercises that stimulate the imagination and increase technical flexibility and control.

The Practice of Poetry offers poets a chance to sample the best creative-writing techniques being taught in programs around the country and will prove an unlimited resource for any poet writing today.