Writing Poetry combines an accessible introduction to the essential elements of the craft, with a critical awareness of its historical, ideological and aesthetic underpinnings. The authors argue that separating the making of poems from critical thinking about them is a false divide and encourage students to delve deeper into their work by becoming accomplished critics and active readers of poetic texts. The book presents a range of strategies and practical exercises to help initiate and sustain the process of making poems, while also demonstrating the value of activities such as memorizing...

How well can you decode the signs that permeate our daily lives? All of us, consciously or not, constantly engage in the acts of reading and interpreting the signs in the world around us. But how do we sharpen these skills, deepen our awareness of meaning in a complex world, and ultimately reach our full potential as university writers? This book answers the needs of students of composition, culture studies, and literature, providing a process-orientated guide to analyzing anything.