THE HATRED OF POETRY

Ben Lerner (Fitzcarraldo Editions)

For generations, poetry has been said to be something of a dying art, but in reality it has changed and morphed with the times. Lerner looks at how the perception of poetry has changed along with the styles and fame that poetry presents.

Some of the most prominent feelings around poetry are confusion, disinterest, and, as the title suggests, hatred. Even poets themselves have negative feelings about poetry, as Marianne Moore wrote “I, too dislike it.”

Lerner talks us through the reasons why poetry is one of the most disliked forms of literature as well as examining close readings of Keats, Dickson, McGonagall and Whitman, in this beautifully written essay.

This book, although hard to follow in the beginning, was written like poetry itself. The easily quotable essay should be in the hands of every aspiring artist.

Price: £9.99. Info: www.fitzcarraldoeditions.com

words MONICA MARTIN