Subtitled A Guide to Reading Poetry for Pleasure and Practical Criticism, this b

ook
which was updated for a second edition in 2005
is a wonderfully clear and co
mprehensive introduction to the appreciation of poetry. John Lennard shows how w
e can enjoy poetry by understanding its technical features and techniques: his e
pigraph, from C. L. R. James, suggests a parallel between appreciating cricket P
oetry Handbookand appreciating poetry. If we know nothing of the technical aspec
ts of the game of cricket, we can still enjoy it, but if we understand how the g
ame works and what techniques the players use, we can ground our enjoyment in so
mething more specific and informed than mere impressionism . Invaluable for any stu
dent of poetry at university (and very helpful for those at school), but also us
eful for anyone who wishes to understand the rules of metre, rhyme, syntax, and
form in more depth.