Reviews for How Squire Coyote brought fire to the Cahrocs

The average rating for How Squire Coyote brought fire to the Cahrocs based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-08-03 00:00:00 Anda Luters Addressing his readers Phil Roberts suggests 'perhaps you feel disappointed because I have spent so much time on the technical aspects of poetry in this book, and so little on the magical effects.' Herein lies the dilemma at the heart of my response to 'How Poetry Works'. On his own terms Roberts succeeds, providing a concise, readable and comprehensive manual of the technical aspects of poetry supported by examples taken from the last 1,000 years of English poetry. This offers any student a sound, basic grounding in the mechanics of poetry. However I was indeed disappointed by Robert's decision to then not offer any insights into how such techniques (metre, rhythm, rhyme, metaphor, form etc.) are used to create effect or convey meaning. The absence of such a consideration risks offering a reductive view of reading poetry, where the focus is purely on technique rather than purpose. Read towards the end of the second decade of the twenty first century Robert's assessment of contemporary poetry is also perhaps inevitably somewhat dated, particularly in its assessment of the importance of female poets. However Robert's emphasis on the importance of reading poetry aloud in order to truly appreciate it is unassailable. In the final analysis, 'How Poetry Works' is a solid reader's guide to technique but leaves the reader hungry for more on the 'magic' of poetic meaning and effect.

Review # 2 was written on 2017-01-12 00:00:00 Richard McClellan I give course books systematically three stars, but this book was such an exceptional one that four is deserved. Roberts manages to explain in plain English all the different sides that make English poetry worth reading. And reading aloud. He proves that it is possible to write a scholarly book explaining difficult, abstract matters in a way that is not only understandable but even pleasant reading. The Annexes are also good support to reading, anthology and vocabulary being the most interesting ones.