Invitation to Poetry: The Pleasures of Studying Poetry and Poetics

“One could not find a better guide than Steinman (Reed College) for developing a sound approach to reading poems. This eclecticism in examples proves to readers how a rigorous approach to reading can allow one to tackle a variety of texts from different eras. Written in a lively and engaging manner, this book is best suited to those embarking on literary studies or creative writing, particularly poetry. Highly recommended.” (Choice Reviews, October 2008)

“To the casual reader, Steinman explains how poems work; to the critical reader, why they keep working. Ranging over several centuries, styles, genres, and modes of English verse, Invitation to Poetry provides both the tools needed to ‘play with poems’ and a manual in their use.”
–C. D. Blanton, University of California, Berkeley

“Lisa Steinman’s Invitation to Poetry, with its effortless scholarship and engaging manner, offers a wonderful introduction to the study of poetry. This is a beautifully-written book which offers many pleasures, and for those who read attentively, a tremendous depth of reference underpinning its argument.”
–Tim Armstrong, Royal Holloway, University of London