How to Write About Poetry: A Pocket Guide, Brendan Cooper

When secondary school or university students are asked what they find hardest about studying English, the most popular answer by far is poetry. This book is the first poetry analysis guide intended for all candidates studying English at secondary and university levels. Importantly, it is a «pocket guide» – concise and accessible. This means that all students will be able to find it useful, whether they happen to be struggling in the subject or trying to secure their own top-grade performance. The guide is organised into five short, reader-friendly chapters: an introduction, «Why is Poetry Difficult?», «What do Poems Mean?», «The Challenge of Poetic Form», and «How to Write an Essay on a Poem». Each of these chapters challenges particular misunderstandings about poetry while presenting some clear, practical strategies for how to analyse poems.