Thematic Guide to American Poetry

(Hardback)

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Organized by themes, this resource offers interpretations of 250 American poems, representing a wide variety of poets both historical and contemporary, with supplemental biographical sketched of the poets, and information on where to find the poems cited. This Thematic Guide offers interpretations of 250 poems, representing the work of 86 poets spanning a wide spectrum of historical and contemporary, ethnic, and canonical writers. This unique poetry resource should have usefulness and appeal to librarians and teachers who need to identify and locate poems on a given theme, and to students and all lovers of poetry who wish to enrich their understanding of the thematic meanings of poems. The organization of this volume is intended to facilitate easy access to information on poetry for users' individual purposes. The main section of the guide contains narrative essays on 21 alphabetically arranged themes that recur throughout the rich history of American poetry. Within each section the explications of individual poems are arranged chronologically to trace the evolution of a particular theme over time. Educators teaching thematic units will find relevant essays here appropriate as either background presentation, discussions ideas, or for student assignments. This volume is also designed to assist users in locating the text of all the poems cited here. Following each entry, the poems are listed with information about the anthologies where the texts can be found. Most of the abbreviations used here correspond to the codes used in the Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry in Anthology familiar to most librarians. This volume may also be used to find analysis of different poems by a particular poet. The index will direct the user to all discussions of a poet in the volume. An Appendix provides concise biographical sketches of the covered poets, arranged alphabetically. These entries contain information about the poets' lives, their major works, their stylistic contributions and their thematic concerns. This background information should be helpful in providing students and all readers with the context to better understand the thematic issues of the poetry discussed here. Along with the other components of this work, the additional suggested readings provide add to the value of this multifaceted volumes as a resource for research, classroom use and as an indispensable tool for librarians assisting readers to identify poets, access their works and to better understand the thematic meanings of poetry.

Reviews

.,."provides an especially powerful curriculum-planning tool for high school English and social studies teachers."-VOYA
.,."well organized, fills a niche in the literature, and will be especially useful for educators and librarians. Recommended. General and undergraduate readers."-Choice
...provides an especially powerful curriculum-planning tool for high school English and social studies teachers.-VOYA
...well organized, fills a niche in the literature, and will be especially useful for educators and librarians. Recommended. General and undergraduate readers.-Choice
[u]seful for students who are to discuss the themes of poems or for teachers who wish to gain quick insight into an unfamiliar poem. Recommended.-Library Media Connection
The teacher working with less motivated or less advanced students will find this book helpful....Burns' clear, concise interpretations will promote discussion and study and provide a sound foundation for comparison with other interpretations. useful to advanced students and their teachers.-School Library Journal
Thematic Guide to American Poetry provides a valuable outlet for students or teachers looking for poems on a given theme and is recommended for high-school, academic, and public libraries.-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
Collection Development Poetry-Library Journal
Collection Development PoetryLibrary Journal
"useful for students who are to discuss the themes of poems or for teachers who wish to gain quick insight into an unfamiliar poem. Recommended."-Library Media Connection
..."provides an especially powerful curriculum-planning tool for high school English and social studies teachers."-VOYA
..."well organized, fills a niche in the literature, and will be especially useful for educators and librarians. Recommended. General and undergraduate readers."-Choice
"[u]seful for students who are to discuss the themes of poems or for teachers who wish to gain quick insight into an unfamiliar poem. Recommended."-Library Media Connection
"Collection Development Poetry"-Library Journal
"Thematic Guide to American Poetry provides a valuable outlet for students or teachers looking for poems on a given theme and is recommended for high-school, academic, and public libraries."-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
"The teacher working with less motivated or less advanced students will find this book helpful....Burns' clear, concise interpretations will promote discussion and study and provide a sound foundation for comparison with other interpretations. useful to advanced students and their teachers."-School Library Journal

Author Bio

ALLAN BURNS is Assistant Professor of English at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. His interests include American Poetry and American nature writing. His articles and reviews have been published in American Literary Realism, American Literature, English Studies, The Henry James Review and Papers on Language and Literature.