Real Toads, Imaginary Gardens: On Reading and Writing Poetry Forensically

An innovative and accessible guide to writing and reading poetry by an acclaimed poet and beloved professor of poetry.

What makes reading a poem unlike reading anything else? In Real Toads, Imaginary Gardens, acclaimed poet and teacher Paisley Rekdal demonstrates how to observe the building blocks of a poem—including its diction, form, imagery, and rhythm—and construct an interpretation of its meaning. Using guided close readings and nearly 40 creative and critical “experiments,” this book s...