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Perrine's Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry (9th Edition) Thomas R. Arp (Author), Laurence Perrine (Contributor), Laurence Perrine (Author)
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One of my kids is a good poet and I found myself not capable of appreciating her works. No matter, Dad, we can fix that. She told me to buy this book about 2 and half years ago. This is definitely a personal record of longest time to finish a book. On average, it took me about 3 days to finish one page.
Through those pages, I met Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, John Donne, and Linda Pastan.
When I taught you at eight to ride a bicycle, loping along beside you as you wobbled away on two round wheels, my own mouth rounding in surprise when you pulled ahead down the curved path of the park, I kept waiting for the thud of your crash as I sprinted to catch up, while you grew smaller, more breakable with distance, pumping, pumping for your life, screaming with laughter, the hair flapping behind you like a handkerchief waving goodbye.
Linda Pastan
It turns out western poetry is much similar to Chinese. Except that, like Haiku, Chinese poems are almost entirely of fixed forms with strict rules on meter and rythm. From a text book on western poetry appreciation, I learned to appreciate poetry.
I do have many miles to go…