The Eye of the Poet: Six Views of the Art and Craft of Poetry

These are essays on the craft, process, and thinking of poetry. It's the sort of book that's easy to carry and worth carrying because when you sit down to read it you're happy you have it. There are six essays by seven authors. Two essays are outstanding. The first is by Billy Collins, not really my type of poet in the large picture, but he's accessible, which I think is the goal of the book. He pursues the question of what happens to us when we read a poem and he approaches the possible answers from a variety of points touching on the someplace else-ness of a poem or the way it asks readers to slow down. For me the most memorable essay was by Yusef Komunyakaa and I marked quite a few passages that I will reconsider as I continue writing and planning future classes. I suggest getting a copy, for these two essays alone. However, if you take my recommendation, don't get mad if you find a pedantic essay about meter (that I felt was better presented in other books)or other less than compelling pieces. That said, I think what Citino has done is admirable because we can never have too many books where poets speak to their processes and passions.