The Secret of Poetry

I found Mark Jarman's book of essays, _The Secret of Poetry_, to be very rewarding, both in the actual experience of reading the book and in the essays' tendency to resonate in my mind since then. The book is one of those gems in which literary analysis becomes not only intellectually interesting and informative, but enjoyable as well. Jarman's ability to find new, relevant issues in the writing of prominent poets and his insightful exploration of his subject matter help to give this book the weight of genuine importance that so many books ultimately do not have. Fans of Jarman's poetry will recognize his characteristic wit in surprising (and often delightfully subtle) moments in this collection of prose. Although I had read poems by most of the writers to whom Jarman refers, there were also many times in which Jarman referenced either specific poems or poets I was not familiar with. I was pleasantly surprised that I still felt engaged when reading essays that dealt with works unfamiliar to me. Jarman must have a talent for precisely contextualizing poems and poets, because I was not left feeling lost; in fact, I have found that the essays made certain writings seem so intriguing that I have felt compelled to read several of them since then. For me, the most unique aspect of _The Secret of Poetry_ is how it offers so many potential secrets of poetry. This aspect makes it feel like Jarman is inviting the reader along on a search rather than simply stating his own conclusions. Although Jarman frankly gives his own opinions about what the secret of poetry may be, there is also a definite sense that he wants his readers to consider the question on their own.