Don't Read Poetry by Stephanie Burt Publisher: Beijing United Publishing Company

Introduction · · · · · ·
Why is a book that teaches people how to read poetry called "Don't Read Poetry"?

If someone tells you what poetry is, why you should read poetry, or how to read poetry, they are usually wrong. Poetry is not a difficult art form with a high threshold. It expresses common human emotions and touches your nerves at a certain moment.

Poetry—not “poems” but poems—can celebrate new life, comfort the dying, prompt you to quit your job or find a new one or no job at all, bring you the same joy as solving charades, sewing, or playing basketball, and, most importantly, make you feel like you are not alone.

Stephanie Burt uses six key words to analyze the correct way to open a poem. She dispels our tense state of the art of poetry, breaks down prejudices, shows how poems from different eras influence and communicate with each other, and leads readers into the seemingly difficult door of contemporary poetry.