Mastering Poetry

SARA THORNE is an experienced English teacher who has worked in a range of contexts. A former Joint Chief Examiner for AS/A-Level English Language and Literature, she now works as a writer and educational consultant, producing materials for classroom use and working with teachers to encourage active and stimulating approaches to teaching grammar. She is the author of the best-selling Mastering Advanced English Language.

• PART 1: APPROACHES TO POETRYIntroductionWhat is Poetry?Distinctive Features of PoetryPoetic FormStyleLiterary and Rhetorical DevicesHow to Read a PoemPART 2: KEY POETSEnglish Poets and the English Poetic TraditionThe Beginnings of the English Poetic TraditionGeoffrey Chaucer (c.1343-1400)Poetry of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth CenturiesPoetry of the Eighteenth CenturyPoetry of the Nineteenth CenturyThe Twentieth CenturyInto the Twenty-First CenturyBibliographyIndex.

'This book has an enormous amount to recommend it. Its strengths are the detailed coverage of technical aspects of poetry and the subsequent survey of English poetry from its beginnings through to the present day. The extremely helpful commentaries give readers a clear idea of how to express their thoughts about poetry and to link these to closer linguistic and stylistic analyses.' - Kim Ballard, Course Leader for A-Level English Language at Esher College, Surrey, UK, and Chief Examiner for A-Level English Language for seven years