The Art of Reading Poetry

By Harold Bloom

     Poetry: the rhythmic literary genre that has beguiled and bewildered humans for centuries. Symbolic natures, metaphorical undertones, polymorphic meanings-all of these are just a few of the many different aspects of literature that poetry has defined and redefined. Harold Bloom, in The Art of Reading Poetry, helps his readers truly understand how to not only read, but also understand some of the greatest poetry ever written.

      As an amateur poet and English major with some huge reading assignments being handed out on a constant basis, I had no trouble at all becoming completely hooked on this small book. Why? The writing reads as smoothly as a whispering stream and the poetry that is covered are some of the most well-known, greatest works he could've chosen. There are also poems in the back of the book to use as further references to aid the dissecting Bloom takes us through. I recommend it to anyone who has even the remotest interest in poetry. It's well worth the time. Trust me.