A very good no nonsense guide to writing poetry and revising poetry. He has a strong prejudice for accessible poetry and offers suggestions on how to write poetry that is accessible but still profound. Many of his metaphors and similies for the process of writing and editing make reading the book very enjoyable ( )

This is the poetry writing guide I wish I'd had as a creative writing student in college. Kooser offers nuts-and-bolts advice on everything from working with detail, to form, to metaphor, and he includes plenty of wonderful poems to illustrate what he's talking about. Very well done. ( )

I love Kooser’s poetry - it’s so clear and understandable, as well as meaningful to me. So when I saw this book on a recommended list at poets.org I rushed out and bought it. Just like his poetry, his advice about writing poetry is clear and understandable. ( )

Kooser's approach to poetry is rather basic, and his book is a good introduction to writing poetry. In his first chapter, (the best chapter in my view), he writes of modern poetry's digression into obscurity. We want to impress the academics, so we fill the poem with obscure references. But poetry doesn't require it. Compare this to Kooser's verses, say in his Delights and Shadows, and you can see how accessible his poetry is.
Other subjects in this work are writing for others, prose poems, writing from memory, fine-tuning metaphors and similes. I mention the last chapter specifically because Kooser is very strong in his use of metaphors. In this book he uses mainly his own works as examples. ( )

Really very good, and encouraging. Kooser's emphasis on considering the reader and making your poems as transparent as you can, particularly for newer poets, should be taken to heart by more of us. ( )