Review: The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Prose Poetry

oetry–sadly the bastard child of the publishing industry these days–has a place close to my heart. As a longtime poet (since 2nd grade!) and an MA degree holder in English literature with a specialization in poetry, I feel qualified to adjudicate a book on the study and appreciation of the art. In addition to reading lots of poetry (most recently in the form of Poetry Magazine), I’ve also read quite a few books on the study of poetry and poetry scholarship–and usually, they’re all pretty terrible.

Normally, when I read a book about poetry, rather than a book of poems, it’s bad. It’s always way too teachy, too middle-school-humanities class, too–dare I say it–boring. I’ve always loved poetry, but I’ve rarely even liked reading books about poetry. Thankfully, Chicago publisher Rose Metal Press’ new book Field Guide to Prose Poetry is unlike most other books in this vein in that it’s good, very good.

The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Prose Poetry takes on a bold task: to outline and present the prose poem and how modern poets perceive and use it. Defining types of poetry (and really poetry in general) is always impossible, and thankfully this book avoids it. Instead, the book opens with a solid and detailed history of how the prose poem began and grew in popularity. The body of the book is then a series of essays by well-known (and published) modern poets who share their thoughts on the subject, which are mercifully varied and creative. Some of the poets shortly detail their decisions to write prose poetry, including how they started, and leave it at that. Other poets go into long, scholarly dissertations on the subject. Some of my favorites–and the book opens with one such as this–are poets who write about their relationship to prose poetry in a prose poem. All of the poets have examples of their own prose poetry following their essays and this paints a beautiful collage of the art form the does a great job of representing just how varied prose poems can be.

Obviously, I liked this book. It’s well written, varied, and illuminating. I think that in addition to poets, who will find this book engrossing and inspiring to their own work, teachers will really enjoy this book. I imagine it would be a great classroom companion. Assign your students one of the essays in the book, and use the one or two prose poems that go along with the essay as examples for your students, and ask them to write their own prose poem. Heck, even adult writers and authors could practice this to expand their craft.

Well produced, comprehensive, and thick–it will take you a while to get through, which is a good thing–this book is well worth the dollar bills you’ll spend on it, poets and poet wannabes. Get it while the getting’s good.