Rhyming Dictionaries

Thesauri / Synonym

Phrase Dictionaries & Quotations

Acronym Dictionaries

English Grammars

Encyclopedias

Creating Poetry
by John Drury

If you buy only one book on poetry, this is the one! In a style that is both erudite and engaging, Drury covers virtually everything you need to know to vastly improve your skills as a poet. So many of today's writers let their own poetic preferences dominate their material - but not Drury. Whether you write in meter and rhyme, free verse or blank, you'll find a treasure chest of invaluable information and insight. And, of course, lots of great examples.

At a Glance

• Preparing - developing your poetic sensitivity
• Language - learning the fundamental tools of poetry and using them effectively
• Sight - refining sight and insight, to make your poetry come alive within the mind's eye. And the heart's eye, too.
• Sound - sensitizing yourself to the music of words, both singly and in combination
• Movement - developing the rhythmic qualities that make poems sing, shout, march, croon, or whisper
• Voice - becoming aware of the fine nuances of how the words are said and connected
• Finishing - bringing each poem to a successful - and satisfying - completion

How to Publish Your Poetry :
A Complete Guide to Finding the Right
Publishers for Your Work
by Helene Ciaravino

The name of the book pretty much tells the story. A lot of the emphasis here is on know what you want to accomplish and, maybe more importantly, what the publishing industry is looking to accomplish.

There's a whole chapter on Understanding Publishing and Its People, one well worth reading. There's also a chapter on Preparing Your Submission, giving a more in-depth view of the information you can find in our Marketing section.

Poet's Guide : How to Publish and Perform Your Work
by Michael J. Bugeja

Unlike Ciaravino's book (above), Bugeja focuses less on the publishing industry and more on how the poet can personally market their work. In my opinion, you can skip the chapter on Contests, but even without it there's a lot of really good material here.

Believe it or not, there are a lot of people who publish their own chap books, then sell than at poetry readings - and make a fairly decent living doing so.

The Poetry Dictionary
by John Drury

This book includes a comprehensive list of 284 topics, covering everything from simple meter and enjambment to villanelles and pantoums.

But it's far more than just a list or dry dictionary. Drury, both a poet and English professor, is without question one of my favorite authors (see book above), and writes in a style that is both easy to understand and a joy to read. With the vast majority of terms he covers, Drury also includes multiple examples, and you'll likely agree the poetry alone is worth the price of the book. .

Poetic Rhythm : An Introduction
by Derek Attridge

In spite of the title, I would not consider this an introductory text. Nor is it noncontroversial, as Attridge often devises his own schemes for explaining and exploring the subjects of meter and rhythm. But the bottom line is, his own schemes make a lot of sense, and often reveal truths about poetry overlooked by more traditional teachers.

If you already have a firm grasp of iambic pentameter, and have passed beyond the stage of counting syllables, this is the next book you should read.