There are many resources available on “spoken word,” a growing and powerful movement that often gives young poets their start. Places in New York City, such as the Bowery Poetry Club and the Nuyorican Cafe, have been instrumental in the rise of this exciting form that includes a bit of theater and drama. Poetry slams, […]

This alarming poem by Adrienne Rich is provided by the poet Ed Hirsch to show how to “talk back” to a poem. Hirsch provides his notes in the margins and commentary after the poem. Rich’s poem, used here for instruction, tells the story of a diver, the physical experience of an explorer, and ends up […]

In his instructive text, “How to Read a Poem,” the poet Ed Hirsch goes into detail about “talking back” to the poem. As a writer, developing the habit of questioning the poem will provide insight into not just what the poem means, but how it was made, and why it evolved into its final form. […]