Poetry & Poetics

It seems that there is no limit to what can be said
‘Though the contents of this tome might rarely be read
I am nonetheless grateful to have received this gift
Whose scholarly content one should not resist

Within the compass of a mere 1639 pages!
The editors encapsulate the wisdom of ages
Thus reviewing the realm of poetry and of poetics
An encyclopedic panorama of art and aesthetics

This mammoth collection of sophisticated writings
Should satisfy any reader in quest of its findings
Thus it encompasses the entries in five categories
Surely enough for the most esoteric of enquiries

In analyzing the nature of poetry and poetics
Its offers a response to the sternest of critics
For it embraces every facet of this literary form
As it seek students to enlighten and inform

So this compendium highlights all the major themes
Terminology, periods, movements and genres
Societal influences, history and schools
And the complex mechanics of versifying rules

The range of poetic writing extends without limit
Culture, nationality, racial variation fail to inhibit
Gender and class, hierarchy, form and structure
Fail to enforce insurmountable strictures

Now I embark on this voyage of poetic exploration
Across undulating waves of this titanic publication
As on the distant horizon I strain my weary eyes
Hoping new insights and learning will be my prize

Ken Fisher