Poetry: The Literary Agenda (Literary Agenda)

In this fascinating addition to the Literary Agenda series, David Constantine argues that poetry matters. It matters for individuals and for the society they are members of. He asserts that poetry is not for the few but for the many, and belongs and can only thrive among them, speaks of and to
their concerns. The Poet considers both the writing and the reading of poetry, which the Constantine views as kindred activities. He examines what goes into the writing of a poem and considers what good there is in reading it. Constantine also considers translation, arguing that great benefit comes
to the native language from dealings with the foreign; also, that all reading is a form of translation - of texts into the lives we lead. Altogether, The Poet is an attempt, with many quotations, to show how poetry works, what its responsibilities are, and how it may help us in our real
circumstances now.