Arizona Talking Book Library

April is National Poetry Month! Poetry is a wonderful art form that explores the full depth of human emotions whether you are writing your own poetry or diving into the work of another poet. If you're looking to discover a new poet, find these titles on BARD or request them from your librarian today!

Quipu by Arthur Sze (DBC10231) - In this collection of poetry, the author utilizes quipu, a tactile recording device for the pre-literate Inca, as a unifying metaphor, knotting and stringing luminous poems that move across cultures and time, from elegy to ode. Some strong language.

An American Sunrise: Poems by Jo Harjo (DB 101306 or BR 22723) - Collection of fifty-seven poems by the twenty-third US poet laureate. Themes explored include colonialism-induced generational trauma, aging, creative expression, activism, and
the beauty of nature. In "By the Way," Harjo reflects on the impact of Adrienne Rich on her own work.

Rhyme's Rooms: The Architecture of Poetry by Brad Leithauser (DB 108701) - Leithauser takes a deep dive into that how -- the very architecture of poetry. He explains how meter and rhyme work in fruitful opposition ("Meter is prospective; rhyme is retrospective"); how the weirdnesses of spelling in English are a boon to the poet; why an off rhyme will often succeed where a perfect rhyme would not; why Shakespeare and Frost can sound so similar, despite the centuries separating them. Here is both an indispensable learning tool and a delightful journey into the art of the poem--a chance for new poets and readers of poetry to grasp the fundamentals, and for experienced poets and readers to rediscover excellent works in all their fascinating detail.

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