“A poem is a compact sonic parade, marching clamorously through the tunnel of the ear canal, an ever-shifting zone of commotion,” writes poet, critic, and scholar Brad Leithauser in this book that explores the building blocks of poetry. In twenty-four neat chapters, Leithauser guides the reader through everything from enjambment to off rhymes, and topics such as how rhyme can be used to reflect everyday speech and the ways in which wordplay makes a poem more concise. Providing literary analyses of some of his favorite poets such as Conrad Aiken, Amy Clampitt, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and Paul Muldoon, Leithauser offers passionate discussions on how poetry conveys meaning and how it “insists that we read and reread and reeducate ourselves.” Rhyme’s Rooms is a guide into poetry for those new to the genre as well as experienced poets and readers looking to rediscover and dive deeper into the craft of poetry.
