book review: ‘unleash the poem within,’ by wendy nyemaster

by Juliet Wilson

This book is an intriguing mix of self help and poetry manual.

The tone of the book is relaxed, chatty and women-centered. Each chapter takes the reader through a specific poetic form (e.g. the sonnet) or type (e.g. the letter poem) and suggests which form is best for writing about certain personal situations, giving examples written by the women in the author’s writing circle and titles of examples by famous female poets that can be accessed online or from a library.

The focus is on using poetry to explore personal issues and to allow writing to access emotions and discover solutions to personal problems. Form and craft are described in a simple (sometimes simplistic) and straightforward way that demystifies poetry and enables the reader to feel confident about starting to write. There are also nice lists of tips for each form, along with a selection of ideas around areas such as sharing poetry, how to make time to write and using poetry in journalling.

My problem with formal verse has always centred on why to use a particular form. I’m a prolific haiku writer because that is a form that suits my way of looking at the world and the things that inspire me, but I don’t like to write, for example, a sonnet, just for the sake of it. I want to feel it’s the right form for the thoughts I want to express. This book really helped me with its chapters outlining why each form suits particular situations:

sonnet — working out emotions
sestina — making sense of memory
ghazal — allowing your mind to wander
haiku — living in the moment
villanelle — accessing your inner voice
ode — dwelling on what is good in your life

I know that each form suits other situations too, but this was really helpful in getting me to think about form and when I can use it. Since first reviewing the book, I have written and posted my first attempts at ghazals and sestinas.

The book is aimed at beginner poets and women interested in poetry as therapy. As Nyemaster says: “I decided to write a book on poetical form because it is something I can wholeheartedly believe in and can provide personal testimony about. It can help women to live fuller, more in tune lives … “

It’s a book about allowing creativity to help you explore personal issues and, though it is also useful for free verse writers who want to start exploring form, it is not a manual for the experienced poet who wants to develop skills in writing quality formal verse.<img style=”vertical-align:bottom;border:0px;margin:0 0 0 5px;padding:0 0 0 0″ src=”http://readwritepoem.org/files/2009/07/splat-ender1.jpg” alt=”" width=”20″ height=”20″ />

Nyemaster, Wendy. 2008. Unleash the Poem Within: How Reading and Writing Poetry Can Liberate Your Creative Spirit. Sourcebooks. Available here.

Note: A version of this review first appeared on Crafty Green Poet.