A Study of Poetry

Bliss Perry’s A Study of Poetry invites listeners into a lively, teacherly exploration of verse from a distinguished Harvard professor of English literature. Perry lays out a practical, historically aware method for approaching poetry that traces the creative arc from initial impression through the transforming imagination to final expression, emphasizing the lyric form that captivated late 19th- and early 20th-century readers. Part primer and part classroom manual, the audiobook balances close readings, theoretical insight, and concrete guidance for appreciating metre, imagery, and poetic development without resorting to rigid formulae. Perry acknowledges his predecessors and contemporaries while offering a clear framework useful for readers encountering Romantic, Victorian, and modern lyric traditions. He intentionally limits discussion of epic and drama to focus on the lyric’s shifting varieties and the revival of poetic interest in his era, and he supplements his argument with notes, illustrations, and suggested classroom materials. Ideal for students, teachers, and poetry lovers seeking a rigorous yet accessible introduction to literary criticism and poetic craft, A Study of Poetry equips listeners with tools to read poems more thoughtfully and teach them more confidently.