A Life with Poetry

This volume examines the development of poetic literacy including the specific processes used by expert poetry readers and professional poets. In doing so it provides a much needed synthesis of research findings across diverse domains such as human development, the scientific study of literature, cognitive psychology, neuroscience, psycholinguistics and education. An important feature of the book is its exploration of the new and relatively unexplored area of research on the development of poetic writing. Both theoretical and practical, the volume will be of interest to researchers as well as educators. The detailed explication of expert knowledge and the trajectory through which relative novices become relative experts should allow educators to make evidence-based decisions. Valuable guidelines for developmentally-appropriate practice in pedagogical settings are provided to better optimize learning and inspire students from preschool to graduate school and beyond.

Keith Oatley, University of Toronto:
This engaging and informative book is unique. It surveys a wide range of ideas and research on poetry, along with its nature, as well as how writers and readers approach it. It also has two other special aspects. The first is developmental: how children, adolescents, and adults engage in poetry, with some becoming experts. The second is how poetry may better be taught and encouraged in our schools and universities.