A Poet's Mind, To the Student

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To the student This book, containing almost a fourth of my published poems, reflects "a poet's mind." Tbe chapters gradually introduce principal ways in whicb a poet takes in his surroundings, changes them into ideas, and records bis sense of their reality. You will decide, I trust, that poetic language truly imitates the best functions of your own mind when, in setting up a whole event, idea, or picture, it shows strict care in its use of each word and phrase. If your feelings are drawn into the agreement because of emotionally attractive lines, your double benefit of a richer vocabulary and e firmer confidence in tbe value of poetr, will be secure. By achieving this benefit, your efforts will harmonize tbe considerations that my poems about children were meant for adults and that, as years passed, all my works became more complicated in tbougbt, if not in language. Thus they are, like problems in life, more quickly understood by persons who read exactly and "think twice," regardless of age. You will find my prose influenced by my long poetic habits, for it uses metaphors (just as you do) and similar styles--later explained. But from a poet's mind you naturally expect phrases like "the dust of common reason" and "the soil of an idea." This book, I hope, speaks for itself--and for poetry. J .A.E. V

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James A. Emanuel's draft introduction for students reading his textbook A Poet's Mind.

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  • type
    Image
  • created on
  • file format
    jpg
  • file size
    3 MB
  • container title
    James A. Emanuel Papers
  • creator
    James A. Emanuel
  • issue
    Box 8 Folder 13 A Poet’s Mind, draft B, 1982
  • rights
    James A. Emanuel Estate
  • rights holder
    James A. Emanuel Estate
  • version
    Draft B