I know, I know – it”s not Monday. I ended up taking a short, unexpected vacation earlier this week, and for that I apologize to those that had got used to reading the bookshelf, markets, Wedensday”s Poet, resources and featured blog on their regular days. I”m playing catch-up today with the Not-Xday editions of my usual daily features. If you”re looking for summer reading, then, this is my Not-Monday edition of the Poet”s Bookshelf.

The Poetry Reader”s Toolkit (Marc Polonsky) is a handbook for those who READ rather than write poetry. In easy to understand language, Polonsky takes the reader by the hand and leads him (or her) through the intricacies of reading verse. In the process he demonstrates how open and accessible poetry can be, when viewed with the right set of tools. This easy to read guide shows students how poetry conveys emotion, introduces them to different imagery, explores sound, covers metaphors and similes, and explains verse forms, line breaks, and numerous other poetic devices. By explaining the tools that make poetry through examples, Polonsky shows you how to “deconstruct” a poem, taking it apart to read through the layers of meaning. If there is one book out there that should be on every bookshelf, not just those of the poet, this book is it.

Polonsky is not, as one Amazon book reviewer said, your typical high school English teacher – and this book is not your typical poetry text. It is a book by a man who believes that, in his words, “poetry is about as essential as air”, and sets out to prove it to the world with his passionate declarations. If you want to see poetry in a new light – not just poetry, but poems, not just poems but your favorite poems – then this book by Polonsky is a must.