A Way with Words IV

Understanding Poetry

By: Prof. Michael D. C. Drout

Narrated by: Prof. Michael Drout

Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's Summary

In A Way with Words I, II, and III, Professor Michael D.C. Drout increased listeners' understanding of the way literature works, of the rhetoric that in many ways defines people's lives, and of the intricacies of grammar, all while maintaining a lively tone that conveys the professor's infectious enthusiasm for the subject.

In part IV of this fascinating series, Professor Drout submerses listeners in poetry's past, present, and future. Addressing such poetic luminaries as Milton,Wordsworth, Shelley, and Keats, these lectures explain in simple terms what poetry is while following its development through the centuries.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2008 Michael D.C. Drout (P)2008 Recorded Books, LLC

Drout Rules!

Gotta love Drout - such a great teacher. This installment of the Modern Scholar explain poetry very clearly for the uninformed (like me). Best is the explanation of iambic pentameter, meter, etc. The only problem I have is that he devoted almost a whole lecture to John Donne and spent only 4 minutes on Milton - even though the chapter was entitled Milton. But that aside - Drout still rules!

Get your facts straight

What would have made A Way with Words IV better?

If the "professor" actually knew which poets wrote which poems

What do you think your next listen will be?

Nothing from this series

Any additional comments?

The *professor* refers to Keats THREE times when discussing Ode to the West Wind which is actually written by Shelley. Dude, get your poets straight. If you're going to lecture on a poem you should at least know who wrote it.....

Interesting, not illuminating

I must say it pains me to give this title only three stars, because of how thoroughly I enjoyed many of the lectures and because of what a thoughtful, engaging teacher Prof. Drout is. After having listened to the lectures, I have a much better understanding of poetic techniques such as meter and rhythm, as well as the history of poetry in English. What I don't understand that much better is the meaning in the poetry itself. Maybe I was expecting a more hand-holding approach, guiding if not line-by-line then at least stanza-by-stanza, explaining what the poet was actually saying - not just how they were saying it. He seemed to think that part was self-evident when for me it often was not.

Part of the problem was just how short it was, when you're trying to look at the entire history of poetry in English. He seems to spend a lot of time just telling you how much he's leaving out. I am interested in history generally, and in the history of the English language specifically, so I was looking forward to the historical aspect. But looking back I think, for a course in "Understanding Poetry", I would've gotten more out of it if there was less of a historical aspect, and more analysis.

Sparked my interest into poetry.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Would recommend to my peers because author/narrator is very passionate about subject.

Which scene was your favorite?

His story about the poet Lord Byron.

Was A Way with Words IV worth the listening time?

Definitely worth it.

I love Professor Drout!

I will be listening to this one several times. Listening to an hour or two a day is best in my opinion. It contains so much information its a lot to take in at once but It is so well done I can't speak highly enough of it.

Great delivery, make sure you understand what you are buying

This is generally speaking a pretty technical course of understanding poetry. The professor is fantastic and delivers it in an engaging and passionate fashion.

But there is less discussion of meaning etc... more (at least the way I felt) of form and how it affects meaning.

As such it is great but this is not what I thought I was buying...

love drout

Listening to this but literally made me want to look up the professor and go to the school where he instructs. great read

Not sure why he assumes that we understand

It's not half bad. It's a good introduction and informative. I would still recommend it.

However, I found myself annoyed by his reading of Old English constantly throughout the first 4 lectures, of Chaucer and Beowulf. It feels a bit ridiculous for him to read this long passages repeatedly, when it's pretty clear that virtually nobody has even a single idea what the words are saying. We don't know old english. Almsot nobody knows what you're saying.

So I don't really understand how this is useful for students of poetry and language, to read thsi obscure passages without explaining what they are. It's a foreign language to us, we can't understand it. And it becomes grating to hear this guy reciting these completely gibberish foreign language poems and acting like we're supposed to know what he's saying.

How Do I Love Thee...

When a man who is both master in his field and yet acutely in touch with his humanity sets out to help educate and inspire others to share and understand his passion, all that can remain is a great work of academia and art combined into eight and a half very enjoyable hours. Thank you for being my professor of poetry, Dr. Drout!

informative but hard to finish and understand

I have enjoyed every single book from Prof. Drout. This book in particular integrates the history of poetry starting from the Anglo-Saxon until the 21st century with its' respective icons. I really enjoy listening his interpretation of poetry. However, this is undeniably a difficult read.

Excellent course

I'm a beginner in poetry, in fact not even that, never studied it, never liked it.

Yet on advice from an excellent writing blog, I decided to learn a little of it.

I've listened to Drout before, on Rhetoric and on grammar, so I knew what I would get. An enthusiastic teacher of his subject, something needed for a slightly reluctant learner.

I won't be a poet, yes I know it, and that, I don't mind. But, for a means of expanding writing skill and writing mind, to not learn some, I'd be blind.

It's an excellent course, not a survey, yet he presents in time orderly fashion. He explores technique through the ages: stress and meter, rhyme and slant, enjambment, ceasura, measure and more; then, relates their use to each age, each poet and explores the effects bought about.

This review I'm writing after one listening to the entire course.

Will I listen again?
Yes, for my purposes, I will and side track down some poets he brings up.

If you are new to poetry, perhaps looking to learn to expand writing skill or just to learn why poetry is fussed over, this is the right course.

You are not bombarded with hours of inaccessible readings.

You are given a delightful feast of techniques, and how poets used them; each course served in proper order so that you can savour the flavour of effects each poet did favor.

Don't let my crime of rhyme put you off giving time-to listen to this course and learn something new!

Enlightening and entertaining

Drout is the English teacher I wish I had. I've listened through most of these lectures at least twice and now have a new list of poets who I'm excited to investigate and the tools I need to enjoy them.

Really recommend this title. I'm not an English scholar; I merely had a passing interest and I found this very accessible. I will definitely be listening to the other titles in this series.

I am captivated

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I've always wanted to know more about poetry, how it works in different ways and why one type of poetry is so different from another. I have always been slightly intimidated by the rules and codes about this form of storytelling and although I have dabbled in the past, I have never really given my attention to it - until now!

I found this book/course by Michael Drout to be compelling and exciting and I listened to it in 3 days in between other busy activities. I didn't understand it all and didn't look at the notes at the time but now intend to listen again this week, read the literature that comes with it and makes notes on what I now understood and what remains unclear.

I now feel I can read poetry with much improved confidence and I feel inspired to learn more about poetry and the poets that speak to me.

I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who wants to be captivated by poetry and how to understand it better.

Any additional comments?

The only element missing in the book for me was a more in depth analysis of the meanings of some of the poetry. I would have loved to hear a greater interpretation of some of the poems and their less obvious hidden meanings and the devices used by the poets. I appreciate that would have made the book much longer (fine by me) or perhaps this could be the subject of the next piece by Michael Drout!

Enjoyed a Lot!

Would you consider the audio edition of A Way with Words IV to be better than the print version?

For me it would be, but there is also accompanying reference material via the website.

What did you like best about this story?

Not a story. It really gave me some helpful impressions of noteworthy poets, throughout the history of poetry.

Have you listened to any of Michael Drout’s other performances? How does this one compare?

He's always so excited & impassioned about his subject matter that I would be encouraged to try out listening to another audiobook even if if wasn't an area i had previously thought to seek out.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No - Far too long & I would also go off to further research some of the mentioned poets.

Any additional comments?

A book I will come back to over time & listen to relevant parts.

The professor I always wanted to have

I've been working through several poetry books, which range from comprehensive but dry (Peter Whitfield's The History of English Poetry) to fun and practical (Stephen Fry's An Ode Less Travelled). Professor Drout's is different again, thorough and passionate. More than anything, he also pays more attention to pre-written and pre-English writing (as an Anglo-Saxon scholar, he's unusually qualified to do this), but more than anything he reminds everyone that poetry is to be experienced. Highly recommended.