De/Compositions: 101 Good Poems Gone Wrong

Author: W. D. Snodgrass

Publisher: Graywolf Press (2001)

This original, illuminating, and sometimes quite funny poetry anthology is primarily concerned with a fundamental and familiar question: How can we tell good poetry from bad? To illustrate precisely why these 101 poems, many of them well-loved classics, are so accomplished and remarkable, the prize-winning poet, author, critic, and veteran teacher Snodgrass herein rewrites them―wrongly. De/Compositions tellingly presents these rewrites next to the originals―by poets ranging from William Shakespeare to William Stafford―and thus we can more fully appreciate the artistry of these astonishing poems word by word, line by line, stanza by stanza. This book will appeal to anyone studying the craft and/or creativity that good poems demand.