Chasing The Muse
Since 1987

The Ode Less Travelled: Unlocking the Poet Within

by Stephen Fry

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The Ode Less Travelled

by Stephen Fry

reviewed by Kristin LaTour

Fry, a well-known actor and lesser known poet, brings a sense of humor and straightforwardness to this book on the basics of reading and writing poems. His book begins, "I have a dark and dreadful secret. I write poetry." He goes on to give three "golden rules" to reading poems, and playfully asks readers to tick off a box agreeing with the rules. This sets the tone for what will be the most painless lessons in poetry.

Don't be daunted that the first section of the book covers meter. Fry takes it on with finesse that makes the most frightened of readers at ease. If you remember reading rhymes when you were a kid, Fry taps into this and brings you into simple, and then slightly more complex meters. He then moves on to sections on rhyme, form, and finishes with "Diction and Poetics Today" which includes a chapter titled, "Poetic Vices. Ten Habits of Successful Poets that They Don't Teach You at Harvard Poetry School, or Chicken Verse for the Soul Is from Mars but You Are What You Read in Just Seven Days or Your Money Back. Getting Noticed. Poetry Today. Goodbye."

After each chapter, Fry includes a brief exercise to try out what you’ve just learned, leading to some new poems using new techniques. It's just the thing to break up the doldrums in your writing, or give it a go for the first time. Fry coaxes both the writer, "Everyone writes shit from time to time. Don't get all hysterical about it," and the reader, "please, DO NOT BE AFRAID." After all, we all started reading with rhymes and fun poems, and that fun is waiting to be rediscovered.

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Kristin LaTour has been a member of NWG since 2003 and recently finished an MFA in creative writing poetry. In addition to being a poet, she teaches English at Joliet Jr. College. Her writing philosophy is that one must practice writing just like a musical instrument. It takes time, patience, help, study and constant practice. And it also takes an appreciation for the craft. What musician doesn't listen to the music of others? What novelist doesn't like to read novels? Poets should be reading poetry by old masters and up-and-comers. Her poems have appeared in the journals Pearl, Rambunctious Review, and After Hours. Her chapbook, "Town Limits: Red Beaver Lake, Minnesota," is available from Pudding House Press with excerpts on her website.