The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Making Sense of Poetry: Study Skills volume 3
Because Making Sense of Poetry was Book of the Day, some of our most trusted members have carefully looked over the cover, the description, and other aspects of this book as a part of purchase-intent focus group. We then asked each participant in the focus group if they planned to buy and read the book, and why they planned to buy and read the book or not. Their answer to that question and reasons are displayed below. We call this awesome feature The First Ten Focus Group.
Keep in mind, the responses from the members are not reviews. This is purchase-intent focus group which means the participants are people who have NOT yet bought or read your book. A purchase-intent focus group is an important and extremely useful marketing tool for any product, not just books. For other products, you might walk on the street and show people an item in a package and poll them about whether they would buy if or $X or not. These kind of focus groups are one of the ways big marketing companies find the ideal price points for products and test the effectiveness of different packaging. The focus group can help you identify your market so you how to target ads of your book, and it can (but may not) provide you new useful info about your "packaging" (e.g. your book cover, your book synopsis on Amazon, etc.). The point of the focus group comments is to give you information from people who have not bought or read your book about why they plan to buy your book which will help you in marketing the book. These are not reviews or critiques of your book because they are not from people have read the book. This is a marketing tool, not reviews. The trick of book marketing and book advertising is that you have to convince people who have not read your book yet that your book is worth buying and reading. For marketing, it doesn't matter much if people love your book after reading it if you cannot convince potential buyers before they read it that they will love it.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable. This is because we only poll about 20 or so readers, and all readers have to say "no" to almost all books. Over a million books are published each year. Even a very active reader cannot come close to even reading 1% of books out there.
This is also why publishing books is such a tough industry.
Ekta Kumari
The author seeks to break down poetry and its aspects in simple and comprehensible language. First of all, I wouldn't have read the book as I wasn't into the main subject based on what I read in its blurb and the official OBC review. Though, I would say the book really does seem like a complete guide to anyone interested in poetry. The author has done a great job at explaining the complex language poetry has. In fact, I was impressed with the level of intimate knowledge he has about poetry. The thing I liked the most is that the author illustrates the concepts with examples and then breaks them down in simple language. As I'm not much into poetry, I wasn't able to enjoy the sample very much. But I would say it is written well. In spite of reading an official OBC review, I wouldn't be reading the whole book due to my disinterest in the main subject. As for the editing, I was able to find an error in this sentence, "On network television the principal popular art form is the dramatic series (a polite reference to what are universally known as ‘soaps’), in which plot, character and action hold the stage." There should be a comma after 'television'. I wouldn't recommend anything for improvements, but I would suggest to correct the grammatical error and any other such errors that may be present further into the book.
First Ten review added on March 16, 2022, at 5:11 am by Ekta Kumari.
Mutai Marshal
I usually skip reading poems due to their sophistication and intricacy. Since the title hinted at poetry, I wouldn't have read this book outside the First Ten program. From the sample, I liked that the author took time to explain how interchangeably terms are used in the book. This expunges confusion when one faces 'awkward' sentences while reading. Having read the OBC review, I will buy this book because the author uses simple and straightforward language. This makes it easy to comprehend the message. Most errors that I flagged were subjective. I, however, believe this sentence in brackets has an objective error (I should like to record my gratitude to the following for their critical reading of the original version...'should' be 'would'). Therefore, I believe it wasn't exceptionally edited. I didn't find anything worth improving.
First Ten review added on March 16, 2022, at 4:58 am by Mutai Marshal.
Asma Aisha Ansari
I would have chosen to sample the book based on the cover, the title, the genre, the blurb, the editorial reviews and the OBC review because I'm not good at understanding poetry. There are no Amazon reviews for the book yet. As for the sample, I liked the author's straightforward approach towards explaining this complex subject. The author has made it very clear that reading this book will not make everyone an expert on analysing and understanding poetry but it will definitely make our journey easier.
The book seems professionally edited, as I found only a few errors in the sample. For example, in the sentence, 'Cold analysis on its own can very easily lead you to taking a wrong turning in understanding the poem.', the words 'taking' and 'turning' should be 'take' and 'turn' respectively. I suggest that the book be edited once for these errors. And, I'm going to read the rest of the book because this book will be useful for me.
First Ten review added on March 16, 2022, at 4:53 am by Asma Aisha Ansari.
va2016
The title "Making sense of poetry" and the cover that contains the flowers indicate that the book could be about poetry. There is only one Amazon customer rating, which is not a sufficient number for me to decide to sample the book. The Amazon summary clearly states that the book is about understanding poetry. As I am not interested in this theme, I would have skipped sampling the book if not for the First Ten program. As I sampled through the book, I found the narration describing how poetry should be analyzed and studied. As I found the content to be of great value, I am going to read this book in full. I found the sample professionally edited. I didn't find any grammatical or mechanical errors. What I liked most about the book is its theme of how to make sense of poetry. As a recommendation for improvement, I would suggest changing the book cover more appealing (removing the white square for the title box) for the audience. Although I found one OBC review of the book, my decision to read the book in full is based on my own sampling.
First Ten review added on March 16, 2022, at 4:52 am by va2016.
Hhannahh
I doubt I would have sampled this book based on its cover or genre because, just like the author rightly observed about most people, I have little interest in poetry. The book's OBC review didn't have much influence on me.
This book was simply about the art of poetry. The author started by explaining the reasons for the declining interest in poetry. I like that he gave a lot of examples in this book, such as citing certain poems and commenting on poets. I truly enjoyed the bit I read, and I don't think this book needs any improvement. I, however, won't be completing this book because, as I said earlier, I have no special interest in poetry. I didn't notice any errors in the first ten pages of this book.
First Ten review added on March 16, 2022, at 4:44 am by Hhannahh.
Dzejn_Crvena
I'd have sampled this book based on the title because it will help me decipher the poems I'm reading. The OBC review and the sample convinced me to read it after I learned that there's a touch of humor in the contents. The sample provides an overview of how some famous poems were written as well as the relevance of studying poetry. I like the thorough explanations about the evolution of words. The book seems professionally edited, so I don't have suggestions for improvements.
First Ten review added on March 16, 2022, at 4:42 am by Dzejn_Crvena.
Manang Muyang
I dabble in poetry when the mood suits me. I am also partial to yellow flowers. Thus, seeing this book's title and the cover of yellow daffodils that look like angels, I would have been inspired to sample the book outside of the program. The blurb mentions that it would be suitable for students, and indeed, it is one scholarly work. Since I am definitely no student and I do not see the benefit of learning everything that the book teaches, I will not read the rest of it. I had fun with the parts I read, though, especially with the familiar poems quoted, like Hamlet's famous "To be, or not to be" lines. I found some minor comma errors, like the following: In the table of contents, there was inconsistency in writing "Milton On his Blindness"; the second mention was "Milton, On his Blindness." In Chapter One, "One such poet is the late Poet Laureate, John Betjeman" did not need the comma before "John." In the same chapter, the comma was not appropriate in "and the Liverpool poet, Roger McGough." In Chapter Two, "To come to an understanding of Victorian London. . . of the period, we are drawn to the novels of Dickens" is a comma splice. Apart from those misused commas, I saw no other need for improvement. I think the book is a fitting guide for students of poetry, but not for me. The official OBC reviewer gave a wonderful rating to the book.
First Ten review added on March 16, 2022, at 4:00 am by Manang Muyang.
Sou Hi
Without this program, I wouldn't have read this. The official review from OnlineBookClub and the cover look alright, but the book is not my cup of tea. Besides, there is only one rating on Amazon. Reading the first ten pages about whether poetry is irrelevant nowadays did not change my mind from my original guess.
To be frank, I don't enjoy anything in the bit I read. The editing is fine, though I found some errors. I have no suggestions for improvement. However, I'm not interested in poetry, so it's pointless trying to study it. Thus, I won't buy this book.
Error example: Before that , though, let us take a break with an intriguing interlude. -> Unneeded space after "Before that"
First Ten review added on March 16, 2022, at 2:44 am by Sou Hi.
Gabriella H
The cover and the title didn't attract me to the book. I like that it’s about poetry, and the OBC official review made it seem like a book that would help people understand poetry in a better way. However, I didn’t enjoy the first ten pages because the writing style wasn’t interesting enough for me. Therefore, I have decided not to complete this book. The blurb and the editorial review didn’t influence my decision. I didn’t see any customer review. If I weren’t a part of this program, I wouldn’t have read this book because the cover doesn’t look appealing to me. I didn’t see any errors. I think using a more visually pleasing cover would really help in attracting people to this book.
First Ten review added on March 16, 2022, at 2:20 am by Gabriella H.
Annelore Trujillo
I would not have sampled this book based on the genre, blurb, OBC review, cover and title. I don’t usually read non-fiction, and a book about poetry wasn’t something I thought I would enjoy. After reading the first ten pages, I won’t be finishing this book. I wasn’t a fan of the tone of the author or the vocabulary choice. In the introduction, the author complains about others and the use of jargon instead of a simple introduction, which is what this book promises. However, the general vocabulary is anything but simple. I’m a medical student who has taken several English classes. I still had to look several words up. I didn’t think this made the book accessible to a large audience. The vocabulary choice could use improvement. I also noticed errors that told me the book was not professionally edited. For example in “The answer is usually: something messy”, the colon is incorrectly used. There wasn’t anything specific that I liked so far.
First Ten review added on March 16, 2022, at 1:22 am by Annelore Trujillo.
evraealtana
I have never been interested in poetry and don't really see the utility in spending time forcing myself to gain an appreciation for it, so I would not have chosen this book for myself based on the title and official OBC review. The author asking the reader to "[r]ead [John Betjeman's] autobiographical poem /Summoned By Bells/ to discover what [he] mean[s]" by "'non-poetic' subjects of everyday life" seemed like a stretch. If that particular poem is such a specimen, why not include a passage from it to illustrate the point instead of putting the onus on the reader to look up the poem? The author drops a lot of names in the area of modern poets, but unless the reader is already a fan of modern poetry, those names and comparisons are unlikely to mean anything (and a reader who is already a fan of modern poetry probably doesn't need this book.) The author asserts that "the gift" for writing compelling imagery is "largely inborn and cannot be learned", with absolutely no support for the statement. This is a very large claim that is arguable on many levels, and so to drop it casually as the last line of a chapter and then move on to another subject rubs me the wrong way. The author writes eloquently, but since I don't care for the subject of the book and didn't get much out of the sample, I will not continue reading. I found no errors in the first ten pages.
First Ten review added on March 16, 2022, at 12:11 am by evraealtana.
Gabrielle Sigaki
Making Sense of Poetry by Rex W Last is a non-fiction book about understanding poetry with its complexities. If I didn't sample this book, I wouldn't read it based on its Official OnlineBookClub review and its blurb since I'm not interested in books about poetry interpretation. After sampling it, I didn't change my mind and I won't read the entire book because of the reason I stated before. This book didn't have customer reviews, but its lack didn't affect my decision, its genre, cover, and title also didn't affect my decision. However, the book seems professionally edited, there's nothing to be improved in it, and my favorite aspect was the fact that the author gave the meaning or origin of a few words, such as the word daisy, which is related to "day's eye." This aspect makes the book more practical.
First Ten review added on March 15, 2022, at 11:07 pm by Gabrielle Sigaki.
psychopathycathy
I do not read or write poetry, and the blurb is also a bit dry; there is also a low 3-star rating on Amazon. For all these reasons, if I had not read the sample as part of the First Ten program, I would not have read the book. After reading the sample, I have not changed my mind.
I did like that the book started by questioning if poetry was still relevant — for someone like me who is not exactly in traditional literature circles, this is a very eye-catching question. However, I still think the book is not really my genre; I liked the samples of poetry that were given and discussed, but otherwise there were long paragraphs of analysis that felt kind of tedious to read. Maybe more experimental formatting could help, such as the section about different word meanings. That's the only thing I would change. It was professionally edited. The official review on OnlineBookClub did not affect my decision.
First Ten review added on March 15, 2022, at 11:00 pm by psychopathycathy.
brooke oakes
I do not think I would have sampled or read this book outside this program. I didn't fancy its cover or title. Also, neither its OBC nor Amazon review appealed to me when they mention that it’s about how to understand poetry. The book starts with explaining why poetry is relevant. The author uses several songs as examples of sung poetry and how they relate to poetry in literature. I liked the detailed explanations in this book, but nothing else in the book appealed to me, so I won't complete it.I don't notice any errors, while I read. I don't think this book needs any improvement.
First Ten review added on March 15, 2022, at 9:58 pm by brooke oakes.
Rosemary Owolabi
Had I not actually sampled the first ten pages of this program, I would not have chosen to read this book unless the customer reviews were solidly positive.
I felt the front cover could have been more interesting and catchy than the way it looked.
This book is free on Amazon when using the Kindle Unlimited app to download it.
I would read the whole book because the first ten pages asked some important questions that were relevant to poetry writing and reading. Was poetry (writing in teams) on its way out? Rex blamed smart phone usage, television series, and the difficulty of readers' understanding or interpreting the poet's style of writing. It seemed that most readers were left confused after reading most poems, which greatly made people lose interest in picking Poetry books up to read, even in libraries. But Rex believed all hope wasn't lost because there were still some popular poets that made the art of poetry more relevant and appealing. Along with lyricists and radio hosts who use rhymes while speaking, he had hoped that surely it would not be as bad as he had feared. It might be a little bit hard for poetry to be totally forgotten or extinct. He mentioned some poets and their books that kept poetry alive.
Reading the first ten pages changed my opinion from the original guess.
Based on what I read in the book "Making Sense of Poetry" by Rex W., it seemed to be professionally edited. I didn't notice any typos or errors.
What I liked about the bit that I read was how Rex pinpointed the obstacles the poet and poetry faced. He also knew the lovers of poetry wouldn't allow it to become forgotten or unappreciated.
What could be improved, in my opinion, would be for poetry clubs to come back with full force, a poetry competition, and for poets to work with script/screen writers and musicians. Any avenue that would promote the reading culture of poetry should be tapped into. Children should be taught and encouraged to write and find fun, joy, and excitement in poetry. Poets should take their books to schools, from kindergarten to university. It should be part of the school's extracurricular. Poetry reading culture should be revived, and writers should make it more meaningful and enjoyable too. Poetry should not be difficult, tedious, or boring. Most people don't have time to waste on a book. Poets should be smart and change with technological advancement. They could put their work online.
The book had an official OnlineBookClub review that I saw, but this didn't affect my decision.
First Ten review added on March 15, 2022, at 5:02 pm by Rosemary Owolabi.
Kirsi Cultrera
I have never had the least bit of interest in poetry. Therefore, I would not have sampled or read this book without this program. Reading the blurb, editorial reviews, and other available information did not make me more interested in this topic. However, I liked the author’s way with words; his writing style was humorous and definitely not boring. His example of Shakespeare’s famous lines got even me to raise my eyebrows, even though I still fail to see the greatness in these lines. For someone interested in the topic, this book is a great introduction. I did not find anything to complain about it. However, as I still lack interest, I will not read this book. Even reading the Official OnlineBookClub review could not change that. I spotted a tiny error from the sample pages, but it was not enough to raise any doubts about the level of editing. This book has been professionally edited. Error example, the last paragraph of chapter one: Before that( ), though, let us take a break with an intriguing interlude (extra space between the word and the comma).
First Ten review added on March 15, 2022, at 3:23 pm by Kirsi Cultrera.
Astral Magi
The vivid blooms and the catchy title appealed to me. If I hadn't read the first ten pages, I would have read the book based on these. Because I am not currently reading poetry for its educational worth, the first ten pages, as well as the OBC review, changed my perspective. I knew this wasn't for me based on the blurb and customer reviews. I like that poetry is discussed in music, but I'm not going to read the book because I just read poetry for pleasure. There were no errors that I saw, and there is nothing that might be improved. The book was edited professionally.
First Ten review added on March 15, 2022, at 3:18 pm by Astral Magi.
Sanju Lali
The title of this book indicated that it is a self-help book to understand poetry. I read the OBC official review of this book to know about its helpfulness. The OBC official review gave me the idea that this book helps us in understanding all the richness and complexities of poetry. This idea inspired me to read the first ten pages sample of this book. After reading the first ten pages, I realized that this book was not professionally edited because I found some grammatical errors in the sample. For example, the sentence, "It speaks in an odd, artificial language, it is regarded as not a little effeminate, demanding too much effort, and above all else it is perceived as being perversely difficult." The sentence could be as follows. "It speaks in an odd, artificial language, it is regarded as not a little effeminate, demanding too much effort, and above all else, it is perceived as being perversely difficult." In this book, I liked the information that poetry is read by only a few people, but still, it reaches many people in the form of pop music or radio shows. To my dismay, I lost interest in reading because I felt there were some unnecessary explanations on the topics like successors to Dr. Bowdler. I would have been glad to read only the relevant topics in this book. My suggestion to the author would be to go for a round of professional editing and consider my suggestions. Looking at all the aspects of this book, I decided not to purchase and read this book today until the author addresses my suggestions.
First Ten review added on March 15, 2022, at 2:10 pm by Sanju Lali.
Rodel Barnachea
After I went over the book’s Amazon page and official OBC review, I opted not to purchase the non-fiction title. I am not interested in what the author thinks is the proper way of interpreting a poem. I am not intrigued by “the 12 commandments” that he will lay out in the poetry literary criticism guide. Perusing its sample did not change my mind. I would not purchase it because of the same reasons I already stated above. I am not fascinated by the art of criticizing and interpreting poems, so I don’t think the book would be of use to me. The first ten pages cover a foreword, Chapter One (Is poetry relevant?) and some pages of Chapter Two (Do we have to study poetry?). My favorite part is when the author mentioned how ‘proper’ poetry has a ‘bad image in the public mind.’ I could not note any errors in the text; I believe the book is professionally edited. I have nothing to suggest to the author.
First Ten review added on March 15, 2022, at 1:13 pm by Rodel Barnachea.
gen_g
The title makes it clear that this is a book that helps people to better understand poetry – sort of a beginner's guide to poetry; I am not looking for such books (as I have studied poetry before), so I would not have sampled it. I have come across a positive OBC review of the book, but as I am not looking for books in this genre at th moment, my decision regarding sampling remains unchanged. Additionally, I have also found a couple of errors present, which is unfortunate. To illustrate, at 20% in the sample, there is an instance of an erroneous space instead before a comma (there should be no spaces before a comma): "Before that( ), though, let us...". I suggest more editing; I expect all published works to be error-free. Furthermore, as a second edition (and an author who is a professor of languages, no less), my expectations are naturally higher with regard to editing – unfortunately, this expectation has, unfortunately, not been met. Furthermore, as an introductory guide to poetry, I feel like the author tends to ramble and talk about other unrelated topics (albeit the author is aware of this) without actually tying it to the main topic (that is, poetry). To illustrate, we first get one of these "interludes" about etymology – Last talks about what etymology is, how words are continuously evolving to gain new meanings, and, lastly, a short list of random words and their etymologies. There is no mention at all about how one should be aware of etymology when reading poetry. Even a sentence or two about how it is important to always look up the etymologies of any words in the poems one reads would make the book a lot better; this is because not only will knowing the etymologies of words aid in understanding poems better, it might even provide clues as to the sociocultural/political context in which the poem was written. Furthermore, the presence of said sentences will also help to better tie this "interlude" to the main aim of the book, which is to give readers a primer to understanding poetry. Unfortunately, I also think that the book could do with a more detailed conceptualisation of what sort of ideas/points the book should cover, i.e., everything that is in the book has to be there for a reason, and a good reason at that. I do think that there needs to be more work done with a professional editor to work out the kinks to provide a better introduction to poetry. Furthermore, it would also be good for the author to explain at the beginning which kinds of poetry he is using as an example for readers. I believe that including a historical overview of how poetry developed would also go a long way. I will not be buying the book today because of the lack of organisation and conceptual flow.
First Ten review added on March 15, 2022, at 11:59 am by gen_g.
Jorge Leon Salazar
I consider both the cover and the title are in accordance with the topic of poetry, so I think the target audience should feel attracted. In general, I am not a fan of poetry since it is difficult for me to comprehend it. The blurb indicates that the book offers a concise introduction to the study and understanding of poetry while avoiding academic jargon. It explores both the poetry of the present and the past. It's also written in a clear and sometimes amusing style by a long-time expert on the field. Plus, It mentions the titles of how the book is structured. There are no customer reviews for this book. Based on these elements, I'm uninclined to try it. From the beginning, the objective, approach, and structure of the book are clarified. I find it convenient the book is oriented towards the analysis of individual poems. Also, it is a guide to help readers understand what is seeking to communicate through poetry. I found the analysis of an excerpt from a Thomas Hood poem interesting, as it shows some devices that seem to make poetry boring and difficult to grasp. The author's reasoning that today's poetry does not reach the masses like other genres is very good, for instance, pop music. Although there are elements of poetry in music, it does not have the same depth and complexity. It seems to be an excellent criticism to recognize that poetry retains a bad image in the general public. In part due to the use of an odd and artificial language that makes it perversely difficult. The analysis of why we have to study poetry appeared appropriate, but I think the comparison with scientists is unnecessary, the world needs all kinds of people. The official OnlineBookClub review notes that the book includes poem interpretation exercises and provides their solutions, which allows readers to assess whether they have grasped the teachings conveyed. The editing looks outstanding since I did not see anything to comment on. Overall, I didn't see anything that I believe could be improved. What I read was interesting, and I think the book has a commendable objective of teaching how to interpret poetry. However, I am not a fan of poetry and find it difficult to understand it, so for now I prefer not to read the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on March 15, 2022, at 10:02 am by Jorge Leon Salazar.
Diana Lowery
I was drawn to the cover because I just found some daffodils in my yard yesterday. I was confused by the subtitle, but reading the OBC review informed me that the book was first published in 1984 and this is the second edition. The Amazon blurb mentioned that the book was often amusing. Neither the blurb nor the review convinced me to read the book. From reading the first ten pages, I liked that the author was a professor, but I did not like that his references were about British places and events. I am not going to finish reading the book, but if I had come across it before I retired from teaching, I might have used it in one of my literature classes. I did not find any errors, and I do not have any suggestions for the author
First Ten review added on March 15, 2022, at 9:24 am by Diana Lowery.
Brenda Creech
I would not have checked this book out based on the cover and title because I am not interested in poetry. After reading the OBC review, I still did not wish to read the book. I didn't read any other reviews or blurbs about the book. The book appears to be exceptionally well-edited. I did not find any errors or anything I think needs improvement within the first ten pages. Reading the first ten pages did not change my mind about reading the rest of the book. I think the concept of this book is a great idea, but I don't care to learn how to analyze and decipher poems. For that reason, I won't be reading the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on March 15, 2022, at 7:08 am by Brenda Creech.
Emy Katherine
Because I am not fond of poetry books, I would not have read the book based on the genre, cover, title, and customer reviews. The book has no editorial reviews, but I found the Amazon blurb concise. Throughout his book, the author offers useful tips to help those people who struggle to analyze poetry. I liked the author's straightforward writing style as he highlighted how poetry is difficult to understand because of its compressed language. As this is not my genre, neither the OBC review nor the first ten pages changed my mind. I would also suggest another round of editing; I found some errors that distracted me from my reading. For example, it should be written "There is one other issue that needs to be resolved" instead of "There is one other issue which needs to be resolved." (page 17) It should be written "It’s the ringing poetic musicality of the words, not their literal meaning, that captures the imagination and sends the voices soaring" instead of "It’s the ringing poetic musicality of the words, not their literal meaning, which capture the imagination and send the voices soaring." (page 13)
First Ten review added on March 15, 2022, at 4:20 am by Emy Katherine.
Shrabastee Chakraborty
The unusual topic of the book had intrigued me. Based on the official OBC review's rating and other public reviews, I would have read the book. I encountered no errors in the first ten pages. Following an introduction, the author discussed why poetry might seem irrelevant in today's world. Our obsession with technology, short texts, and soap operas might mean poetry became obsolete. I liked the author's impassioned yet logical reasoning. However, the phrasing seemed a bit too formal for my choice. I wouldn't suggest the author should improve anything regarding this, because I felt this is exactly what they intended to convey. However, as I did not feel comfortable reading the book, I decided not to read further.
First Ten review added on March 15, 2022, at 3:11 am by Shrabastee Chakraborty.
Harsh Soni 3
After looking at the cover and title, the book seems like a non-fiction book that is one of my favourite genres. Then, I read the Official OBC review of the book (after that I don't need any other blurb or review) where I came to know that the book is about the poetry which I am not into. So, I am going to pass this book because of the reasons mentioned above. But as we all know, everything has some positive aspects. After reading the sample, I found that the book is written in a simple and straight-to-point manner, as it does not make the book overcomplicated. That is my favourite aspect about the book. I found no errors in the book. I have no suggestions.
First Ten review added on March 15, 2022, at 3:05 am by Harsh Soni 3.
Vidhi Adhikari
I liked the fact that the title of this book is straightforward, which developed my interest in reading it further. The cover is not as poetic as I wanted. Nonetheless, I was keen to read the book because of its crisp description and the positive customer and editorial reviews it has received. The sample did not disappoint and I shall be finishing this book soon. There were only some minor errors in the first ten pages, but nothing that would hamper one's reading experience ('I should {replace with 'would'} like to record my gratitude'). My favourite part about the read was that the writing is quite conversational, despite it being textual and educational. I would suggest using more heading and bullet points to improve the retention of the text.
First Ten review added on March 15, 2022, at 2:22 am by Vidhi Adhikari.
Jennifer Garcia 555
The cover and title of this book do not appeal to me. The cover is rather plain and I very rarely read poetry. I would not normally read this book. I read an official OnlineBookClub review that spoke highly of this book, but I was still pretty sure I would not enjoy this book. After reading the sample pages, this book did not keep my attention. I did not see any editing errors, so it seems professionally edited. I did like how the author pointed out the impact some poems have on people for no clear reason. It will make you stop and think. I have no suggestions for improvement. Readers looking to learn more about poetry may enjoy this book. I am not looking to learn more about poetry so I will pass on this book.
First Ten review added on March 15, 2022, at 1:53 am by Jennifer Garcia 555.
Ari Martinez
If it wasn't for this program, I would still sample this book based on its title, cover, genre, blurb, Official OnlineBookClub review, and other reviews because I used to be good at deciphering poetry years ago, and I have always wanted to regain that talent. Poetry hasn't attracted my attention in years because it is not my favorite type of literature, but I do see it as a challenge. After reading the first ten pages, I will read the whole book because of what I stated previously – deciphering poetry is a challenge I want to set for myself, and I think this book will help me. My favorite part of what I read was the point the author made about music containing "sung poetry." This is something I always considered to be true, and I am glad to see the same thought in this book. I can't think of any way to improve the book. In the last sentence of Chapter One, there is an unnecessary space between a word and the comma that follows it ("Before that , though, let us take a break with an intriguing interlude.").
First Ten review added on March 15, 2022, at 1:29 am by Ari Martinez.
MsH2k
I enjoy reading poetry, but based on the title, cover, and blurb, I would not have sampled this book if I were not part of this program. I read poetry carefully, and if I get something out of the poem, great. If I don’t, I move on. I wondered if the sample pages would give me a reason to dive deeper. They didn’t. I appreciate the author’s respect for the written word, but I am fine with continuing my poetry-reading approach as is. I will not buy this book. It appeared professionally edited, but I noticed a grammatical error at loc 199. The colon is not needed in this sentence: “The answer is usually: something messy and unpleasant which will drag on over several episodes.” Neither the featured OnlineBookClub review nor any other editorial reviews or customer reviews influenced my decision. The genre had no bearing either. I have no suggestions for improvement.
First Ten review added on March 14, 2022, at 11:15 pm by MsH2k.
Theresa Moffitt
The cover art for this book is attractive. I like the flowers. They caught my attention right away. Also, the title tells me exactly what the book is about. I am not a huge fan of poetry, so I would not have picked this book up based on the cover alone. The Online Book Club review recommended the book to readers who enjoy poetry. It includes exercises on poem interpretation. It seems similar to a text book on poetry. The OBC review was very informative, but it confirmed that this is not a book I would enjoy reading. I didn’t feel the need to read any additional reviews of the book. The first ten pages of the book compared poetry to popular shows and soap operas. It also provided song lyrics to show readers that the lyrics are poetry. I saw some errors in the first ten pages, so I don’t believe the book was professionally edited. Some errors were misplaced commas and formatting issues. For example, the word “Foreword” is used as the heading to the Foreword section of the book, and it is split between two different lines. Specifically, “forewo” is on one line and “rd” is on the line below. I think the author could have improved the book with additional editing. Based on the first ten pages, I would not like to finish reading this book.
First Ten review added on March 14, 2022, at 10:32 pm by Theresa Moffitt.
SweetSourSalty AndSpicy
The cover, title, and blurb did not catch my attention. I seldom read poetry and other related topics about it. Hence, I will not sample this book outside the program. Customer reviews are not available. I appreciate that the book is a helpful resource to enhance the appreciation of poetry. But, it is not my area of interest. I have no suggestions for improvement. Here are some examples of editing issues.
Location 310. Grammar. Consider changing the verb form to agree with the subject.
It may vary in range or choice of subject matter from the description of an individual experience at a single moment in time to the depiction of historical events on a vast canvas, but it does in some way [capture] and [encapsulate] what we are as human beings.
Location 354. Spelling. Consider adding a hyphen.
That does not mean that you have to undertake a [university level] course before you can understand poetry at all, in the same way that you do not have to become a world chess master before you can play a pretty competent game.
The official OnlineBookClub review is insightful. But I will skip this one.
First Ten review added on March 14, 2022, at 9:32 pm by SweetSourSalty AndSpicy.
Kira Bonita Reece
Had it not been for this program I would have chosen to read this book based on the cover, title, blurb, genre, customer reviews, and editorial reviews. What I liked most about this book was the simple and relaxed tone the author used. I've struggled to understand poetry a lot of times so I think this is a very helpful guide. The official online book club review was well-written and further piqued my interest.
The sample was professionally edited and no improvements are needed. I will be reading this book to better understand poetry in the future.
First Ten review added on March 14, 2022, at 9:31 pm by Kira Bonita Reece.
Lisa A Rayburn
Although I enjoy poetry occasionally, it is not a genre I actively peruse. Therefore, it is not likely that I would have run across this book if I were not a member of this program. Even if I had, the title makes it sound like a textbook, and that would not have encouraged me to pick it up despite the somewhat pretty cover. I am unfamiliar with the author, so that would not have influenced my decision. The blurb affirms the impression that the book is closer to a textbook than a book of poetry. Unfortunately, this is not an attractive prospect in a book for me. There is only one mediocre rating of the book on the Amazon site and no customer reviews to help guide an opinion, not even one from OBC. An OBC review or even a snippet of one on the Amazon site might have encouraged my interest. The official OBC review on this site was highly complimentary. This gave a good impression going into the sample. I think I enjoyed the etymology of various words such as 'lyric,' 'whiskey,' and 'quarantine' most in the sample. The etymology of English words has always been fascinating to me. I would have enjoyed more examples of poetry in the book though the discussion of 'to be or not to be' was interesting. If I were to suggest a change, the inclusion of more poetry would be it. Although I did like that the book was far less 'dry' than a usual non-fiction book, I am not interested in 'studying' poetry at this time. Thus, I have decided not to continue reading the book. The book seemed well-edited. I found no 'countable' errors in the sample.
First Ten review added on March 14, 2022, at 9:11 pm by Lisa A Rayburn.
Mariana Figueira
Before reading the book's first pages, I wasn't interested in it because nothing on the cover or the title got my attention. After sampling the book, I don't want to continue reading it because I don't like non-fiction. I like that this book aims to acquire interpretative skills but I feel like that would be incredibly difficult to learn from a book (at least for me). This book seems professionally edited, I didn't see any typos; plus, it has an official Online BookClub review. I didn't see anything that needed improvement. Neither the blurb, customer reviews, nor editorial reviews affect my decision not to read the book.
First Ten review added on March 14, 2022, at 9:07 pm by Mariana Figueira.
Mary WhiteFace
The cover looked nice and the title was very clear about what was in the book. The cover most definitely influenced my initial impression. Without the First Ten program, I would not have been interested in reading a book that attempts to help with "Making Sense of Poetry." I have never really been a fan of reading poetry. Although, I do like music, which ironically the author points out is a form of poetry.
There were no customer reviews to influence my decision. The OnlineBookClub review did not influence my decision, since I didn't read it before reading the sample of the book.
Reading the first ten pages did not change my mind. The book seemed to be professionally edited. I have no suggestions for improvements. The part I liked best was at location 297. The author pointed out that the "gift (of writing poetry) appears to be largely inborn and cannot be learned." I believe that the statement could be expanded to include the enjoyment of poetry. Maybe the enjoyment of poetry is also inborn.
I'm sure there is an audience that would enjoy reading a book that explains poetry. It would need to be someone who most likely already enjoys the genre. As for myself, I will not be reading the whole book.
First Ten review added on March 14, 2022, at 7:50 pm by Mary WhiteFace.
AntonelaMaria
I enjoy reading poetry. However, this book doesn't seem like something I would use. It seems like a book one needs to take a lot of time to read. Nevermind how short it is. I don't see poetry as something to analyze. I am more of a subjective reader. I didn't find any Amazon reviews only ratings. But there is a helpful Official OnlineBookClub review. After reading the sample, I haven't changed my mind. I wouldn't change anything about the book. It is not for me. It seems like more of a study guide something one would read at school. There are some errors and the first is on location 162 of the sample, where Dr. Phil Holmes is miswritten as Dr Phil Holmes. I liked chapter two and how the author addressed the discussion about the necessity of the study of poetry.
First Ten review added on March 14, 2022, at 6:50 pm by AntonelaMaria.
Stephanie Runyon
Normally, I would not sample a book of poetry. I don't find most poetry to hold my interest. I liked how the author aligned poetry with lyrics, as I could relate to the subject with the music genres I like to listen to. There were several issues with run-on sentences that caused the book to be somewhat tedious to read. Other than some editing to aid with clarity, I have no other suggestions for improvement. The OBC review did not influence my choice to bypass this book. I didn't find anything online to alter my choice. I felt the guide wasn't something that held my interest well.
ERROR: My approach arises from an impatience with contemporary tendencies towards both impenetrable jargon which academics can be enslaved by, and the consequent breaking of butterflies on wheels which can scarcely provide claim to provide a viable point of departure for the poor student trying to come to terms with this challenging academic discipline.
This is a very long run-on sentence that was hard to understand. It would be better to break it down into several sentences instead. For example: My approach arises from an impatience with contemporary tendencies. The student wishing to master this challenging discipline must overcome academic jargon, and the breaking of butterflies on wheels. Neither of these provide a viable point draw from for the student.
First Ten review added on March 14, 2022, at 6:28 pm by Stephanie Runyon.
Chelsy Scherba
It was interesting that the author discussed modern poetry as being songs in music. I hadn’t really thought of those two genres being the same, so that was interesting. Like most people, I’m not terribly interested in poetry, but if I were going to study it in college or school, this would be a great book for reference and learning. That being said, I’ll probably pass for today because I’m not in school currently. The OBC review mentioned the book has some humor, which I think is great and makes the subject more accessible. The cover doesn’t look the best, so I’d probably get an academic cover to match the topic. There were no blurbs, editorial or customer reviews, all I saw was a three star rating which seems unfair since the person didn’t even explain why they gave the book that rating. I have no suggestions for improvements because the book is well-written and would be fun to read in a literature class. There also were no errors, so the book is exceptionally edited.
First Ten review added on March 14, 2022, at 5:17 pm by Chelsy Scherba.
Shridhar Suryawanshi
If I had not actually sampled the first ten pages as part of this program, I would not have chosen to read or sample this book based on the cover, title, genre, blurb, editorial reviews, and customer reviews that I saw because I believe in "don't judge a book by it cover." I won't read this book because the subject didn't interest me. I would rather read actual poems instead of reading about why poems are important. It is exceptionally edited since I did not find any grammar errors. I liked the fact that the author backed the claims with reasonable explanations, but I suggest having broader audience. An OnlineBookClub review did not affect my decision.
First Ten review added on March 14, 2022, at 5:08 pm by Shridhar Suryawanshi.
Laura Ungureanu
The title was very intriguing to me because I want to learn more about poems, especially how to decipher some of them. The cover looks mainstream and old, but I was willing to overcome that aspect. The blurb and OBC review were convincing, so I had no reason to not sample this book. There are no Amazon reviews that I could see. I loved the fact that the author was comparing poetry to some popular songs, like those of Bob Dylan. This surely can make readers open up to poetry. The author's creativity and warm tone make it pleasant and relaxing to read the sample. I highly enjoyed reading it and would love to keep reading the whole book. Reading detailed analysis like that of the famous verse "to be or not to be" felt mesmerizing, as I wasn't able to stop. My curiosity is piqued. There is nothing I recommend because the book is simply wonderful. The editing also seems flawless.
First Ten review added on March 14, 2022, at 4:52 pm by Laura Ungureanu.
Yvonne Monique
The book title is very clear, but the cover image does not make much sense to me. As I do not like poetry, I would not pick this book up if I would see it in a bookstore. The blurb, customer reviews and OBC review give a good description of the book but do not particularly make me want to read the sample. The first ten pages are well edited and written in a explanatory way. I liked how the author referred to nowadays pop music, which also contains rhyme and rhythm, and is just another form of poetry. In spite of the interesting beginning of this book, I will not buy it as I do not enjoy poetry. I have no suggestions for improvement.
First Ten review added on March 14, 2022, at 4:43 pm by Yvonne Monique.
Kajori Sheryl Paul
'Making Sense of Poetry' is a non-fiction book. It is written by Rex W Last. The author aims to make the reader develop the ability to understand and interpret poetry. I like how she gives us examples of popular songs to understand the relevance of poetry. Also, I like the way she explains things by including excerpts of different poems. There should have been a comma before "and" in "..personal in nature, subjective and contemplative.." Also, it could have been "Much of poetry.." instead of "Much poetry.." Apart from such minor errors, the editing is fair. I found this to be a well-researched book with nothing in need of an improvement. So, I have decided to read the book after reading the sample. The OBC review is detailed as well. I might have skipped this book only based on the cover, title, genre, blurb, editorial reviews, and customer reviews as I found the blurb to be a bit dry.
First Ten review added on March 14, 2022, at 4:08 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.
markodim721
I would choose to read a sample of this book because of the title. I read the blurb and Official OnlineBookClub but they did not influence my decision. I didn't find any customer reviews and from the editor review, I liked the one written by Robert Saxton. The title of the book is original, simple, and provocative at the same time. The cover of the book is simple and does not fit the title. I will read the book because I am interested in the process of interpreting poetry. While reading the sample I did notice only one typo (… Bach, Beethoven and Brahms… it should be: …Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms… ) but other than that the book seems like it is professionally edited. Reading the sample did not change my mind from my original guess. I like that the author in the book also referred to the lyrics of Bob Dylan, the Beatles, and Joni Mitchell. I don’t think anything needs to be improved other than the cover redesign in the book.
First Ten review added on March 14, 2022, at 3:42 pm by markodim721.
Timothy Rucinski
To me, the cover is just awful. For a topic such as poetry, the cover has no sense of style or flow. Perhaps if the daffodils spread across the entire cover with the title of the book and the author's name superimposed, it would be more enticing. As it is, I found it amateurish and would never have picked up a copy for a closer look. Although the Official OBC Review was positive, from reading it I knew that this book was not for me. I had studied poetry quite extensively in college and don't feel as if I need a primer at this point of my life. I read the first several pages and concluded that I was correct. This book isn't for me. The only thing that I disliked was the subject matter. What I liked most was the author's decision to incorporate lyrics from popular songwriters into the text to show how poetry permeates the arts, even though people may not realize as much. The book, unfortunately, was not professionally edited as I found errors. For example, in the second paragraph of Chapter One on page 9, there is a comma missing after the word "television" in the following sentence: "On network television the principal popular art form is the dramatic series (a polite reference to what are universally known as 'soaps'), in which plot, character and action hold the stage." There is a comma missing after "above all else" in the following sentence on page 11: "It speaks in an odd, artificial language, it is regarded as not a little effeminate, demanding too much effort, and above all else it is perceived as being perversely difficult." On page 11, there is an unnecessary space following the word "that" in the following sentence: "Before that , though, let us take a break with an intriguing interlude." I read no reviews or blurbs other than the Official OBC Review. I have no recommendations for improvement other than suggesting that the author consider a new, more attractive cover and arrange for the book to be professionally proofread.
First Ten review added on March 14, 2022, at 3:13 pm by Timothy Rucinski.
María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda
The cover doesn't appear to be professionally designed, which always makes me think the content of the book will be amateurish, too. I know we are not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but I admit I sometimes do. The blurb is well-explained, and I especially like that the author enumerates the topics. I could benefit from learning the terms for analyzing poetry in English, which is not my native language, but my poor impression of the cover and the mediocre ratings would've prevented me from buying the book based on my first impressions.
I enjoyed the first ten pages. I very much enjoyed the author's honesty and his humorous remarks. For example, he acknowledges that the reader needs to "get his hands dirty," because "Interactive reading is a far better way of learning and making progress than passively staring at the printed page and expecting my wisdom, such as it is, to be transferred to you by some magical process." An example of a comment that made me laugh is when he talks about the structure of soaps and says: "‘What happens next and to whom?’ is the driving force behind such programmes as Coronation Street and EastEnders. The answer is usually: something messy and unpleasant which will drag on over several episodes." The only thing I disliked is not really a disliking, but an incomprehension. I have no idea what the author means by "butterflies on wheels" in position 164. While I enjoyed the first ten pages, what truly convinced me to read the whole book was the official OBC review because it's written by someone who's a little afraid of poetry, such as me, and it's very reassuring. I found some minor editing incongruences that I don't know if they should be considered flaws. For example, in the index, sometimes the author's name is separated by a comma from the title of the poem (i.e. "Poem three – Campbell, The River of Life.") but sometimes it doesn't (i.e. "Poem two – Milton On his Blindness.") These examples can be found on position 115. Later on, in position 170, there's an extra space in between words: "The plural form ‘lyrics’ is still used extensively to refer to words of verse set to music." These are minor flaws, but I suggest fixing them and improving the cover of the book.
First Ten review added on March 14, 2022, at 2:39 pm by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda.
Chinazo Anozie
I knew I would not be interested in this book from the title, cover, description, genre, and the official OnlineBookClub review because I do not like reading non-fiction. This book has mostly positive customer reviews, and though I will not buy and read it, I must commend the author on writing a book that breaks down how to understand poetry. I also liked that the author passed his message using humour and easy-to-understand language. This book seems professionally edited because I did not notice any typographical errors. I do not think anything needs to be improved.
First Ten review added on March 14, 2022, at 1:23 pm by Chinazo Anozie.
Amy Luman
I don’t have any intention of reading this book in its entirety. I am really not interested in non-fiction in general or poetry specifically. I really do like the cover. The flowers are very appealing, but they don’t say anything about the contents of the book. The title tells exactly what the book is about and was the first reason that I rejected it. The reviews, including the OBC one, and the blurb give a good description, and that solidified my resolve against it. I can’t say for sure if the book was professionally edited or not, but I did find an error in formatting around some punctuation. I liked where he said that understanding of poetry is not inherent. While I don’t like this sort of book, or poetry in general, that doesn’t mean I want to keep others from enjoying it. Therefore, I can’t suggest any improvements to what I read.
First Ten review added on March 14, 2022, at 12:18 pm by Amy Luman.
Scerakor
After reviewing the title, genre, cover, blurb, and review of this book, I would not have read this book. I rarely read poetry and therefore don't think that I would have use for this one. After reading the first ten pages I didn't change my mind and therefore will not be buying and reading the rest of this book. When reading about the power of language, I appreciated the comparison with Shakespeare. Showing that it isn't simply the meaning behind the words through giving alternative lines for "To be or not to be" is a great technique. That being said, I really still don't think that understanding poetry better will make me more likely to read the genre, therefore I will pass on this one too. Although the book looked well written and edited, there was one error that I found. In the interlude about how words evolve, the author spells out several acronyms, both within parentheses and quotations. This is redundant and can simply be done within parentheses. The thing I would have improved from the sample I read is to modify how the chapter/section titles appear on the page. The way that it is formatted leaves words hanging awkwardly that were a distraction in the version that I read. There was an official OBC review, but it did not affect my decision at all.
First Ten review added on March 14, 2022, at 11:39 am by Scerakor.
Rizki Pradana
I would choose to read this book based on the title because I hadn't tried the first ten of this program.
I will buy and read the whole book because this book gave me many new pieces of information. For instance, the importance of poetry and the modern person's opinion about poetry.
From what I read, the book seemed perfectly edited because I didn't find errors in it. In my opinion, this book didn't need any improvements.
I saw an official OBC review. It strengthened my decision to buy and read the book.
First Ten review added on March 14, 2022, at 10:46 am by Rizki Pradana.
Bertha Jackson
Although I am not a fan of self-help books, I got excited when I saw the title of this book because I have a hard time understanding poetry and tend to avoid it. The cover did not impress me one way or the other. There were no Amazon editorial or customer reviews to influence me. The shopping list in the blurb gave me additional hope for understanding poetry. Rex W. Last described my knowledge of poetry exactly when he stated, "perceived as being perversely difficult." I liked the author's understanding of readers' difficulties when reading poetry. I have no recommendations for the author because the book appears to be professionally edited. However, I did find an error on Page 12: "Hardly the kind of language designed to set the world alight, but somehow those ten words have captured the imagination of readers and [theatregoers] (theatre-goers) all over the English-speaking world." I have downloaded the free copy of the book, but I will not finish reading it until I locate, purchase, and read the first book in the series. I think by doing this, I will understand this book better. There was an OnlineBookClub review, but it did not influence my decision.
First Ten review added on March 14, 2022, at 9:57 am by Bertha Jackson.
Total ~ 25%
Making Sense of Poetry earned a score of 25%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 25% plan to read the whole book.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable.
Over a million books are published each year. Any given person could not even read .0001% of the books out there. This means readers have to be very selective. Even taking the time to look over reviews and blurbs, let alone read samples, is more time than most readers can afford for most books. The First Ten is a powerful focus group that addresses those issues. It creates a helpful tool for authors, publishers, and other readers.
Go to main Bookshelves page for Making Sense of Poetry