On Reading Poetry by Aubrey de Sélincourt provides a clear and thoughtful guide to understanding poetry. It encourages readers to explore form, meter, and language while actively connecting poetry to their own experiences. The chapter What is Poetry?opens with quotes from authors like Coleridge, Shelley, and Arnold, introducing a discussion on the nature of poetry.

For example, de Sélincourt references Coleridge’s famous line that poetry is "the best words in the best order" and Shelley’s idea of it as "the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge."

"Poetry is not the speech of angels, nor should we understand it if it were; it is, on the contrary, the very phrase of men—once the burning coal has been put to their lips," de Sélincourt adds, reflecting on poetry’s grounding in human experience.

The book is both a guide and a reflection on the deeper meaning of poetry.

Book details:

Title: On reading poetry

Author: Aubrey de Selincourt

Condition: Good. A few pencil and discrete pen markings (see photographs)

Binding: Hardcover. No Dustjacket

Publisher: Phoenix House Ltd

Publication: First Edition (January 1, 1952)