How does a poet go about writing poetry? Chris McCully, himself a poet and teacher of poetry, put this question to thirteen of Britain's most distinguished practitioners, who discuss in these informal essays the techniques of writing poetry, how they structure their writing-the choice of words, sounds (phonology), metrics (or non-metrics), and some of the processes of poetic genesis and re-writing.

Each poet was sent a set of guidelines and their individual responses demonstrate the vitality-and difficulty-of
`writing poetry'. Readers interested in the languages of modern poetry will find this first-hand testimony a revelation; fellow poets will find much to stimulate reflection; those concerned with poetic trajectory will find conceptual variety; and those curious about how poems come to be written and revised will find a shrewd, acknowledged witness.