From "a poet of immense insight and masterful craft" (Kwame Dawes), Finger Exercises for Poets is an engaging invitation to practice poetry alongside one of its masters. With wide-ranging examples from classic and contemporary poets, Dorianne Laux demystifies the magic of language that makes great poetry and offers generative exercises to harness that magic. She explores the syllable and the line, the use of form, poetic responses to contemporary events and personal experiences, the imaginative leap, and the power of a distinct voice. Throughout, Laux reminds us that poetry is a practice as much as an art and that poets must hone their language as a musician practicing an instrument.

An encouraging, accessible master class in reading and writing poetry, including more than fifty original prompts, Finger Exercises for Poets offers a trove of wisdom and inspiration for both experienced and aspiring poets.