The Rhythm Method, Razzmatazz, and Memory
How to Make Your Poetry Swing
By Keith Flynn Writer's Digest Books, 2007
ISBN 10: 1-58297-404-7
ISBN 13: 978-1-58297-404-0
Reviewed by Herbert White - April 16, 2007
Whenever you write a poem, you leave a little of your soul in the words. Despite the fact that you are always writing for an audience, be it a figment of your imagination or a national readership, poetry writing is still a very personal endeavor. In The Rhythm Method, Razzmatazz, and Memory, Keith Flynn teaches you how to take your personal memories, feelings, and thoughts and transform them into energetic and vibrant poems. While such fiery poems may not be your style, there is still much to discover about poetry writing in this book.
Flynn is the author of four collections of poetry, and his poems have appeared in numerous publications. In The Rhythm Method, Razzmatazz, and Memory Flynn explores the deep-rooted connection between poetry and music and how many of the skills used in song writing are also applicable to writing poetry. The book is divided into three sections:
Learning to Listen
In this section, Flynn looks at the development of the 'American' poetic voice, and learning how to your find your own poetic voice. In the process, Flynn teaches you how to dissect a poem to get at its heart. By extension, this process of dissection helps you learn about the structure of poems and what makes a poem sing.
Learning to Observe
The second section of this book is devoted to a study of surrealism in art, encouraging you to experiment with your poetry. Flynn does this by examining the works of writers such as Charles Baudelaire, Guillaume Apollinaire, and Arthur Rimbaud and the paintings of Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí. This section also helps you to discover the visual aspects of a poem.
Learning to Speak
The final section furnishes a concise overview of the influence of modern music, on modern poets. Looking at musical styles such as Blues, Jazz, and Hip-Hop, this section will help you to spice up your poems with a musical beat.
The juxtaposition of poetry and music is undeniable, and Flynn's book is an ideal introduction to the study of this edifying subject. In addition, this book also serves as a poetry primer that will teach you not only the mechanics of poetry writing, but how to find your inner voice and to create dynamic poems. The Rhythm Method, Razzmatazz, and Memory is suited for poets of all ilks and skill levels. In addition, much of the information presented in this book will also be of interest to writers of fiction and other writers looking to add a poetic bent to their writing.
