After many years writing books, stories and poetry, it has gradually dawned on me that I had not come across any book that gave, not only a fine collection of poems, but also contained a useful textbook that informed the reader of the skills used by the author in composing their extensive range of well-constructed work. I also felt that it would be interesting and useful if authors had added a note or two about where the idea for some of their poems had emerged.

This poetry collection of mine is sprinkled with such titbits. The textbook serves to lead the reader through the basics of poetry and gives clear explanations for rhyme and meter that are essential for many, but not all, forms of poem. I have clearly described the construction of twenty-eight different forms including Sonnet, Ballad, Sestina, Haiku, Limerick, Cinquain, Luc Bat , free verse, blank verse, and many more.

In the final part of the textbook, I have given the reader the whole of an anonymous ballad together with a complete dissection of its form and structure, poetic techniques, figures of speech, mood tone and impact and its summary and meaning.

I believe that my book gives enough data and explanation to satisfy the needs of an aspiring poet, or indeed anyone who enjoys poems but wants to understand them a little better.