Nine Gates: Entering the Mind of Poetry, Essays

Wonderful book in exact condition as described and also delivered consistent with the advert.

This book addresses the creative art of all kinds of writing, creativity, and poetry in equal parts. “The world in which we exist becomes itself.” A thought-provoking statement about art that brings the reader not only into his or her soul, but into the music of words and images. Outer and inner landscapes become the portrait of the book. Toward what end? To what takes place between writer and reader and into the “experience.” How does one enter a poem or a story? Many questions arise in this book, and Hirshfield is masterful at suggesting answers, revealing secrets, and yet leaving the door open to more questions. She notes that there are “tricksters” within the writer who censor too quickly and mislead. I liked Hirshfield’s insights to the act of writing as “a making, but also a following” into the mystery as it emerges in the process. If you’ve ever been in the process of writing anything and felt yourself wandering, feeling lost in the dark, fear not; Hirshfield says, this darkness is where the true journey begins to discover the original lightness of being. To discover that presence, the secret language, and the pregnant silences, is the path to power. Highly recommended for writers, artists, and students who want a leap of revelation. Paula Cappa is an avid book reviewer and an award-winning supernatural mystery author.

I read this collection of essays about writing poetry on the recommendation of my grad advisor in creative writing, and it is a very interesting exploration of the poet's process of simultaneously—and paradoxically—both focusing and freeing the mind to achieve the heightened state of awareness and self-acceptance that can result in the formulation of a poem or a poetic insight. Hirshfield is a rarity—a widely recognized and celebrated poet who is NOT a full-time academic. Her essays touch on sources from both Western (European) and Eastern (Buddhistic) poetic traditions of expression, and her explorations of how knowledge of those traditions can be of value to the present-day writer, or scholar, of poetry.

I enjoy writing and reading poetry, and I have read Jane Hirshfield's compilation of poems, "After". So it was with interest that I came across this volume of essays recommended when I was looking up something else on Amazon. It is rare that a book receives exclusively 5 star reviews, so I took a chance and got it. I was not disappointed. So, I'm giving Ms. Hirshfield another 5 star review. The essays in this book are simply marvelous. My two favorites were "Facing the Lion: The Way of Shadow and Kight in Some Twentieth Century Poems" and "Writing and the Threshold Life". If you enjoy writing or reading poetry get this book and savor these essays.

These essays are thought provoking and insightful material for anyone interested in writing poetry

Not what I expected. I was looking forward to learning more about spiritual roots of writing-some mysteries that she may have stumbled upon but it was more of a style of a formal lecture and I gave up after the first 1-2 chapters and scanning ahead to preview for signs of any other potential insights of that kind, There were none. I do not fault the author, her approaches or talents. It just wasn't what I was searching for...

I bought this book after not finding a poetry teacher. It is a must read for those wanting to write poetry as well as those who love poetry. And for all others, after reading this book you will likely be looking to read more poetry.Could not recommend more highly.

At first I rebelled against the author's devoting pages to a discussion of poetry translation. However, once I dug hard intoher elegant but fairly dense prose, the more I found it fascinating, (including (of all things) certain esoteric aspects of Japanese language and poetry as well as translation.I have begun reading NINE GATES for a second time, and I suspect not for the last. Although scholarly, the book is also moving, touching and definitely inspiring for any artist, poet or not.

... war ein Geschenk und ist gut angekommen (im doppelten Sinne)

A delight for mind and heart.

I have returned to this book many times over the years. I am so grateful that it exists. It is treasure.