Book: The Weather of Words

Introduction
"The Weather of Words" is a collection of essays and lectures on poetry by Mark Strand, a well-known Canadian-American poet, essayist, and translator. Published in 2000, the book features a range of subjects on the craft of poetry, motivation, aesthetics, and the function of a poet in society. In his writing, Strand draws from his individual experiences, his readings of other poets, and his ideas on the poetic custom. Through his engaging and informative prose, Strand provides readers a deep understanding of the intricacies and nuances of poetry and the poetic procedure.

The Poet's Calling
In the opening essay, "The Poet's Trade", Strand reviews the question of why someone would select to become a poet and what it suggests to dedicate one's life to the art of poetry. He goes over the concept of "the poet's calling", arguing that there is nobody response, as each poet will have their unique reasons and inspirations. Strand highlights the significance of the poet's devotion to their craft and their determination to explore the unknown through language and imagination.

Checking out Poetry
Central to Strand's essays is the experience of checking out poetry and the relationship in between reader and poem. In "The Absence", he takes a look at the idea of a poem's "negative area" - the white area surrounding the poem or the silence in between lines - and how it adds to the poem's overall significance and impact. He argues that this unfavorable area is a vital part of the reading procedure, allowing readers to engage with the poem on an intimate level and find their analyses.

In another essay, "Reading Poetry: Three Attempts", Strand checks out different methods for engaging with poetry, comparing the act of checking out to that of walking or looking at a painting. Through his evaluation of poets like Wallace Stevens, Pablo Neruda, and Tomas Tranströmer, Strand shows the richness of poetic language and the lots of ways in which poetry speaks with the human experience.

Translating Poetry
As a translator of poetry, Strand has a distinct point of view on the obstacles and benefits of bringing poems from one language into another. In "Translation, Transliteration, Transubstantiation", he discusses the problems of catching the original poem's significance, tone, and kind in a new language while maintaining credibility. Strand shares his individual experiences translating the works of Spanish and Latin American poets like Rafael Alberti and Jorge Luis Borges, revealing the delicate balance of staying true to the original text while enabling the poem to come alive in its new language.

Aesthetic appeals and the Line
Throughout "The Weather of Words", Strand takes a look at numerous aspects of poetic aesthetics, from the use of imagery and metaphor to the question of kind and structure. One essay, "The Unbroken Line", focuses clearly on the idea of the poetic line, which Strand refers to as "the single most determining function of a poem". He explores the development of the line from standard kinds like meter and rhyme to more speculative and fragmented types, talking about how changes in the line can impact a poem's significance and effect.

Conclusion
Ultimately, "The Weather of Words" records Mark Strand's deep love for poetry and his dedication to understanding its many complexities. Through his appealing and accessible essays, Strand provides readers a peek into the mind of a poet, inviting them to check out the nuanced world of poetry and deepen their gratitude for the art kind. As both a poet and a reader, Strand's words motivate a sense of marvel, curiosity, and passion for the literary world.