In A Grain of Poetry, Herbert Kohl opens the door to communication with poetry - the whole range and variety of contemporary poetic voices. While reading poetry doesn't have to involve making critical judgments, it does require knowing how to read modern works and how to be patient and give oneself over to the language and sentiments of a poem. Rather than provide a critical analysis of "good" poetry, Kohl presents a series of guideposts to help everyone read poetry and discover those poems that inform and inspire them. In clear, direct language, he covers all of the essential - but often uncharted - paths to understanding poetry: form and structure, line breaks and pauses, rhythm and melody, imagery, and recitation.