Learned a bunch; this was my first poetry "manual" and I found it quite rich in terminology and (classic) poem/poet leads to look into.

Certainly got that Fry is very opinionated concerning poetry, and our views on what constitutes a "good" poem differ quite a lot, but that actually made the experience all the richer for me: it helped me clarify where I personally stand and appreciate the subjectivity on the issue. Either way, to me this book felt like an interesting combination of Fry's own journal and a poetry textbook; his own preferences and opinions show through every page.

Very slow-paced, especially if you want the concepts to sink in and you also scribble alongside reading (which Fry recommends and I partially did). Not in a bad way. I personally let this one stew, reading it over a couple of months, and thinking about parts of it at random moments throughout my days, and it helped the concepts sink in.

Admittedly, I was occasionally put off my what I perceived as Fry's unacknowledged privilege, which took away some of the relatability that I think Fry intended to induce.