Poetry for Book Discussion Groups? Am I crazy?

A book of poetry by a single poet? An anthology? I have never been part of a book group, but I imagine it would be a lot harder to have a sustained discussion than with fiction, unless the group are all keen readers of poetry already. There's probably going to be less narrative thread throughout the book to provide a framework - so will people discuss individual poems or unifying themes or rhyme schemes or historical context or what? It could work, as long as all the group members are happy and agree on how to approach it, I think.

I agree with Archel, particularly about narrative thread and how familiar your group is with poetry. But perhaps something like Vikram Seth's The Golden Gate, a sonnet sequence that tells a story, could work for you.

Or you know, the Waste Land.

Pale fire!

Sounds good to me; I don't see the problem.

Epic poems are always an honors class fave--The Divine COmedy and Paradise Lost, though the latter only for the intrepid. The Changing Light at Sandover-- though I thought it was mostly filler. Or Sphere by A.R. Ammons? I loved that book-- every other page of it. I think I'd only read some of those book-length poems with the peer support of a book group. Like Derek Walcott's gulp new book.
But why not a collection of lyric poetry, like A.R. Ammons collection of really short poems, or Practical Gods by Carl Dennis. Books that have an underlying philosophical connective
there are very good reasons why Oprah hasn't picked any poetry
most people just don't get it

Tape for the Turn of the Year by Ammons would be pretty great, actually.

can you explain how you think that most of the changing of the light near sandover is filler, please? (an awful rowing towards god would be my pick)

Tape for the Turn of the Year WOULD be great. The Changing Light at Sandover: I read most of it (or skimmed most of it) and felt that I was -- this is weird-- skimming for the Good Parts, like looking for the sexy bits. What I was looking for were the exchanges that seemed really charged (we all know, right, that it was a, wink, literary game?) as opposed to the speeches that seemed preprepared and went on and on... Merrill isn't one of my top faves, but then there are sections in the poem that are magnificent, and others that are really funny. What do you love about it? It's weird enough that it might help to have several readers compare reactions.