Few things are more daunting to students of language than meter and scansion. The very mention of the words can glaze the eye or quicken the pulse with panic.

The impulse of teachers is often to ignore such things altogether, focusing rather on the visceral effects of a poem, leaving students with no framework for further and deeper understanding of the form. Stephen Adams, associate dean of arts at the University of Western Ontario, offers help to students and teachers of poetry with his lively, accessible guide to the mechanics of verse.

Adams maintains that full enjoyment of poetry cannot come without some insight into the workings, the rules of poetry. He compares it to hockey – though fans of the game don’t generally study the rules, they must have some knowledge of them in order to appreciate and understand the action on the ice.

The book is arranged in five sections, each divided into subsections. In the first two sections, Adams introduces the reader to meter and scansion, providing definitions of terms and examples of their application. Though the material may seem overwhelming to the neophyte, Adams provides frequent assurances that all will become clear. And while a single reading of this book will not an expert on prosody make, Adams’s pedagogic approach and engaging writing arm the reader with a fine base of information and a desire to learn more.

The liveliest section, dealing with figures of speech, comes as dessert – one’s reward for eating the Brussels sprouts of scansion. Here is the passion of poetry, the big pay-off, the meringue on the pie. Adams illuminates the ways in which a reader equipped with prosodic knowledge can appreciate poetry on all its levels. The writing here is infused with the author’s gift for rendering the abstract concrete, both for teachers of the subject and for students. Adams’s affection for his topic is evident, his excitement is palpable as he invites his readers into its worlds of wonders.

Though this book breaks no new ground, Adams’s clear and measured examination of the elements of poetry and straight-ahead teaching style make Poetic Designs a valuable resource for beginners and an excellent refresher course for teachers.