This book is a classic. I was first introduced to it over 20 years ago, in a college class, and it's still one of my favorites. Okay, my copy isn't the 8th Edition now available, but I gotta believe it has only gotten better with time. Whether you want to learn about meter, rhyme schemes, imagery, metaphor or simile - you'll find it here. And for good reason.
Love poems are the most universal.
Unfortunately, Love Poems are also the most susceptible to sentimentality and cliche. This book will help you learn to say old things in new ways, avoiding the maudlin and mushy, and perhaps even provide new insight into a very old emotion. I only wish this book had been around twenty years ago. . . In spite of the title, I would not consider this an introductory text. Nor is it noncontroversial, as Attridge often devises his own schemes for explaining and exploring the subjects of meter and rhythm.