Reading Poetry

book beside mug

 

 

Do You Think Reading Poetry is Hard?

A commonly heard complaint about poetry is that it is "difficult."  Some readers of poetry feel that poets are purposely trying to be obscure, putting hidden messages into their works instead of just saying things plainly and directly.    Often it seems that the poet's words just don't make any sense at all.  In order to feel more comfortable with poetry, you can begin by taking two steps.

1. Listen Carefully to a New Language

Often we find poetry difficult to understand because we begin with the assumption that the language of poetry is the same as the language of prose.  In fact, they are very different.  In prose, especially in informational writing, authors are guided by clarity and reason.  They set out their sentences so that they are clear, direct, and as easy to understand as possible.  Writers of prose use logic in setting out their information or arguments.  Poetry, however, does not base itself in logic.  Poetry arises out of emotion. Poets use language to prompt an emotional response in the reader.  Therefore, in order to understand poetry, we must be attuned to the emotional resonance of the poem.  If we ignore this and look instead for a logical argument, the poem will indeed seem like it doesn't make any sense at all, just as Chinese or French might sound like gibberish to a person who doesn't speak the language.   The language of poetry is emotion.  All human beings are native speakers of this language, but because much of our world is ruled by prose, we can lose our familiarity with it.  Your first step, then,  is to engage in a process that linguists term code-switching.  This occurs when a bilingual or multilingual speaker switches from one language to another.  In reading poetry, you have to switch from the language of logic to the language of emotion.

2. Be Patient

Logic is quick and efficient; emotion is not.  Emotion takes time.  In reading prose, an essay let's say, we look for the main claim and the supporting points, and if the essay is well written, this will all be organized for us in a logical manner that allows us to go through the essay with speed and a clear understanding.   If we try to read a poem in this quick and efficient manner, we will come away with almost nothing.    The first poem in this unit is titled "A Certain Lady."  The language of emotion requires me to stop there and consider my emotional response.  I might ask myself, "What am I thinking/feeling when I see the word lady?"  Do I think of a prim and proper woman, the kind of person I tend to dislike?  Or do I think of a woman who respects herself and is respected by others, the kind of person I tend to admire?    What is my emotional response to this word?   It takes time to go through this process, as we look at the poem word by word, and line by line.  It is a process that also requires several readings of the same poem, as well as setting the poem aside for a while and coming back to it.   

As you read the poems in this unit, take your time and fully consider your emotional responses.  Later, you will analyze and discuss, but the first encounter with the poem requires your openness to, and patience with, the language of emotion.