How to Read Poetry
There is really only one way to read poetry--combine literary knowledge with your own understandings, beliefs, and background. That combination will render a clear meaning for you even if no one else “gets” quite the same thing from the poem. How can they? They are not exactly you. Look at the pictures on this page--there are many different walks in life.
I picked pictures of an athlete, builder, parent, businessman, teacher, police officers, politician (T.J.), doctor, preacher, scientist, and a solider. Note that I did not have to work hard to select pictures that show race and gender other than our traditional expectations. Whatever road we decided to walk, we defined the world to meet our wants, needs, and beliefs. You know people walking a different road than you---talk to them about their views--it will enrich your view of the poems.
Literary knowledge--Skill 1 Know that a poem is done in dense language
Each phrase in a poem has to be meaningful and purposeful. The poet says, suggests, implies, or refers indirectly to a range of knowledge, meaning, and images. As a reader, you are expected to make associations, draw conclusions, and hear thoughts that are not directly stated. This is not nearly as difficult as it sounds--we do it daily.
You make a comment or ask a question and the response is “Yeah, right!” The phrase is said with a tone and you immediately know that whatever you said is not right. Generally, you also know the actual meaning.
“Density and dense usually refer to a measure of how much of some entity is in a fixed amount of other space. Information density, the amount of information compared to many units. “ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Density_(disambiguation)). In plain English, the more meaning I pack into fewer words the denser my language. Poetry does pack full meanings into briefer word sets than prose. Nevertheless, the meaning is there and quite understandable.
Note that the last word of the hyperlink is disambiguation. People feel that poetry is ambiguous because they are not comfortable adding back the missing references. We do this “adding back” daily. Someone you know gives you a partial thought you mentally complete the thought and give an answer. You and your friend know exactly what is being discussed, but an outsider would not be able to follow the conversation. The outsider does not have the background, common references, and shared knowledge you and your friend have. Those elements are what make meaning in all communication—not just poetry.
The following three paragraphs are a prose description of the thoughts of people that have been overworked and highly stressed for a lengthy period. These thoughts are common to all people and the reaction of the writer is the common reaction. Look at the passing thought and the common reaction.
I have driven through this land a dozen times and this is probably the first time I have really looked at these woods. If I am right about who owns the land, he lives in town. Therefore, he will not see me stop in the woods and contemplate. All I want to do right now is to get off the treadmill of my life. The woods are filling up with snow and offer me a chance to stop. The woods are isolated, private, and quiet. There are no houses nearby, there is no one around to prevent me from getting out of this buggy and going off into the woods that are rapidly filling with snow, or jumping into the frozen lake. One quick jump and I could get the rest I need.
My horse has become restless because he knows that stopping here in the woods is not my normal thing to do and probably because he wants to get home to his warm stall. He becomes disconcerted and shakes his harness bells. The noise of the bells and the whistle of the wind as it drives the snow are the only external sounds. Ah, but the sounds in my head are really where my thoughts are. I hear both my desire for rest and my common sense. The voice of reason tells me to shake off my doldrums, and move on with my life.
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep--they offer one form of a permanent rest. However, it is not really suicide that I want-- only a rest. I have many obligations to others that I want to keep before I rest either temporarily or permanently. (Word count 1145)
Here are the same thoughts in the denser language of poetry
| Whose woods these are I think I know His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year. He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound's the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark, and deep. But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. |
Word count 434
You probably recognized the poem – “Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost. He wrote this poem at a time in his life when money was an issue and his work was not being appreciated. We have all had suicidal thoughts cross our mind. We shook them off, and went on with what we needed to do. Frost has shared that common experience in approximately one third of the words I needed.
When adults read the poem, they generally recognize the continual allusions to the isolation, woods, snow, and the frozen lake as leading up to something. They also recognize the double reference to sleep as important. It is not a difficult mental leap for an adult to see the suicidal thoughts and the rejection of those thoughts.
However, when American children read the poem they quite often think it is about Christmas. The background knowledge most children are relating to is of the jingle bells song (riding in a one horse open sleigh), longest night of the year becomes Christmas Eve (reflecting their anticipation level), and the bells themselves (something they associate with Christmas).
The children I have worked with were uncomfortable with their understanding of the poem, because they knew it did not really talk about Christmas. However, they lacked the knowledge to do more with the poem. This knowledge or lack of knowledge is the difference to understanding or not understanding poetry.
As American adults, we have a far greater range of knowledge and can confidently read and understand American and English poetry far more clearly than children or even adults coming from a different cultural background. We cannot read poetry from other countries, particularly non-Western countries, with the same degree of confidence. We, like the children, lack the background information and knowledge.
Simply remember that no form of literature demands that the readers give up their knowledge and understanding of real world actions, reactions, and needs. Human relations, human reactions, and the mechanics of the world all remain the same in every form of literature. Even science fiction and fantasy must develop characters that react the way people really react. Poetry is no different.
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