How to Read Famous Poems by Famous Poets
Of all the forms of written expression, poetry is the one most likely to either set readers scratching their heads in confusion or running toward the nearest exit in panic. For a lot of adults, the first introduction to poetry was in grade school and not only carried the challenge of interpreting an author's true meaning but also having to memorize entire selections for class presentation and/or emulate the style and meter in original poems of their own. Unfortunately, these stress-inducing exercises diminish the joy of reading poetry for pleasure and admiring the lyrical ways in which it shows us the universality of human emotion.
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Instructions
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Start your study of poetry by choosing a poet whose name is already familiar to you and whose work you can easily find in the library or on the Internet--for example, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Maya Angelou, Walt Whitman, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and William Shakespeare. Focusing on one poet initially and learning how to analyze her style, rhythm and themes will enable you to apply these techniques to the interpretation of other writers' works.
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Select a poem by the author you chose and read it silently all the way through. If there are any words you don't understand or aren't sure how to pronounce, look them up. Read the poem a second time out loud. Set the poem aside and, in your own words, write down what you think the poem is about. On the surface, it may seem simple enough to say that the poet is describing a transition between seasons of nature. Many poems embrace symbolism, however, to paint a word-picture of the human condition. Examples of underlying themes would be the aging process, the loss of love and the pursuit of dreams.
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Examine how the setting of the poem contributes to the tone of the poet's message. The imagery of weather, for instance, is often used to suggest turbulent relationships, optimism, despair and uncertainty. An exotic location imbues the subject with mystery, whereas a commonplace backdrop projects comfort and perhaps predictability. Pay attention as well to the lyrical order of the words. "Think not," for example, carries a different--and more elegant--connotation than "Don't think."
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Picture in your mind the speaker of the poem and whether he is talking to himself, telling a story by the fire to a friend or describing an event in the context of a letter or speech. In that same vein, determine whether his objective behind the poem is to entertain, educate, enlighten, inspire, anger or depress the reader. Go through the poem and circle words and phrases--including repetitions--that support your conclusions.
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Research the poet's life to glean an understanding of the historical, geographical and cultural/social context of her work. Understanding the poet's frame of mind when she penned certain pieces will enhance your awareness of what she was trying to communicate. Poetry, for instance, has often been used to subliminally share political views that might otherwise put the writer in jeopardy if expressed via a different medium.
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Tips & Warnings
Consider starting a poetry club in which members bring favorite poems to each meeting and take turns reading them out loud. You may want to build each meeting around a specific theme or compare and contrast female poets from different eras and how cultural/sexual mores influenced their writing styles.
Don't force yourself to like every poem you encounter. Just like the enjoyment of food, certain styles are an acquired taste. If a poem is just too hard to swallow, move on to something else.
