How do you read a poem? Here are the top 7 tips on how to effectively read poetry:
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Dispell the idea that reading poetry will drastically change your life (fun fact: it doesn’t). People are always changing, so don’t try and make that change occur through analyzing the words of others.
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Even if it’s not entirely meant to be a spoken-word poem, READ IT OUT LOUD. This will help you get a feel for the poem that you are reading, as well as giving you a pace for reading it.
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Different kinds of poems do exist, so not all of them will come easily to your understanding. So, instead of just giving up on it, try and find a way to read it that makes sense to you.
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Don’t just move on from it. Stick it out and finish reading the poem you are on (without rushing), before moving on to another poem, or activity.
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Remember, you can’t paraphrase a poem, since that changes the meaning of the words. Even if it’s a pain, just quote it.
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Don’t always make a connection between the poet and the poem. The poet always wears a mask (even unconsciously), so maintaining that the speaker and the poets are one and the same takes away from the texts’ imaginative force.
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Finally, don’t search for the meaning of a poem. You are the reader, its meaning is up to you.
Source:
Yakich, Mark. “The Atlantic.” The Atlantic, theatlantic, 2 Nov. 2014, www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/11/how-to-read-poetry-a-step-by-step-guide/380657/. Accessed 14 Apr. 2021.