How to Read a Poem

Emily Dickinson, circa 1846 or 1847, courtesy of Wikipedia

HOW TO READ A POEM

a love of learning talk by Jessica Lyn Van Slooten

March 31, 2009

7:00 p.m.

Hillside 204

UW-Manitowoc

in celebration of National Poetry Month

In order to figure out how to read a poem, we must first know why we are reading a poem. Are we reading for pleasure? For a special occasion? For class? Do we have to read the poem aloud--to an audience? to ourselves? Do we have to read it silently? Discuss it? Analyze it?

Tonight we're going to read several poems together, applying a variety of skills to the poems to read them successfully, and, more importantly, to enjoy reading.

Let's start by reading the Billy Collins poem "Introduction to Poetry." You may read the poem however you'd like--aloud, silently, etc. Then we'll discuss your reading process and what the poem itself tells us about reading poetry.

Now, here are a few misconceptions about reading poetry, taken from a useful handout on How to Read a Poem:

1. We should "get" a poem after one reading.

2. The poem has a secret, hidden meaning that we can uncover if we know the "code."

3. The poem can mean anything.

Why are these statements false? Who says if a reading is "right" or not? How can we begin to read a poem in order to both create meaning and pleasure?

Here are a few steps I like to take when reading poems:

1. Look at the poem:

What shape does it make on the page?

Is it a "skinny" poem? A long, breathless poem? A concrete poem with a definite shape?

Does it have more than one stanza?

How are the lines arranged?

How is the poem punctuated?

Do the last words in each line rhyme?

2. Listen to the poem:

Where do I naturally want to pause?

What kind of rhythm does the poem have?

What kind of sounds do the words make?

How does the poem feel as I say it aloud?

3. Consider the poem:

What does the title tell me about the poem?

What do I know about the poet?

When was the poem written? And where?

What is the cultural context of the poem?

What kind of literary devices are used in the poem?

4. Gauge my reaction to the poem:

How does the poem make me feel?

Do I like the poem? Why or why not?

5. Compare the poem to other texts:

How is the style different?

How is the subject treated?

Does the poem remind me of other works?

6. Offer up conditional meanings:

What do I think the poem is about?

How do I support these readings?

7. As the "How to Read a Poem" handout suggests, there comes a time to simply "embrace ambiguity" and enjoy the process of reading and the connection with the poem.

Poems that sound neat, read by the poets themselves:

Gwendolyn Brooks reading "We Real Cool"

Robert Frost reading "The Road Not Taken"




Robert Creeley reading "Kore"




Allen Ginsberg reading Howl, part III and Footnote to Howl