Comments on: poll dance: when a poem befuddles you, what do you do?

By: ...deb

...deb — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 19:20:04 +0000

Dale is being a little modest in his answer…

…for a completely brilliant (in a lovely way, not a blinding way), go read a post of his:

Third Turn

…which will be linked to in our Code of Conduct page about how to read poetry. Go ahead. Read it and enjoy!

By: ...deb

...deb — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 19:17:02 +0000

Here’s the poll results:

When asked to respond to a poem I’ve read but don’t understand, I (choose one):

Come clean and say, “I have no idea what this means.” (51%, 23 Votes)

Latch onto an image / phrase I like and talk about that. (47%, 21 Votes)

Repeat what someone else said, and hope for inspiration as the conversation proceeds. (2%, 1 Votes)

Divert attention and run away. (0%, 0 Votes)

Repeat what someone else said, in vehement (need say no more) agreement. (0%, 0 Votes)

Play politician, pretend I heard another question altogether and answer that one. (0%, 0 Votes)

Disagree with what someone else said and hope more agreeable material comes up in discussion. (0%, 0 Votes)

Reply with the classic psychologist line: “What do *you* think of the poem?” (0%, 0 Votes)

Ask if the author won the Pulitzer for the book in ____ (fill in the blank). (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 45

By: dale

dale — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 05:30:31 +0000

Oh dear, I hope I’m not copping out. I just always feel that if the writer’s asked me, I owe it to them to tell them the main experience I have when I read their poem. If that’s “what the hell?” then I tell them so.

It doesn’t happen very often, though. Not if I read carefully, a couple of times. On the first reading, sure, happens all the time. But usually it starts to come into focus after a couple more readings, especially if I’m reading aloud.

By: Christine

Christine — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:26:20 +0000

Did I write 1882? That is so funny! I should let it stand, but everyone would think I’m freakishly old! It should say 1982, and for the record, should anyone care, I’m 47. Hee hee.

By: Christine

Christine — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:24:40 +0000

Okay, I’m one of the ones who latches on to anything i like and goes from there, even at the risk of totally mis-interpreting a poem. I have no problem with that, because as a reader, I do have a right to experience the poem in my own way.

If the poem has a lot of literary references that are unfamiliar to me, I look up a few, but the rest, oh well, I just hope I get the gist. We have to be adventurous readers, I think.

Also, in my opinion, people who throw their hands up and say, “I don’t get it” are copping out. There has to be something in the poem we can relate to. I read some poems in English as if I were reading in French, a language I can only semi-read. I look for what I do get, and base my experience on that.

I’ve had several poetry professors ridicule my interpretations in front of the class, but this was back in 1882 in Georgia, when male poets ruled the land, and females were there to listen and praise. I think I need to write a poem about that teacher.