Poetry Paragraph
goodisnaks
PoetryReading-4-1.pptxPoetry
Some Strategies to Enhance Your Reading of It
First and Foremost
Start at the Beginning!
Some Overlooked Reading Strategies
Read poetry in a setting that is conducive to reading, such as a quiet spot. Then again, some of you may read most effectively when you are surrounded by activity and noise. You choose the setting.
Select the time of day that works best for you. I generally read late in the evening, but you may prefer the early morning.
Have what you need near you. You may need a dictionary, pen, and highlighter for notes; you may even need a cup of hot tea.
Specific Strategies
Read the poem more than once.
Examine the title and the year of publication so that you can develop a schema to guide your reading.
Identify the speaker.
Define words as necessary.
Read about the poem.
Read a Poem More Than Once
If you read a poem only once, you cannot develop an understanding of its primary contents.
Essentially, read a poem more than once!
Examine the Title and Year of Publication
Consider the poem "To My Dear and Loving Husband," by Anne Bradstreet.
When examining the title, you should realize that it deals with a husband who is considered dear and loving by his wife.
When examining the year of publication (1678), you should consider this marriage as it relates to the seventeenth century. For example, while the husband assumes the primary role in the marriage, he must treat his wife with love and respect for her to share such loving lines with her readers.
Develop a Schema
Upon examination of the title and year of publication, you can reach the conclusion that you are about to read a poem about ideal love.
Before reading it, however, create a list (written or mental) about the characteristics that you associate with such love. For many, ideal love lasts an eternity, for instance.
When reading the poem, use the items on your list to guide your reading of it. Are there any lines devoted to the eternity of this love? What is the significance of these lines?
Identify the Speaker
Unless a poem is autobiographical, a poet creates a speaker to convey ideas to readers.
Who is the speaker of "To My Dear and Loving Husband"? She is a wife; moreover, she expresses an abundance of love for her husband. In lines 5-6, she expresses her refusal to trade her love for gold and all the riches in Asia.
Use this information about the speaker to guide your reading of the poem. You do not expect to read any lines about an imperfect marriage but rather a perfect one. Read the poem from that perspective.
Define Unknown Words as Necessary
Since poems are shorter than novels and short stories, each word is important. If you are unfamiliar with a definition, you may not grasp the meaning of a line or even lines.
Consider line 8 in "To My Dear and Loving Husband," in which the words "aught" and "recompense" appear.
The word "aught" means "nothing"; the word "recompense" means "payment in return for something given or done."
In line 8, the speaker tells the readers that she wants nothing from her husband but his love—not diamonds, a mansion, or even gold.
Read Some Commentary about the Poem
Locate a credible source with commentary about the poem, and then read it. The commentary can provide insight into the poem and thereby enhance your reading of it.
The commentary can take the form of a summary.
You may read this commentary before, during, and after your reading of the poem.
Do not let the commentary substitute for your reading of the poem. You still want to read the poem even if you read dozens of commentaries about it.
Anything Else?
Let me know if you have any questions or comments about these strategies to read a poem more effectively.
