Read the Lines Before Reading Between them: Notes on Poetry

Most students confronted with poetry tend to detest it, grappling with the seeming pressure to reconcile with the intended meaning immediately. This is a sad truth about how this type of literature often gets taught. Most of the time the reader is left with the feeling that the whole act of analyzing a poem is but an elaborate guessing game.

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A better perspective is to read the lines first. Instead of proverbially trying to “read between the lines,” this will help students become more aware of other elements that make a poem work. Jumping into the meaning might as well be a futile act, as (except for very few instances) the poet will not be around to explain the poem. By close-reading the words and the lines, we get to understand important devices used like figures of speech, literary devices, and things like cadence, rhythm, and tone.

According to the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, poetry is “best words in the best order.” This quote tells to focus more on diction (words) and syntax (order). This is a good take on poetry, as it liberates us from the burden of meaning, which is often relative both culturally and contextually. What could be relevant to an American reader can be as important and life-changing for someone in, say, Asia.

Ultimately, poetry is about savoring words, not seeking for the immediately sublime. Not everything opens up as quickly as one wants, but if a person is patient with the poet’s technique and style, the insight will eventually unravel. So, don’t just quickly interpret and try to sound deep when reading a poem. Focus on meaningfulness, not meaning.

Image source: gatheringbooks.org

A student of Rider University, Brendan Wetzel was a recipient of the Dean Scholarship, Leadership Scholarship, the Guy Stroh Philosophy Scholarship, and the Lower Makefield Historical Society Scholarship. Writing is among his interests. For more similar reads, drop by this blog.