How to Read a Poem: Beginner’s Manual

April 8, 2009 in poetry by Kim | 2 comments

In honor of National Poetry Month, poets.org will send out a poem a day to your e-mail address.  I highly recommend it.  As of today, the 8th, I’ve loved a few and skimmed a few others.  Today’s I decided to re-post because it feels written for me.  It eases my concerns about whether or not I understand the poem and it affirms my goal to read a poem a day the thrid trimester of the year.  Maybe it will become a life long habit.  I know I am loving the essays I’m reading and will be sad to move on in May (my essay page is starting to get updated, sorry about the lag).  Enjoy the poem, then scroll down and read my review of Poetry Matters, another book that will help overcome your poetry aversions.

 

How to Read a Poem: Beginner’s Manual

  
by Pamela Spiro Wagner 
First, forget everything you have learned,
that poetry is difficult,
that it cannot be appreciated by the likes of you,
with your high school equivalency diploma,
your steel-tipped boots,
or your white-collar misunderstandings. 

Do not assume meanings hidden from you:
the best poems mean what they say and say it. 

To read poetry requires only courage
enough to leap from the edge
and trust.  

Treat a poem like dirt,
humus rich and heavy from the garden.
Later it will become the fat tomatoes
and golden squash piled high upon your kitchen table. 

Poetry demands surrender,
language saying what is true,
doing holy things to the ordinary.

Read just one poem a day.
Someday a book of poems may open in your hands
like a daffodil offering its cup
to the sun. 

When you can name five poets
without including Bob Dylan,
when you exceed your quota
and don't even notice,
close this manual.

Congratulations.
You can now read poetry.
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  1. Meagan’s avatar

    Meagan on April 8, 2009 at 4:34 pm

    I love the 4th stanza.

  2. Kim’s avatar

    Kim on April 9, 2009 at 9:37 am

    I love that image also!