How to Read a Poem

A light-hearted guide for those of us who need a little instruction...

Open the door and walk right in.
Take off your jacket; get comfortable.
Wander among the lines.
Pause to admire the punctuation.
Pay close attention to the words.
Step back and get the bigger picture.

When reading the poem, stop.
Listen.
Remember that someone's speaking.
Admire their voice; it'll be unique.

While wandering among the words,
Seek out the writer; you will find clues.
Poets sprinkle bits of themselves in their work.
Poets bury their lives into their words.

Now, while reading the poem,
You may get the urge to pull up a  chair,
Kick up your heels.
This is perfectly fine.
Snuggle in among the lines you like best.
Relax for a while.

Each poem is different,
So watch your step as you explore.
Some poems rhyme; others do not.
Some poems are long, while others are short.
Poems are as varied and different as their authors.
Appreciate these differences.

Often, there are messages hidden within the poem.
These are great fun to discover.
Sometimes, you have to read the poem more than once.
Don't feel bad; each reading yields something different.
The time and effort spent is worth the rewards.

It is important to remember a few things:
Each poem is the result of hard work.
Some poems are displays for poets' lives.
There is a soul dwelling within each poem.
Respect that soul and respect its home.
Don't destroy a poem with unkind words.
Offer any criticism contructively.
Don't forget to thank the host of the poem,
The poet.

Reviews

[Dianah]

This made me smile. I love the opening stanza.

'Open the door and walk right in.
Take off your jacket; get comfortable.
Wander among the lines.
Pause to admire the punctuation.
Pay close attention to the words.
Step back and get the bigger picture'.

A clever idea.

[freshonlybakery]

Very clever idea, the title is intriguing and makes you smile :)

This is really good and though I know nothing about the process of writing a poem, anyone who can describe reading a poem this beautifully is truly a poet.[I hope that made sense..]

[blackandivorykeys]

Great work on this poem, the figurative work and the literature is enthralling... and it may as well be the only poem I've read all of 2009. ^^

A poem about a poem... such a fun idea. And you capture it so well.

I will definately be reading more work of yours... when I get to it. ;)

[Travis Lawrence]

"Poets sprinkle bits of themselves in their work.
Poets bury their lives into their words...
Don't destroy a poem with unkind words...
Don't forget to thank the host of the poem,
The poet."

Lovely amatuer's guide to reading poetry. Of course to an intermediate or advanced eye, much of this is stating the obvious, but the lines I quoted struck me, particularly the first two. I love the verb choices of "sprinkle" and "bury", well done.

Have a nice day!

[MARZ]

i like the snuggling with your favorite line part

i snuggle with favorite lines over and over

like in Jurassic Park

I snuggle with the part where they find out they're screwed, lol

forMARZly yours

[jen -- JG]

fantastically well done. This is the perfect way to read a poem - you are a guest in a part of that poet's soul - even if it is something written quickly in a few minutes - the poem is poet! Poetry can draw you in, make you laugh cry and feel - it is emotive, inspirational, or just plain silly and in every sense is aimed towards giving someone, somewhere a special moment.

To that end dear KayOss - Thank you - thank you for writing this, and for reminding us writers that we are also readers and without one - the other could not exist.

Jen-JG

[VERONICA]

Awwww!!! CUTE!!

This made me WAY too happy! I really like the overall tone and how it reads.

At times I felt I was reading those really corny things that moms put on walls that talk about kindness in one syllable words. And I know this is reminiscent of that but I didn't appreciate that sing-song-y aspect.

It's amazing in the theme and mise-en-sen and what it says. I adore it!

[Michael V]

May I say that this work is Brilliant!!!
The advance you take to draw in the reader, the comfort you offer, the mellow and tutorial edge, it is a Bio for a Poet, not an individual poet but Poet in general. If someone were new to poetry and needed instructions on "How to read Poetry" this would have to be the opening page....My Friends Excellent work.

[Kevin Andros]

Well, That is how I think most of the readers and lovers of poems would read a poem just as exactly as you have described. But this may be the guidelines for those who are very new in the poem reading field, and you have told them exactly what to do with the poem. What the poem really is. The poem are words spoken by the poet. The Poet sprinkles a bit of him/herself in the poem. So Read it, try to find out that part. Get the message out of the poem! It is really fun to do sometimes, but sometimes, they are tiring. But don't feel bad as everytime you give it a new read, something new you are bound to discover. These lines you can post to any nerd that has been desctructive about any poem. I bet he/she will be back apolozising for his/her misbehavior. Because when you are critising a poem, bear in mind that you are critisizing the poet. So do it in a constructive way. There are many ways to do a single thing.

Each poem is different,
So watch your step as you explore.
Some poems rhyme; others do not.
Some poems are long, while others are short.
Poems are as varied and different as their authors.
Appreciate these differences.

These lines are my favorate. The opening lines are also superb:

Open the door and walk right in.
Take off your jacket; get comfortable.
Wander among the lines.
Pause to admire the punctuation.
Pay close attention to the words.
Step back and get the bigger picture.

All in all, a superb work. Post this to any nerd whom you find is stupid enough not to understand a poem and the poet. I thank you specially for this wonderful work, Kay0ss. Keep writing. ~KA~