This article will tell you everything you need to know (in my opinion) about reading poetry. The information is aimed at beginners and also at taking the step from reading to comprehension: to understanding. I’m a second-year Creative Writing student who despised GCSE poetry but am now incorporating it into my dissertation for next year! As well as writing my own poems, I have taken a module on understanding the form, and co-founded (and co-manage) an online poetry magazine. The link to BoundBy and the Instagram can be found here: Home | Boundby and BoundBy Poetry Magazine (@boundby.poetry) | Instagram respectively.
1. Read it over
This is, of course, the most important part. At this stage, don’t worry too much about taking in every single word – just get a feel for the poem and what it’s trying to say. Here are some questions that you could ask yourself:
- What could the title mean? What do I now expect from the poem?
- What space does this take up on the page? Are the lines all over the place or are they contained?
- What sort of themes can I see? Is this a poem about nature? Is it about the poet’s own experiences?
At this stage, you really don’t need to consciously think about the poem or the poet’s intentions. If you remember the above questions, then that’s great, but the biggest focus right now is to just take in the poem. Do whatever feels natural to you.
2. Re-read it
I believe that a poem should always be read at least twice. The first time, you’re taking in the words and maybe starting to see what it’s about, but you learn so much more the second time. Now, read the poem again but at a slower pace. Don’t be afraid to linger on certain words or phrases if they catch your eye, or re-read a line if it has a double meaning. Try to pay more attention to what the poem is saying and how it makes you feel. Everyone’s experience of poetry is subjective, even with yourself. What you interpret on one day could be very different to what you interpret on another.
I don’t typically jot notes around a poem unless I know it’s one that I will return to, or if it’s for work. And even then, my notes are often as simple as ‘lol’, ‘wow deep’ or ‘what???’. Marginalia doesn’t need to be detailed, and you should only write down what actually makes sense to you. Another thing to note is that, although recognising devices and forms is an achievement, does this actually help you in any way? Will you remember a particular poem because it has an enjambment in? Or an AABC rhyme scheme? I understand the thought process – GCSE English drilled it into me to comment on techniques more than emotion – but it can be that much harder to appreciate a poem if you’re looking at it critically.
3. Now say it aloud
Many poems are spoken word, or performative. That means that they are meant to be said aloud, with tone and pace emphasising certain words. I personally love spoken word poetry and feel that my own work generally falls under this umbrella. I love performing my poems, even though it’s usually to one or two people, because I feel that it’s so much clearer what you are trying to say. I want the audience to understand my poem in the same way that I do.
That being said, performing someone else’s poetry on the first attempt could be a challenge. If you haven’t read it over, you might not recognise punchlines or pauses until after you’ve spoken them. Then, you might wish that you’d placed more emphasis on them. But that’s okay – it happens. Or, you might find the opposite: you might find that reading a poem aloud makes it more digestible and easier to take in.
However you speak it, I urge that you do. Even mumbling the words will have a notable effect. Maybe you need to get a feel for the poem first, or maybe you want to stick with a quiet recital. That’s okay. But please, speak the words aloud and let them wash over you. It makes all the difference.
4. Consider writing your own
This is a scary one, but I promise that it’s a lot of fun. Everyone’s writing process is different. I’m a huge procrastinator and find it extremely difficult to stay focused on one task, so tend to trick myself to write. Although I hugely enjoy it, I really struggle to set aside the time to do it. For me, that means writing words or phrases on my Notes on my phone, or listening to the sounds around me. I rarely set out to write a particular poem, or in a particular form.
If I did want to use a form to help me, I’d probably try a haiku (5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables), or try to make lines with so many syllables, or pick a simpler rhyme scheme like AABB or ABAB. Most of the time though, I write down nonsense and am enthused for about 10 minutes until the moment has passed and I’m back in reality. I’m not saying it’s the most dedicated method, but it’s how it usually goes for me. Maybe you are someone who’d prefer to sit down and say ‘right I’m going to write a sevenling now’, or you need a prompt to get you started. If the former is true, give it a go and see what happens. If you’re struggling to fit the form, don’t be afraid to subvert it. If the latter is true, I’ve found looking through my camera roll to be helpful, or asking someone to randomly think of a noun.
Whatever you chose to do, and however you go about it, I hope you enjoy your experience of poetry. Even in my poetry class, we all do things differently, and our voices are distinctly different. I have no idea what mine is, or what sort of poetry I like to read, but I know what it isn’t. I hope this article has been interesting and maybe even useful. Thank you to anyone who has made it this far: I implore you to try any of the steps. If you’re feeling inspired, maybe find a poem now and give it a go.