I went for a poetry reading session with my book club yesterday and quickly realized how difficult it is to comprehend dense poems that are read out to you. I suppose the ideal way to read a poem is to dwell on the verses, read them at least a few times and spend a considerable amount of time pondering over them. To knead them over in your head and coax out different meanings from them.
So it was no surprise that I was lost in most of the poems. What surprised me was one or two poems captivated me. One was a word-play showing how men and women said the same set of consecutive words in different ways and come up with completely different meanings.
I am not poetry afficionado but the beauty of good poems is that they touch you in ways you can't entirely fathom. You can't fully describe why they appeal to you, which is what distinguishes them from good prose. Good poetry tries to give form to a higher more subtle truth than prose. Which is why its so bloody difficult.
So it was no surprise that I was lost in most of the poems. What surprised me was one or two poems captivated me. One was a word-play showing how men and women said the same set of consecutive words in different ways and come up with completely different meanings.
I am not poetry afficionado but the beauty of good poems is that they touch you in ways you can't entirely fathom. You can't fully describe why they appeal to you, which is what distinguishes them from good prose. Good poetry tries to give form to a higher more subtle truth than prose. Which is why its so bloody difficult.
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