Reading Envy Readers discussion

I'll share mine, feel free to share yours!

1. Do not judge yourself if you don't like a poem, don't understand a poem, etc. I truly believe that poetry is more like art or music - you have to experience a lot to find what you like, and some of it will just never resonate with you.

2. Try reading just one poem at a time. Read it through, then reread it. Read some of it out loud. See if you can find the poet reading it online (if reasonable.)

3. When you find a poem you like in an anthology like ours, see if you can find a collection by that poet and read more of their work! This is how I've found Mark Strand, Sara Teasdale, Adrienne Rich, and Linda Pastan.

4. When provided, read the notes. If you aren't familiar with poetry you might not know the forms yet (I couldn't list them for you) - but so often, a poem is in conversation with other poems, maybe they borrow a structure, an opening/closing line. If you are so inclined, seek out that poem as well and see if that adds to the appreciation or understanding of your poem.

(I know this last one can be daunting and might make more sense after you graduate to being a more serious poetry reader. It's like learning a language once you realize how many poets are jumping off of the works by other poets.)

Very helpful tips, Jenny! Thank you. I have to remind myself to slow down and take my time with a poem. I'm so used to ripping through novels or narrative nonfiction, but poems require a different reading strategy -- not too fast, not too slow, just right for that particular poem (if that makes sense). If something about a poem interests me, I will read it several times and at least once out loud, which can help me hear connections between words and lines that I don't always hear in my head.