Suppose you found this suitcase just sitting on your front porch. You would be tempted to open it, wouldn't you?
And then what? Would you unpack the suitcase, hoping to learn more about the person who packed it? Maybe, if you dug deep enough, you might figure out why the owner of the suitcase left it there. In other words, you could look for clues that might solve the mystery of the suitcase's meaning.
Poems are often like that suitcase—full of mystery and meaning, but not obvious enough that you don't have to do some digging. As you watch the video below, listen for ways to "dig deeper" into a poem, in pursuit of its meaning.
Reading poetry can be tricky. It’s so different from the way that we speak or the stories we read. It may even seem like its own language at times. A lot of poetry is shorter than prose -- ordinary writing -- and can be packed with all sorts of hidden meanings and symbolism. The best thing to keep in mind when starting to tackle a poem is to be patient.
First, look at the title. The title can give you hints about the content of the poem. Use it to give the poem context. Next, make out the shape of the poem. Just like how a square peg won’t fit in a circular hole, you know a haiku won’t be a three page long poem. You might be able to guess what type of poem it is just by looking at it, but a lot of poetry doesn’t have a concrete shape.
Now, when you first read the poem, don’t try too hard to look for meaning. Just read it all the way through and let yourself react to it. The meaning might come on soft and sweet, like the smell of apple pie, or it might roll on strong and hit you like a truck. After you’ve read it the first time, it might be helpful to read it outloud to get a sense of the rhythm. At the end of your first reading, jot down whatever you don’t quite understand so, as you go into the second reading, you know what to look for.
When you read a poem, look for patterns in the way a poet uses imagery, sound, color, and arrangement of words. Break the poem down into smaller parts and find the meaning of words within the context of the poem. It’s a lot like breaking down an equation and taking it one step at a time. Pay attention to breaks between stanzas, aka poetry paragraphs, or between lines. Once we’ve identified the patterns or shifts, see if those patterns change. The meaning of a poem might hinge on a shift in the rhythm.
Another important thing to pay attention to is the use of literary devices. Look for alliteration, the repetition of sounds at the beginning of words, and assonance, sounds within words that are repeated. Alliteration always adds additional adventurous articulation. Also, keep an eye out for metaphors and similes, which are used in both prose and poetry. Watch for how punctuation and capitalization are used. Sometimes an author uses capitalization, or the lack there of, to emphasize certain words.
Make sure you know who the speaker is, because the meaning of the poem is likely to hinge on their perspective. There’s a big difference between a 5 year old girl talking to you and a grizzled truck driver. If you’re having trouble identifying the narrator or patterns or rhythm or anything like that, try talking to someone else about the poem and getting it out in open air to gain a better understanding.
Reading poetry isn’t always the easiest thing, but using these tools can make it enjoyable. Poetry is an important part of culture that brings people together. It’s a treasured form of expression. If approached with an open mind, reading poetry might just become your passion.
Now that you've reviewed some techniques, try unpacking a brief poem. Perhaps you've read it before—it's Emily Dickinson's poem that begins "The Brain—is wider than the Sky—." If so, see what you can unpack that you may have missed before.
The Brain is Wider Than the Sky
The brain is wider than the sky,
For, put them side by side,
The one the other will include
With ease, and you beside.
The brain is deeper than the sea,
For, hold them, blue to blue,
The one the other will absorb,
As sponges, buckets do.
The brain is just the weight of God,
For, lift them, pound for pound,
And they will differ, if they do,
As syllable from sound.
Emily Dickinson
What main idea does the speaker want readers to think about?
- No one knows how the brain works.
- The brain's abilities and potential are limitless.
- No part of the body is more important than the brain.
- The brain's mysteries are puzzling and frustrating.
Look at just the first line of each stanza. What do these lines have in common?
Look at just the first line of each stanza. What do these lines have in common?
Look at just the first line of each stanza. What do these lines have in common?
Look at just the first line of each stanza. What do these lines have in common?
What device does the speaker use to describe the brain in the second stanza?
- The speaker uses a simile to compare the brain and a bucket.
- The speaker uses a metaphor to compare the brain to a sponge.
- The speaker uses alliteration to compare the brain to the color blue.
- The speaker uses capitalization to compare the brain to the sea.
Look for words that help poets and other writers compare things. What figures of speech use these words?
Look for words that help poets and other writers compare things. What figures of speech use these words?
Look for words that help poets and other writers compare things. What figures of speech use these words?
Look for words that help poets and other writers compare things. What figures of speech use these words?
Which words from the third stanza use a sound effect to capture readers' attention?
- just the weight of God—
- For—Heft them—
- And they will differ—
- As Syllable from Sound—
The video gives examples of sound effects such as alliteration and assonance.
The video gives examples of sound effects such as alliteration and assonance.
The video gives examples of sound effects such as alliteration and assonance.
The video gives examples of sound effects such as alliteration and assonance.
Summary
Questions answered correctly:
Questions answered incorrectly:
Question
Why might Dickinson have used only dashes—no periods or commas—in this poem?
