Most poems convey some central idea about life or the world, such as "In friendship, showing up matters most." If the poet gets this theme across, you may find yourself thinking about it long after you finish reading the poem.
Even when they're quite short, poems can transport readers to another time, another place, another way of being. As you've learned in this module's lessons, poets must choose words carefully to create this kind of effect. Of course, poets use other tools as well. The effect of a particular poem may depend upon how the words are arranged on the page, creative uses of parts of speech and multiple-meaning words, and carefully developed figures of speech. Before you move on to the next module, use this lesson to review the many ways a poem makes meaning.
Question
Why is it important to understand how poets use language to create poetry?
When readers know these "tricks of the trade," they are more likely to grasp a poem's figurative as well as its literal meanings. Readers who understand how poetry works can more easily pick up on a poem's suggested—and not just stated—meanings.