how to get through vague or tough to read poetry by famous poets?

aguywhotypes

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I keep reading that in order to write good poetry you must read poetry.

Ok, my problem is I'm dyslexic and reading poetry by the 'Masters' is very difficult for me.
Most of it uses similes and metaphors that are out there and very difficult for me to grasp. The imagery is so strong
I tend to get lost and it pulls me out of the poem, not into it.

Does anyone else experience this? How do you deal with this?

I've been skipping most of them and reading only the poems that make sense to me.

I feel like I'm not being a "good" poet if I don't slug through these but wow it sucks the fun and energy right out of me.

I write poetry more on the simple end of the spectrum. I try not to be to "flowery" but enough so that its not
just prose
broken up
into verse

any guidance would be helpful.
 
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Debbie V

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This is absolutely not related to your dyslexia or you. I also often find I can't get into things that are obscure. Sometimes I'll still read to see if a feeling is evoked or if the end helps me figure something out. Styles evolve and it may be helpful to study the style and its genesis without the actual poems. Some authors are purposefully obscure. Consider what type of poetry you want to write and read the masters in that style.

I look for the story in a poem. Story is my style. I hope this helps.
 

Chris P

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As Debbie V says it's not just you. Poetry in general takes extra thought for me, and I don't always get it. I'm much more of a story guy. Studying or discussing the poem in question might help. Even if I end up not liking the poem, it improves my skills to know why a certain story is "good." We used to have a (now long dead) thread here where someone linked to the poem of the day from another site and we discussed it. Poetry is still hard for me, but those discussions were valuable.

Keep in mind too that styles change. Those old masters might be great examples of the poetry at the time, but might not have anything to do with the poetry getting published today. Newer poems might speak more to you as we are all products of our age.

Try subscribing to poetry magazines, websites, or pick up a few "Year's Best" anthologies covering recent years. Just as stories have genres, poems likely do too, and not everything will be to your taste, even within that style. And you said already the final bit of advice: "I've been skipping most of them and reading only the poems that make sense to me." This is not only allowed but encouraged. You don't get extra points for being miserable.
 

mccardey

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I've been skipping most of them and reading only the poems that make sense to me.

Start there. It's a good place to start. And honestly - I'm not sure that you have to have an understanding of THE BEST poets in order to write poetry. You can read them, and if you don't "get" them, you can read up on other responses to them - but you can just write poems.

Writing - poems, novels, graffiti - shouldn't just be the province of the educated few.
 

AW Admin

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Don't sweat it, first. And I wouldn't worry so much about reading "the greats."

Read what intrigues you. Read what you like.

But really, truly—don't read poetry.

Poetry more than anything but drama is meant to heard.

Go to your local public library and borrow some poetry on CD or tape or whatever they have that you can listen to.

Listen to the various audio recordings available for free on the Internet.

There's a bunch of videos of Patrick Stewart reading Shakespeare's sonnets on Twitter and Instagram. They're short, so if you hate it, you've only lost a few minutes. Stewart's taking a break from the sonnet, but there are I think 66 available.

Don't forget that song lyrics are also poetry.
 
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William Haskins

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Definitely read poetry.

Listening to poems is valuable and gratifying, but as poetry evolved from its oral tradition to include the world (and psychology) of print, new opportunities opened for both poets and readers in terms of wordplay and visual presentation.

As far as understanding, you take a leap of faith with every poem that the poet is good at her craft, and this is easier to recognize as you broaden your horizons.

Assuming the poem is capably written, it's best to read it through holistically and truly experience it on its overall merits the first time.

In subsequent readings, you can isolate and focus on more challenging or intriguing aspects, something more efficiently done when you can read the lines repeatedly and not have to rewind other media.

All that said, Lisa is absolutely spot on about the beauty, elegance and intimacy of well-executed spoken word, so I will leave a couple of links you might enjoy and find instructive.

- Elizabeth Bishop reads "The Fish": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HybrH2d1icM

- Six Minute Scholar discusses "The Fish": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uqLse8gcBA

- A lovely rendition of Emily Dickinson's "I Felt a Funeral in My Brain": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7v1Rq35BGY

- Six Minute Scholar discusses "I Felt a Funeral in My Brain": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9ISE11zqic

- Dylan Thomas reads "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mRec3VbH3w

- Six Minute Scholar discusses "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59SW4wh7Hic
 
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frimble3

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What poets do you like? What poets make you think 'I could be a poet, too!'
What don't you like? Archaic wording, obscure imagery? Poems that seem to have no connection to your experience?
There is a poem out there for everyone.
 

mccardey

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Litany (by Billy Collins) And then - just to remind you that poetry is also aural, fun, playful and can be anarchic - there's this. Which is actually how I discovered Billy Collins.

Poetry is lovely. Don't let it intimidate you. Look for what you love. Write what you love.
 
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Debbie V

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Another idea is to look at children's poetry. All writing has to have the reader in mind if publication is intended. Did you grow up on Seuss, Silverstein, and Prelutsky? They are all considered masters too, but most five year olds get them just fine.
 
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