“Reading a poem is part attitude and part technique.” This quote from the reading “How to Read Poem” by Edward Hirsch reveals that to read a poem we require a sense of mindset and skills to interpret it.
The poem that I most resonate is the poem “The Lake Isle of Innisfree“. For most people when they first read the poem they might find it easy to interpret it. Some might know it from the title itself and what the narrator is talking about. However, for me I didn’t know what Innisfree was so initially when I first read the poem I thought that the narrator must have wanted to go somewhere far. Far away from humans, away from everyone and everything. The afterlife or the haven I thought. Maybe it was meant to be a depressing poem. Nevertheless, after reading the lines again and discussing the poem together with classmates I found out that it was the lake the lake isle of Innisfree where the narrator wanted to visit. A place where he will find peace and joy “And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made” (Hirsch).
After the pandemic I’ve learned or should I say enjoyed my own company so time to time I’ll think about building a house far away in the woods which is impossible right now so whenever I feel burnout I try to go to a quite place like the lake down the block, where there are few people and try to reset my mind. “And live alone in the bee-loud glade. And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow” (Hirsch).
