In “How to Read a Poem” by Edward Hirsch the assumptions that are made in this poem are, many readers make the false assumption that they should immediately understand everything in a poem, as seen in this quote: “Most readers make three false assumptions when addressing an unfamiliar poem. The first is assuming that they should understand everything right away.” A second assumption is that readers believe everything in a poem is meant to be taken literally, which is challenged by Hirsch in the following lines “The second is assuming that everything in a poem is literal. But some words refer to a reality outside the poem while others do not.” The third false assumption I would say is that poems have only one interpretation, as Hirsch states: “The third is assuming that poems can be reduced to a single, definitive interpretation. But poems are multivalent; they can mean many things to many different people.” Moral of the story I believe that it encourages readers to challenge these assumptions and approach poetry with an open mind.
Daily Archives: April 18, 2023
When reading the poem “White Lies” I made one mistake which inevitably led to another. I initially believed lines 1 – 6 were some sort of code that would help me understand the poem. This blunder led to my second mistake which was trying to understand the poem on the first read through. Though I quickly realized that there was not code in the mentioning of all these colors, I should have read through the poem completely before I made any assumptions. When I read a poems, I’m looking for the deeper meaning. As I am constantly learning, sometimes the author is being literal, and there is art in that. As I continued through the poem, I realize that this is about a girl that lies to boost her social status, because she’s not proud of where she is actually from. A child telling white lies is something I can relate to, which is something I understood after correcting my aforementioned mistakes.
“Reading a poem is part your own understanding, and part understanding the format”. When I read a poem, the first thing I do is try to understand the format of the poem. I look at how it is written, if it rhymes, and how does it all come together. My personal experience is there is usually a format, this helps me understand how to read the poem. Once I understand the format then I delve into my understanding of the poem. I try to understand what the author is saying with this poem. I try place myself in the person writing the poems shoes. I also try to relate to the poem itself if possible. “And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare as any belied with false compare” (Shakespeare). I used these two methods to understand this poem, and I totally relate to it. To me this poem is about love being unconditional, not about beauty which fades. My attitude, and personal experiences help me not only understand the poem, but also personalize it.
