The assumptions and mistakes when first time reading a poem, as described by Edward Hirsch were very relatable to what I go through when attempting to understand a poem. Throughout this week’s reading, I have found myself making the first wrong assumption. “The first is assuming that they should understand what they encounter on the first reading, and if they don’t, that something is wrong with them or with the poem”. This resonated with me deeply as when I don’t understand something after a few times, I tend to get frustrated. However, with poems I realize and understand that they can be tricky, so I prepare myself to read it many times throughout. In addition, I found myself making the second wrong assumption as well. Thinking that each line connects to each other, or there is some sort of code to figure out. I tend to overthink what the poem is really trying to illustrate. For instance, this week’s poem, “White Lies” by Natasha Trethewey was challenging to understand at the first and second attempt at reading it. This poem is rich in imagery and definition, so therefore I got a little intimidated. I also thought that some lines interconnected ideas to each other. This made paying attention to important or big details difficult and so I skipped over them.
Powered by:
top
One thought on “WEEK 13 DISCUSSION ADIB SHARIF”
Hi Abib,I like the honesty of your post. These are indeed mistakes that most readers make. When I also read something several times it tends to irritate me. Indeed a poem can be something delicate so therefore you have to read them quietly and not lose your cool when you don’t understand something. The second error is also very common. I have already thought several times that each line has a meaning and this can mislead the reader who is trying to understand the poem.