I love reading poetry, but before these two weeks, whenever I finished reading poetry, I would feel like I wasn’t grasping something, as if an understanding was just beyond my reach. After reviewing the article, “How to Read a Poem” by the American Academy of Poets, I am much more confident when reading poetry. I particularly liked the list of prompts as a way of “talking back to a Poem” because it turned out to be quite useful when reading the poem, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost. By following the prompts from the previous section, “talking back to a Poem,” I was able to dissect the meaning behind the poems and see the connection between the comfort the speaker experienced when they were passing through the solitary and dark woods. I was then able to use this knowledge with Oedipus the King and ask more questions about the circumstances facing the city of Thebes. These prompts also led me to find connections between the video explaining the history behind Greek theater, and have a better understanding of the stage setting.
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2 thoughts on “Concepcion Arellano Discussion 7”
I really like how you used the prompts from “How to Read a Poem” to understand poetry better. Sometimes, poems can feel confusing, and having a guide to ask the right questions makes a big difference. Your connection between Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening and Oedipus the King is really interesting. Both show deep emotions and big decisions about moving forward or staying in the dark. I also think it’s great that you connected this to the history of Greek theater. Learning about the stage setting can help us picture the play better.
Hi Concepcion, I completely agree with your views! Up to this point it always felt like something wasn’t clicking or I was missing something. But since I read those past few poems, especially “White Lies” and
“The Last Duchess” has been so much easier to interpret because I’ve come to realize it’s not just grasping at thin strands, but there is meaning behind the words and the way they are organized. I always thought poems were vague and absurdly abstract, but these poem exercises have helped me ask better questions when reading them!