After the past two weeks, I’d say my ability to read poems has restored and gotten a bit better. After graduating High School in 2023, I failed to keep up with my indulgence in poems as readings. After these past two weeks of reading poems in class, I feel like I’ve refreshed myself with the writing style, and also accepted the new idea of reading the lines as many times as we need to. That was previously not an idea that’s been spoken of in my grade school classes, so I do appreciate that. This experience can help me with the reading of Oedipus the King, as the language it uses is a little more tricky, that being it isn’t modern-day English, and by re-reading the lines, I find myself almost singing along to what is being said. For instance, Sophocles writes in Oedipus the King, “Even in this my actions have not been sluggard / On Creon’s word I have sent two messengers / and why the prophet is not here already / I have been wondering” (lines 308-311). In these lines, at first I only understood that Oedipus is simply disappointed that he who he has sent out to find who the killer is has yet to report back. After re-reading it however, a couple times at that, I found that yes, he was disappointed, but he reveals how he has taken quick action as well. This situation is of great concern to him, and considering the use of the word sluggard as well as his respect for “Creon’s word”, there is a sense of urgency in his character. These lines reveal characteristics, as well as add to the story structure with anticipation, rather than just explaining that Oedipus is disappointed to not hear anything despite his attempts. This being said, the ability to almost “sing-along” to the lines and repeat them, helps me understand that each word and each line contribute larger to the poem, more than just an idea.
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