How Poems are. . .
In poetry, language is concentrated. Many people have little use for poetry, noting that poetry is useless. It may be true that there is little practical value in reading/writing poetry, but this need not be a reason for dismissing it. Poetry can be tough to “figure out.” In fact, good poetry may be impossible to exhaust of meanings. Like the cliche, though, it’s not the destination but the journey that counts. Don’t expect me to keep sounding like I’m that master martial arts instructor in Kung Fu ! What I mean is, poetry confounds our typical ways of looking at the world. It offers something new, or at least it offers new ways to look at everyday things.

There is a way to approach poems so we can experience them–not treat them as riddles. It involves knowing something about poetry’s formal patterns an characteristics. Here is my crash course (which should be review) in poetry. Feel free to use the terms when discussing/writing.

It’s all about the Fulcrum
Here’s a final term: fulcrum. A fulcrum is a turning point, an area where two pieces diverge.

Remember how we started this lecture looking at “one part against another against a silence”? Those turning points are a big deal in Western poetry. Are there fulcrums in NA poetry? Look for fulcrums in the poems we read.

Ciardi’s Usefulness
Poet and critic John Ciardi, in his book How Does A Poem Mean? , mentions that poetry is one thing set against another across a silence. Poetry moves, and there are silences and transition areas. Usually, these transition areas are rather obvious to us. Even if you can see them on the page, your ears hear changes. (Noticing change is what it’s all about, as far as our brain goes.) So, read your poetry aloud. (Well, read their poetry aloud–yours might not sound as good till it’s edited!) Read aloud. Reread the poem, too. Why? Well, rereading allows you to get it better; plus, repetition is an important element of poetry. When we read we participate in the meaning-making, and that’s neat.

Click on the link below get guidance from Poets.org about how to approach poetry as a critical reader.

• “How to Read a Poem” from Poets.org