and accepting that (especially at the very beginning of reading poetry), opens a new horizon to explore as not everything has to necessarily have a deep hidden meaning. also reading poems out loud is great too. happy reading!
Apr 1, 2024
Related Recs
Poetry is often short and so we just skim over it and are left underwhelmed. Sometimes we need to make ourselves hear and feel it more, I find that reading the poem out loud really helps with this! Also maybe try to find videos of poets reading their own poems. (Iâve attached a Mary Oliver reading, Iâve never met anyone who didnât like Mary Oliver haha)
Also remember that âpoetryâ is such a huge and nebulous literary form and that you may well dislike a lot of it (I detest so much poetry that I find it a little embarrassing as a poet). Just because you donât like a poem, or a hell of a lot of poems, doesnât mean you donât like poetry, youâve just not found the poems you like. If you find one poem that you like, find more from that same poet. If you like a poet, look at who their fans like, or who the poet has cited as inspiration. Youâre allowed to find lines you love but not like other lines in the same poem. Itâs all worth it when you find one line that hits right through you. âyou do not have to be goodâŚyou just have to let the soft animal of your body love what it lovesâ.
Apr 1, 2024
đ
1. accept that you can take whatever you want from a poem - I personally care less about understanding exactly what the poet intended, and focus more on: being reminded of moments/people/thoughts in my life, taking advice, and hearing words and phrases that sound nice together
2. start with easy/lovely/understandable poems! esp contemporary ones. have linked a couple below
3. read analysis/reviews of poems you don't understand!
4. read an entire poetry book! sometimes it's useful to see the poems in the context of each other. this is often how they're meant to be read. also sometimes have a authors note or intro which can help
here are some good ones to start with:
- clam by Mary Oliver (abt nature + withstanding life): https://wordsfortheyear.com/2016/09/06/clam-by-mary-oliver/
- after a greek proverb by A E Stallings https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/55235/after-a-greek-proverb
- what I didn't know before by Ada LimĂłn - https://www.poetryinternational.com/en/poets-poems/poems/poem/103-30712_WHAT-I-DIDN-T-KNOW-BEFORE
- Invictus by William Ernest henley (this is an old one but easy to understand) https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/51642/invictus
Apr 1, 2024
â
poetry you wrote or someone else's, doesn't matter. plunge into the intimacy baby. silly, dark, whatever
Jan 23, 2024
Top Recs from @saraiguess
đš
seeing a movie on a huge screen (as most directors intended it to be seen) and just indulging in approximately 2 hours of pure uninterrupted escapism without anyone to worry about (plus supporting your local cinema at the same time). works best with "slow" films where the scenes linger. total bliss.
Mar 18, 2024
i shoot analog a lot but no pic ever came close to the energy this photo holds
Mar 31, 2024
âď¸
i don't know who needs to hear this (me. i need to hear this. i wrote this rec for me.) but late-stage capitalism influencers reaaaally want you to believe you need to have this whole grand 15-step skincare routine with all the little gadgets and gizmos or you are doing something fundamentally wrong. hear me out here - you are fine. the only thing they are contributing to is the ever-growing need to consume and the systematic destruction of your skin barrier. as long as you wash your face regularly and put on some sunscreen every morning, the rest is mostly just for the vibes.
Mar 21, 2024