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. (I’ve attached a Mary Oliver reading, I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like Mary Oliver haha)
Also remember that “poetry” 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 don’t like a poem, or a hell of a lot of poems, doesn’t mean you don’t like poetry, you’ve 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. You’re allowed to find lines you love but not like other lines in the same poem. It’s all worth it when you find one line that hits right through you. “you do not have to be good…you just have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves”.
Apr 1, 2024
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and don’t feel pressured to enjoy everything contemporary or all the classics or what’s popular or what we’re taught in school. there’s truly no right or wrong way to enjoy poetry—but not everything appeals to/resonates with everyone so if ur feeling like ur bored or not “getting it” that might be an invitation to try a different style!
like i didn’t really like ocean vuong’s time is a mother, but i love richard siken’s crush. i love mary oliver, lucille clifton, and frank o’hara; but i don’t like ts eliot, emily dickinson, and allen ginsberg. there are no rules and there are plenty of kinds of poetry to explore! you maybe just haven’t found what you like yet.
i also suggest finding accounts on other social media that post poetry and/or sign up for poetry fdn’s “poem of the day” emails. and when you find a poem you enjoy, check out that poet’s collection(s) at the library and read through them! :)
Jul 4, 2024
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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
đź““
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
Top Recs from @mouse
I am by no means traditionally religious, but I fully understand how being in the presence of beautiful stained glass can feel like being with god. ALWAYS stop off at a church on the way if you think it might have good stained glass. The bluebells in the bottom right corner of this made me loose my breath for a moment.
1d ago
Apr 14, 2025
I used to be envious of people who had “MySpace friends” or “tumblr friends”. Now I have PI.FYI friends. Thank you capyboppy for your lovely letter and this illustration of a capybara and a mouse with fruit on our heads, it made me weirdly emotional ❤️
Jun 11, 2024