Reader Of A Poem example essay topic

444 words
The poem " Introduction to Poetry" by Billy Collins encompasses numerous ideas behind the art of analyzing poetry. Billy suggests that the reader of a poem should not necessarily search for a "cut and dry" answer regarding the meaning and significance of the poem, but he or she should simply enjoy it; marvel at its beauty, structure, ambiance, cadence, metaphorical language, word usage, etc. The author encourages people to lose themselves in his poem, but while doing so not fighting their way back. Instead, the author wishes for the reader to peruse the poem, find meanings through trial and error, just as a mouse might find his way out of a maze. Billy gives specific examples in his piece illustrating his main argument: That a poem should not be read only for meaning, but for the sheer bliss of reading a well-written poem. In the first stanza, the author illustrates the importance of a careful reading of a piece of poetry.

The author parallels the idea of a careful perusal to a careful observation of a color slide. He is showing the reader that upon first glance, a poem could just be ordinary, but by carefully reading the poem (or putting it up to the light), a new idea (or color) may emerge from the piece. The author discourages those who read a poem just for a set meaning previously defined by an author or a teacher. By comparing a typical reader to a torturer, the author demonstrates in his poem that most individuals chose a less than desirable approach to poetry.

Instead of using the poem as a lake to water-ski, most readers choose to "tie the poem to a chair with rope" and "torture a confession out of it", meaning finding the meaning and disregarding the pleasure of figuring out the meaning themselves. In the past, I was never taught a reliable way of analyzing poetry. However, I have read a few pieces of poetry and have been taught their meanings (not finding them myself necessarily). I have always been accustomed to the "cut and dry" approach. I would read a poem and immediately following I was told what we (as a class) were supposed to take from it. I agree with what Billy Collins is trying to say because I have never had a good experience with poetry unless I was able to interpret its meaning myself, linger on ideas and thoughts about the poetry, what I feel the poet is trying to say, and dwell on what I think of the ideas the author illustrates.