Let's try this again

Poetry in and of itself is very difficult for me to grasp. I have always been under the impression that poetry can mean anything that a reader wants it to. When we were in grade school, as long as the words rhymed, it was accepted. Once I entered the tenth grade and wrote poetry in my World Literature class, I was still not completely sure what poetry was and was still just fishing around in an attempt to receive a good grade. Now, as a twelth grade AP Literature student, I am not only bound and determined to get an exceptional grade in the class, but am also ready to tackle the real world of poetry- the one educated scholars work with.

Mr. Perrine's article, "The Nature in Proof of the Interpretation of Poetry" left me rather eager to start learning about poetry. I have always been turned off by the fact that poetry leaves the readers with a rather gray matter. Interpretations could mean one thing, or polar difference. I am the kind of person who looks at things as either black or white and gray is not in my vocabulary. However, after reading this article, I was comforted by the fact that he feels there IS a right and a wrong interpretation of a poetic piece. However, this does come with the challenge of finding that right interpretation of the piece- the exact thing I struggle with.

Upon reading a poem, I develop my own interpretation of it in my head. Once I do so, I have a difficult time accepting anything other than the one I developed. For example, when I read the poem by Emily Dickinson, my interpretation was the exact expample he used as being false. Upon reading his interpretation, I saw how it could work, but I felt my interpretation was no better than his. However, being the enthuased learner I am, I am going to follow Perrine's advice this quarter, and accept other's interpretations and seek the CORRECT one, and not just one formulated in this little brain of mine.