How Is Reading Poetry Like Climbing A Mountain?

P
oetry is one of the most evocative and subtle forms of human expression. It can capture a fountain of emotions about the complexities of life that most of us have difficulty putting into words.  Shakespeare’s sonnets come to mind, of course. But there’s also poetry like that written by Shel Silverstein and Carole Boston Weatherford, whose work speaks to the experiences of children.

Eighteenth-century poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge may have defined prose as “words in their best order.” But he described poetry as “the best words in the best order.”[1] Unfortunately, that doesn’t keep poems from being banned. Plenty of them have been – like Allen Ginsberg’s Howl, Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, and Gwendolyn Brooks’ We Cool, just to name a few.

A Poem’s Job Is…

Typically, a poem’s job is to come closer to saying something that cannot be expressed in other forms of writing. Sharing insight handed down from the woman she credits with giving her back her voice, Maya Angelou describes poetry as “music written for the human voice.”[2]

Poetry’s job is to suggest an idea, experience, or feeling that you may know but can’t entirely be communicated in any direct or literal way. But poetry’s nuance, and intricate language can also make it confounding.

But… How Is Reading Poetry
Like Mountain Climbing?

Techniques that poets use, like word and line arrangement, sound and rhythm, amplify — and in some cases, multiply — the meaning of words beyond the literal. This gives the reader an impression of an idea or feeling, an experience that can’t quite be put into words, but they know is real.

So, in some ways, reading a poem is like mountain climbing.  Finding handholds and footholds is what enables you to ascend to the formation’s pinnacle, one bit at a time.  In much the same manner, a familiarity with poetic terms, techniques, and devices allows the reader to find metaphoric handholds and footholds — those that facilitate a richer understanding of whatever poem they happen to be reading.

Therefore… to aid in your endeavor to reach those poetic summits, check out this amazingly comprehensive glossary of poetic terms, techniques, and devices from the Poetry Foundation.

They’re an extraordinary resource, whose mission is to amplify poetry, celebrate poets, as well as foster spaces for all to create, experience, and share poetry. And in doing so, they set out to “transform lives through the power of words.”[3]

But the Poetry Foundation isn’t just for individuals wishing to tackle the literary peaks of poetry. They also offer plenty of free resources that educators find useful. In addition to the amazingly comprehensive glossary of poetic terms mentioned above, there are poem samplers and articles on how to read poetry, essays about poets, and guides for cultivating a deeper understanding of particular poems.

Endnotes:

[1] Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. Table Talk.  London: George Bell and Sons, York Street, Covent Garden. 1888. Pg  54.

[2] Moyers, Bill. “A Portrait of Maya Angelou.” https://billmoyers.com/content/maya-angelou/

[3] “Our Mission.” Poetry Foundation. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/about-us

Images:

Glossary of Poetic Terms: Photo by Eugene Golovesov on Unsplash

A Poem’s Job Is… : Photo by Ashray Dravidian on Unsplash

Reading Poetry Is Like Mountain Climbing: Photo by Lionello DelPiccolo on Unsplash