How To Analyse Poetry

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Originally Posted by ktd222

What creates the meaning for you? What enhances that meaning? Why not just read a paper instead?

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Many things contribute to the 'meaning' of a poem; words chosen, all the poetic devices employed by the poet and these are the things which make a poem different from ordinary writing and enhance its meaning. However, I personally prefer reading a poem with 'something' to say rather than, say, describe a room or a plant - however poetically 'beautiful' it might be.

Oh, I do read papers, too... A lot.

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Originally Posted by Scheherazade

Many things contribute to the 'meaning' of a poem; words chosen, all the poetic devices employed by the poet and these are the things which make a poem different from ordinary writing and enhance its meaning. However, I personally prefer reading a poem with 'something' to say rather than, say, describe a room or a plant - however poetically 'beautiful' it might be.

Oh, I do read papers, too... A lot.

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LOL..I agree that many things contribute to a poem's meaning. I assume your talking about so you have something to say?

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Originally Posted by Scheherazade

Many things contribute to the 'meaning' of a poem; words chosen, all the poetic devices employed by the poet and these are the things which make a poem different from ordinary writing and enhance its meaning. However, I personally prefer reading a poem with 'something' to say rather than, say, describe a room or a plant - however poetically 'beautiful' it might be.

Oh, I do read papers, too... A lot.

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Can't the poetic devices be enough to creating the meaning in poems?

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Originally Posted by ktd222

Can't the poetic devices be enough to creating the meaning in poems?

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I think it would be a monumental task to achieve - to create the meaning merely out of poetic devices - unless you really have something to say. That is why sometimes we read poems which seem 'beautifully' written but we don't feel satisfied because even though the artistic 'beauty' might be there, they don't offer much substantial 'food for thought'. Of course that is not to say that poetic devices contribute a lot in the way of conveying a poet's message or creating the right atmosphere.

But enough with the Q & A game... Why don't you tell us what you think? :)

Can you think of any poems which manage to create the meaning only through poetic devices?

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Originally Posted by Scheherazade

I think it would be a monumental task to achieve - to create the meaning merely out of poetic devices - unless you really have something to say. That is why sometimes we read poems which seem 'beautifully' written but we don't feel satisfied because even though the artistic 'beauty' might be there, they don't offer much substantial 'food for thought'. Of course that is not to say that poetic devices contribute a lot in the way of conveying a poet's message or creating the right atmosphere.

But enough with the Q & A game... Why don't you tell us what you think? :)

Can you think of any poems which manage to create the meaning only through poetic devices?

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How about At the Fishhouses by Elizabeth Bishop. We analyzed this poem in the old 'Poem of the Week' thread. The meaning is created from the description of the scenes.

But to tell you....aren't Imagist also able to create meaning.

The Red Wheelbarrow comes into mind.

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Originally Posted by ktd222

How about At the Fishhouses by Elizabeth Bishop. We analyzed this poem in the old 'Poem of the Week' thread. The meaning is created from the description of the scenes.

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To me, 'At the Fishhouses' is a beautiful descriptive poem; however, I am not sure if Bishop is trying to say anything more than she describes or alludes to anything more.

As for 'The Red Wheelbarrow':

so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.

How do you think the poetic devices actually construct 'the meaning' here?

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Originally Posted by Scheherazade

To me, 'At the Fishhouses' is a beautiful descriptive poem; however, I am not sure if Bishop is trying to say anything more than she describes or alludes to anything more.

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You can't see the differences in description between man and land made thing? She doesn't need to convey the meaning, but rather the description conveys the meaning for her. I'll go with the second poem though.

As for 'The Red Wheelbarrow':

so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.

How do you think the poetic devices actually construct 'the meaning' here?[/QUOTE]
I never really got what 'the white chickens' meant, but the poetic device is
in the image itself of what the words create. How many different things must happen for this scene to be shown as it is: 'glazed with rainwater'.

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Originally Posted by ktd222

I never really got what 'the white chickens' meant, but the poetic device is in the image itself of what the words create. How many different things must happen for this scene to be shown as it is: 'glazed with rainwater'.

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Ktd,

I am not sure if I get your point but, before I toddle off to bed, here is what I have in mind (both by ee cummings):

l(a

le
af
fa
ll

s)
one
l

iness


or

your slightest look easily will unclose me
though i have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens
(touching skilfully,mysteriously) her first rose

(from 'somewhere i have never travelled')

In both poems, the poetic devices are used to convey a meaning. However, I am still wondering if a poem only based on such devices could.

What I mean for the Red Wheelbarrow is that for it to be glazed with rainwater, not drenched, but glazed mulitple events compounding must happen for the scene described to be shown as it is.

But I do see your point that it's difficult to believe.

edit: good night. don't delete anything. ;)

I think if I ever had to analyze a poem for an exam(timed or not timed), I would approach my way through the poem by identifying a key element(whatever it is: syntax, image created by words, structure...etc) and work my understanding through the poem around this key element.

Is this the wrong way to approach to understanding poetry or writting an essay on poetry? This is how I approach all poems which I can't extract meaning out of by simply reading through the poem.

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Originally Posted by ktd222

I think if I ever had to analyze a poem for an exam(timed or not timed), I would approach my way through the poem by identifying a key element(whatever it is: syntax, image created by words, structure...etc) and work my understanding through the poem around this key element.

Is this the wrong way to approach to understanding poetry or writting an essay on poetry? This is how I approach all poems which I can't extract meaning out of by simply reading through the poem.

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It is the right approach for an exam essay, but the key elements you take up you have to link them to the poet's theme. Just pointing out the rhyme scheme if it has no relevance is not enough.

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Originally Posted by Virgil

It is the right approach for an exam essay, but the key elements you take up you have to link them to the poet's theme. Just pointing out the rhyme scheme if it has no relevance is not enough.

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I know, thats what I was getting at when the thread was closed.

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Originally Posted by ktd222

I know, thats what I was getting at when the thread was closed.

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I thought so. Too bad it got closed. I never got to mention what I thought was good about the poem. Oh well.

You can still tell me what Goethe has to do with the poem through PM.