Who reads poetry and why?

[Anonymous]

I read poetry- I can't really say why, I have a brain that is wired to appreciate language. I don't even always try to understand it--I think that jumping straight into analysis can ruin the experience. If a poem captures my attention, I'll read it over and over, and often the meaning just comes to me--if not, I'll read various analyses.
Two poets that are wonderful and a good start, if you're interested are Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost. I also enjoy Yeats because his writing is gorgeous.

Here is an Emily Dickinson poem (one of my favorites)--I think she was a genius.

Ample make this bed
Make this bed with awe
In it wait till judgement break
Excellent and fair

Be it's mattress straight
Be its pillow round
Let no yellow sunrise noise
Interrupt this ground

[Anonymous]

The only avid reader of poetry I know personally is my father. Unfortunately he is relatively useless in other aspects of life. My theory is that he is doing it to avoid doing necessary but boring things in life.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone like reciting/memorizing? Or listening to it being recited?

[Anonymous]

I think poetry is best enjoyed when read aloud. There is a cemetery near my house and sometimes I'll sit there and read a few poems aloud. I'm not bothering anyone, I get to enjoy some peace outside, and if there are any spirits I like to think they enjoy the entertainment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone like reciting/memorizing? Or listening to it being recited?

I memorize my favorites and read/recite out loud when I'm alone.

[Anonymous]

I read poetry for many reasons.

Have you ever felt a wall of emotion when listening to a song (lyrics and music)?

Have you ever watched someone dance or do math and felt awe?

Has a piece of art demanded your attention or raised a question you hadn’t thought to ask? Offered you another way of seeing?

Reading poetry is kind of like that for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I read poetry for many reasons.

Have you ever felt a wall of emotion when listening to a song (lyrics and music)?

Have you ever watched someone dance or do math and felt awe?

Has a piece of art demanded your attention or raised a question you hadn’t thought to ask? Offered you another way of seeing?

Reading poetry is kind of like that for me.

Yes, that is it for those of use who read poetry regularly and understand it. Not everyone here is the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like poetry but I don't seek it out. I enjoyed it a lot as a kid and still have my childhood poetry compendium.

Some pros:

I like wordplay, the effort of a well-chosen rhyme, a particularly vivid image

Poetry is time-efficient compared to reading books

Poetry can be part of cultural & history studies since they are shaped by them

Poetry can be sung to music/turned into songs and vice versa

Comic poems exist and are good for a laugh (limericks, etc)

Here's my true confession: I find ballet and most classical music really boring.

Too bad. You are missing out.

I don't think people who don't really "get" or enjoy poetry are missing out. If you just don't like it, you're not going to get anything out of it and therefore you aren't missing out on something you'd otherwise get/enjoy by reading it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I read poetry for many reasons.

Have you ever felt a wall of emotion when listening to a song (lyrics and music)?

Have you ever watched someone dance or do math and felt awe?

Has a piece of art demanded your attention or raised a question you hadn’t thought to ask? Offered you another way of seeing?

Reading poetry is kind of like that for me.

Yes, that is it for those of use who read poetry regularly and understand it. Not everyone here is the same.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting question: I love poetry in my native language, French. I love the cadence of the phrasing (excluding a lot of contemporary poems, many of which lack that cadence).

While I've been reading, writing and speaking in English since primary school, and I actually prefer to read prose in English, not in French... somehow I don't really enjoy the cadence of the English language in poetry.

It's the same for haikus: I have a very rudimentary understanding of Japanese, but I feel they only really come into their own in that language. Languages are not interchangeable and don't necessarily shine in every form.

Also, to respond to PP above who doesn't like ballet and classical music... those are artistic forms that have a high barrier to entry. If you didn't listen/watch with people who loved those forms and maybe explained their mechanics and goals, or if you didn't take lessons yourself with a inspiring teacher who could explain the intricacies, then it's understandable you might not have the background to appreciate these works. Classical music is the only music I listen to!

Personally disagree about needing guidance as a way into art such as ballet or classical music. I had no sources around me that would lead me through loving either. My adoration stemmed from simple exposure; I am a spectator, not a dancer, not a musician. Ballet and classical music went into me and never let go. My appreciation led me to learn and understand more--not the other way around.

I agree.
For me, poetry requires guidance to understand and appreciate. Music or certain types of art, you can enjoy without "understanding" it. If I don't understand a poem, I get nothing out of it, particularly enjoyment.