Does anyone else think we think too much on poetry?

[Shaun]

I love poetry. It's enjoyable, fun to read (when written in ways that I enjoy at least), and beautiful in a lot of ways. Keats is brilliant and I'd read anything by him any day.

But is it just me or do we try to apply too much meaning to poetry, so much so that maybe we're just adding things that the poet never intended?

One thing that makes me think this is that we focus so much on 'meter', i.e. the rhythm of the poetry. Iambic pentameter, for example, is really very common in rhyming poetry, but sometimes poets break out of this and fiddle with the rhythm here and there. I wonder how much of this is actually intentional. Meaning, how many of these poets actually sad down and thought "I want to use iambic pentameter, but in this line I want to have a trochee, a spondee, and an anapest"? We focus so much on this and use it as a way of trying to say what the poet intended, but I find it a little difficult to actually take such things with any validity.

Does anyone else have any thoughts? I know there are some poets here, and some non-poets, so I'd be interested in your input.

[Rafael Domination]

Personally, I like poetry, but when it get's too 'flowery' and abstract, it gets annoying. I mean, I WANT to discover the 'deep' meaning, I WANT to WANT to communicate thoughts on a higher 'level' of thinking...but when all the poet does is ramble on about objects and concepts that do nothing but make your eyebrows rise, then I move on.

(This is why I love limmericks the best :rolleyes:)

[Alex]

I like poetry alot. The first thing I want to touch on thoug his when you talk about meter. I think the meter and verse is what sets poetry off from prose. The ambiguity with which good poetry is assentially written is what seperates it from prose. I believe if this is taken away then what would seperate it. Its short? There are 20 word short stories... I just don't think it would be poetry without the meter, verse, and ambiguity the good stuff has.

A good poet, in most situations, will weave multiple meanings into a poem and allow the reader to form his or her own interpretation. This is very similar to lyrics ((probably why they're always grouped together)). Sure, I get it, if you're writing about an event this is difficult, and us as "amateur" writers and poets shouldn't be expected to write amazing quadruple layered masterpieces, but its something, I believe, we, as poets ((those of us who write poetry)), should strive for.

Telling a story should be left to novelists, explaining a deeper meaning should be left to poetry, and thats why I believe poetry is fine the way it is. Don't take the ambiguity out of poetry, come on lets chant it all!

[angela]

poetry is nice.
i want to understand the type of different genres; i'd love to finally, actually understand the words or adjectives that are used. when it seems intricate and at the same time detailed (especially when describing an object), it kind of confuses me.

im looking very forward to english this year :D

[Alex]

I'm telling you, most of the worlds school systems butcher literature horribly. If you want to really learn about poetry read some on your own, or work on it around here. Thats my suggestion at least

I've been "studying" poetry in english class from 6th grade on... I'm in 10th grade and if it was not for an exceptional teacher I still wouldn't, and never would, understand it. Thats just my suggestions though, again