The feelings a poem gives you is not necessarily something you have to read into; you feel what you feel and that is what it means. You read and read and then finally you come across something that makes you feel. And that is what I love about poetry. That was what happened when I found Shane Koyczan. I read his ‘6.59’ and never wanted to stop. Why, I couldn’t explain, nor could I tell you what intentions Koyczan had writing the poem, but then, I wonder, could even he explain that?
I have noticed, and experienced, that poetry is a subject we tend to avoid talking about, and it’s really a shame that reading it often becomes a distressing process where you’re expected to deliver some magnificent analysis which, honestly, not many of us have the ability to produce. I know I haven’t, but I have had to learn. I’m learning how to find hidden messages and symbols, and stanzas and rhyme schemes. This doesn’t help me understanding or embracing the meaning of the poem the slightest, but it sure makes you look at the poem from a different perspective, where the manners of words are interpreted according to what the writer might have meant to say with that. It makes me feel compelled to discover something beyond the ways of the words, rather than focusing on the actual words themselves. Mainly, I think what affect us the most is when we read something that we can identify with on an emotional level, or/and as your own experience. It’s always intriguing to find thoughts you thought only you were feeling expressed and made concrete.
The only way of enjoying poetry is to dive into it, look around, and find the writers and words that make you feel. You don’t have to have the knowledge about linguistic tools and rules and meanings. And you certainly don’t need to explain to anyone what any of it means, or why you like it. But I can assure you, if you give poetry some time, and ignore the pretentiousness reading poetry rhymes with, you will be astonished what some people can express through words. Hat off for Koyczan!
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