Do you think poetry is all about interpretation?

This is the place for readers of poetry. Discuss poetry and literary art. You can also discuss music here, including lyrics. Also, you can discuss poets themselves, in addition to poetry.
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Mely918
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Re: Do you think poetry is all about interpretation?

Post by Mely918 »

I definitely think it's all about interpretation. Many will interpret poetry based on their own unique experiences or opinions. A good poem for one person may be a bad one for another. I find poetry to be highly subjective.
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KurtissL1
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Post by KurtissL1 »

I think that the way one reads poetry depends on their background. Poetry can be anything. Poetry can be everything if you let it. And yes, I do think that poetry is all about interpretation, but that doesn't mean that quality is unimportant. You can have an excellent idea for a novel, for example, and once it's all written up perhaps your readers tell you, this is an excellent concept. But, if the quality of your writing is subpar, well then, it may be a great idea but it is still only a subpar story. The same goes for poetry. Academic poets and blog poets may butt heads on what they think makes a good poem and readers may argue that this simple piece by so and so is much more profound than that academic piece by whomever, but it cannot be argued when one writer has a better technical skill than the other. Art is subjective, but you can't just write whatever you want and tell people that it's all about interpretation. That's just lazy writing. An aspect of thought, skill, and technical ability is required of a writer, and especially a poet.
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gkgurley
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Post by gkgurley »

Everyone has different taste and takes meaning out of poems that's different that another's view, but I do think there are some works that are universally good and universally bad.
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Facennagoss
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Post by Facennagoss »

Not at all. Whereas novels are for the public, I strongly believe that poetry is individual so it does not matter what other people think. I used to love teaching novels but hated teaching poetry because I felt like we were tearing the soul out of someone.
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Post by Swat3737 »

I absolutely agree with the OP, if a poem connects with the reader, it can be considered good even if others don’t feel the same way.

I recently read an amazing poetry book - “The princess saves herself in this one” by Amanda Lovelace. It doesn’t follow typical poetry conventions but it was raw and emotional and shocking. I loved it and highly recommend it
"One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star." - Friedrich Nietzsche
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Post by DakotaA »

No, I don't think so. I think the poet writes their work with a specific intention. However, if you don't know the intention, like with all art, you will make your own interpretation. So I guess the follow up question is what is the truth of art- what the artist means it to be, or what the consumer interprets from it?
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imSunshine
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Post by imSunshine »

Nope, but maybe sometimes. Personally, I use poetry as a material to express my inner thoughts and feelings and that is one way to interpret things
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Post by Jennashby_87 »

I definitely think poetry is one of those things can be very different and specific for each person. A lot of the time we are looking to hear specific things that we need to hear or want to hear in that moment. I think poetry, music, art and dance can become anything it needs to be for whoever is experiencing it. That's kind of the beauty isn't it? That everyone can relate to whatever is presented in front of them in anyways that they need in that moment. There is no right or wrong answer.
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Post by Infinite I »

Yes. Different people may interpret the same thing in different ways, because they perceive the similar things in different ways.
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Post by Empan16 »

I think that poetry is interpreted based on the experiences that one has had in their life as well as personal opinions that someone has. I think that these alone affect the connectivity that people have with certain poems and how they would personally rate them. A lot of poems, at least the ones I read, are based on personal experience and if someone can not sympathize with that experience, they may not think the poem is good.
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Post by aldoralos »

I like that I can write anything and view others thoughts about it and their views are very important even if my intent or theme is misinterpreted. I like to just see what people think. Sometimes I'll say what it's supposed to be about, but mostly I do not bother. I like to leave theme and interpretation to the reader about 99% of the time.
:tiphat:
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Sarah Well Read
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Post by Sarah Well Read »

With poetry, I believe that no matter what you write down or blog. Everyone will have a separate opinion of your writing. It is all based on experience which I think forms the main basis of one's interpretation. A poem like an experience has a life of its own. There are several structures to a poem and types nothing is really simple if you ponder it long enough. The reading of a poem demands that you listen with your own set of beliefs, life experience, culture, traditions, family hierarchy, world views, beliefs on yours and others genders, religion, etc, etc, etc. There are a million to a billion pieces that make us human beings and certainly and especially individuals. :tiphat:
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Post by Cwaganagwa Dorothy »

Poetry that speaks or tells the intended feelings gets through to me. When I read a poem, it is not always about it being good or bad, but being story telling and eventful. In the event of the piece being interesting, it is because the piece is very intriguing with each passing sentence.
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KiLove
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Post by KiLove »

Honestly, yes. The writer could be talking about how beautiful the sunset is without ever saying the words sunset and still the reader would imagine that the write would be describing something they ( the reader ) personally finds beauty in.
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kradicia
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Post by kradicia »

I think it is not just interpretation for to interpret something is how you understand it to be. You cannot say when you are reading poetry that you are fully understanding or in the know of what the author was thinking.

Yet I believe it is your perception of the words and their meaning. The context they are used and the connotative or denotative meaning you get from the words itself. Perception is what you are to believe of something.
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