Poetry is an integral part of literature as a whole and also a microcosm of its own. Poetry is a way to discover the world and get into the history of the past and the state of the present. It is like this alternative reality everyone is looking for but doesn't know it already exists in the literature. However, many people, especially students, find it difficult to understand and enjoy poetry the way they hope. If you are trying to find your way around poetry, here are some insightful ideas that will help you understand and discover this world that might soon turn into a very keen interest of yours.
Choose the Topic You Prefer
When it comes to literature, most people tend to have a genre they prefer in novels. If you are among them, you can go for the same thing in poetry by choosing a topic you like most of all and reading the poems that follow that topic. For example, you might focus on the poems that speak about love, friendship, hardship, adventure, self-development, or any other topic that thrills you. You can also choose a type of poetry. Unfortunately, if you are doing a literature course and have a syllabus to stick to, you don't always get to choose what poems to read. The good news is that you can always find a way to enjoy them. It might just take some preparation and research. Whatever the case, make an effort to find a meaningful piece in each poem you read, that way, you can be sure to take something useful from it.
Do Some Background Research
Every poet and writer have their own style in writing. That style might be influenced by their country of origin, the age they represent, the society and the culture they were born into, and many other factors. It is the accumulation of such things that makes it either easier or harder to understand and enjoy the writing of different poets. By doing some background research, reading about the creators of those poems, their life events and troubles in life, the things that happened to them, you might find it much easier to decode poems into a language you personally understand and do an all-rounded poetry analysis essay. In many cases, people get inspiration from the things that surround them in life. That is why background research can give you clues to understanding certain poems.
You Don't Have to Look for Puzzles
No doubt, sometimes poems can be like encoded messages you need to decipher to get to the very bottom of the piece, the idea the poem manifests. However, more often than not, you don't have to employ all the corners of your imagination to understand why the curtains where green and the wallpaper was grey. Although symbolism is a big deal in literature, the core message of writing might lie at the very top of the poem. It might even be mentioned in the title, making it much easier to understand the poem you need to be working with. Whatever the case, start with the top and see if there is a clear message to discover. And don't go too far to seek out and understand the message, because there might be none.
Don't Push Yourself Into It
It is quite fascinating when someone says they are into poetry. It makes them sound dreamy and fancy, but it doesn't mean it has to be you. Literature is not for everyone, and poetry is not for everyone either. Same as all other things. If you realize that reading poems is just not for you, you might need to reconsider taking a literature course as it can turn out to be a waste of time. You need to enjoy poetry as it is, without having to go into detail. Only in that case, you will actually have the interest to discover everything poetry has to teach and offer. Don't push yourself into reading or, even worse, writing poetry if you don't genuinely enjoy the process.
Take a Literature Course
Taking a literature course is probably one of the most efficient ways to master poetry and be able to appreciate it to the fullest. With such a class, you will be able to discover all the literary techniques poets often use in their writing and see how they make it work in their pieces. There are a lot of things you can't see in poems, not because you don't have a flair for it but simply because you don't have the theoretical knowledge that explains all of them. Thus, if you feel like you enjoy poetry and want to take your interest to the next level, consider taking a course or even a degree in literature with some focus on poetry.
