How to Discuss Poetry

I recently had the pleasure of visiting with someone about how they could conduct a poetry discussion in their book club. I surprised myself with how many suggestions I had and I realized that this is a topic very central to something I strive to do with poetry: making it accessible and changing how people think about poetry. I thought I’d share these ideas here for anyone interested in talking about poetry with others but aren’t sure how to go about it.

Before You Get Started

First, I’d like to assure you that there’s no wrong way to talk about poetry, but I have some ideas that may help spark the conversation and may lead you in surprising and unexpected directions that will be more fruitful than any advice I can give you.

The former U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith said, “I wish I could say to everyone who lives with the fear of poetry, ‘Hey, relax. You don’t have to understand it. You can let it nudge you, let it cause something to stir….’ ” Those are possibly the best words I’ve found when encouraging someone who is uncomfortable or uncertain in talking about poetry.

There’s this book called “How to Read a Poem…and Start a Poetry Circle” by Molly Peacock. She has a beautiful way of breaking down poetry and discussing the possible meanings held within a poem. I wrote a blog post about it that pulls some of my favorite suggestions from her book that might be useful to you.

Where to Start

• When selecting a poetry book, flip through the pages and read a few poems. See if you connect with any of them.  Choosing classic poets or an anthology of the best poetry may or may not resonate with you and the last thing you want to do is have to sludge through a book where you don’t connect with any of the poems.
• When deciding which poems to discuss, pick poems/poets that you’re drawn to or there’s something that intrigues you. This will lead to better discussions. If there’s a poem you really want to like, but you can’t pull out the meaning, perhaps a discussion with others will help break down what the poet is trying to say.
• Don’t force a discussion on a poem no one likes. Like other types of writing, poetry is subjective. You don’t have to love every piece.
• Read the poem aloud. Each person will read the same poem in a different way, which can add new meaning. If it’s a long poem, perhaps read a few stanzas.

Elements to Examine

• Who is the poet? Is there background information about their life, when and where they live(d) that adds meaning to the poem?
• Who is the speaker and who is their audience?
• What is the theme, central idea, and/or purpose of the poem?
• Titles are a fascinating tool for poets that not everyone notices. Sometimes the title is repeated in the first line, sometimes it is a repetition of a phrase within the poem, or at other times it’s merely an indication of the topic. It can also act as both the title and the first line that feeds into the poem. Or maybe it reframes what the poem is really about. Perhaps the poem is called Hope, and not once is the word hope used but it’s represented in imagery or metaphor.
• Look at the structure of the poem. examine things like the line, the sentence, and the stanza. Each feeds meaning into the overall poem. Why did the poet choose to end the line or stanza where they did? Did the pause at that point in the sentence add meaning? Does the pause give an impression of a certain meaning that shifts when added with the next line? Is the new stanza a new thought?
• Capitalization and punctuation (or lack thereof) can also add meaning to a poem.
• The musicality and rhythm of a poem can be interesting. Does the poem rhyme? Does it rhyme at the end of the line, the middle, or contain near rhymes? Does that create an interesting or soothing beat or does it make it sound dated and/or forced? Like rhymes, alliterations can be incredibly powerful in a poem or create odd sing-songy patterns.
• What time in history does the poem take place? What is the setting for the poem? Does the setting reflect the theme?
• Look at the tone of the poem and what the poet did to achieve that.
• Are there any excess words in the poem that could have been cut to achieve a better rhythm or a crisper image? Are there well-chosen words?
• What are the most powerful lines or images from the poem?
• How does the poem make you feel?
• Take a look at the figurative language in the poem and its impact.
  • Metaphors/Similies
  • Imagery
  • Allusions
  • Personification
  • Symbolism
  • Hyperboles
• Are there cliches used in the poem? Do they lend in creating a quick sense of place or feeling or do they detract from the poem?

What to Focus On

There’s a variety of items for discussion listed above and each poem will inform you on which questions you want to tackle in discussing it. Some poems might take five minutes to discuss while others could take up thirty minutes, an hour. Don’t feel obligated to spend too much time on a poem or to cut the discussion too short.

So many people have strong negative feelings about poetry. I believe this stems from how it was introduced to them. People tend to have certain expectations of what poetry is supposed to be and those preconceived ideas may not interest them. If you want to explore a different spin on poetry, you might check out Button Poetry, which publishes poetry collections of spoken word artists. Spoken Word is a type of poetry that relies on the performance aspect of reading a poem aloud. You can find videos of some of the Button Poetry poets on YouTube.

Keep in mind that what draws one person to a poem may not draw another person, so in a setting like a book club, it’s great to get each person to pick out poems they are drawn to. I’ve had discussions with my own writing group where someone will bring in a poem that moved them and they loved and not everyone has the same reaction to it. Our own life experiences feed into our understanding and attachment to a poem. It’s subjective and that’s all right. Sometimes someone explaining what they love about a poem can offer a new perspective and appreciation for a piece. And other times, it still won’t resonate with you. That’s okay. Don’t be afraid to have a different reaction to a poem than everyone else. And don’t be afraid to explore different poets. Poetic voices are as different from each other as all the genres in writing combined. There will be ones out there that speak to you, you just have to find them.

How to Engage Further

Poetry oftentimes starts with an observation or strong emotion. Start a journal where you write a line each day of something that struck you. A character in the coffee shop, an overheard conversation in the grocery line. Capture an image or a moment. These are little snippets that could spark a poem or a story. If you’re really moved by something you’ve written, try to expand the idea into a poem. Share it with your group. Poetry starts out small and blooms into something bigger. A simple observation can reveal a deeper idea about life. Start small and see what develops. You may surprise yourself.