I'm not saying that, if I were elected world dictator, I'd ban poetry, but
I myself certainly never really understood it:
However, discussing a poem can turn into an “in-class disembowelment of a poem’s meaning,” Simmons concedes. Teachers are encouraged to teach a “process of demystification” rather than “curating a powerful experience through literature.”
Just say what you mean. If people have to try to divine what you mean, then you're not communicating clearly. You can communicate using imagery and emotion, but your meaning should still be clear. Sheesh.
The passage you quoted was anything but clear ... but poetry should not need to be. The problem is when the 'expert' tells you what the poem means. It's often an open question, and part of the fun is trying to figure it out. And some of the imagery can be just ... perfect. In T.S. Elliot's 'Prufrock' ... measuring one's life in coffee spoons ...both perfect and sad.
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