Why should we read poetry?
By getbiswa2000
@getbiswa2000 (5544)
India
June 14, 2010 11:54pm CST
Hi dear members,
I love reading and I am pretty sure that almost all of you do. I read everything, even the signs that says 'Welcome to the city' or something like that. I read warning messages in Windows that are excellent in misguiding people. I love manuals and whatever is written on ice cream cups. I also read books whenever I get time after all my other readings.
The only thing that I don't read is poetry. They are regarded as the most refined form of English literature, yet I don't find any humor in them. Am I being too dull to understand the beauty of it? I don't like beating around the bush. In my consideration a prose is much more straight forward. Whereas most of the anthologies of our times take a hundred words to express what could be expressed in only a few lines. Wouldn't that be a wastage of time, energy, ink and paper?
Why should we read or write poetries? How is it different from prose?
Do you love them?
Thanks in advance for your response.
God bless you
2 people like this
8 responses
@vandana7 (100638)
• India
15 Jun 10
This is surprising coming from a Bengali. For some reasons the feelings you invoke are those in Rabindranath Tagore's "The Crescent Moon". :) Its there on the net - translated version.
There was another equally touching one - The Toys - by Coventry Patmore. I think such poems got me hooked.
I dont really find rhymes and rhythms as alluring as the thoughts that are there in them. So Tennyson is out. But Solitary Reaper is in. :)
@getbiswa2000 (5544)
• India
15 Jun 10
Hi,
Why is it surprising Ma? I think in the present scenario,we need a social activist, or a scientist more than a poet. I wait for the poems to be made into beautiful songs so that I can listen to them on my radio, for free. 
Thanks so much for your response.
God bless you
Thanks so much for your response.
God bless you@vandana7 (100638)
• India
15 Jun 10
You know there is a Hindi song - Saleel Choudary I think.
Rimjhim k ye pyaare pyaare geet liye aaye raat suhani dekho .. ending with chiki miki ...
LOL
Well may be you like that kinda poems.
Honestly we have such complex poetry out here - dialogues between Lord Krishna and Pandavas and Kauravas. Oh god! I keep wondering what's so great about that cacophony! But I dare not say it. It is much too loud for me.
Agreed Tennyson's The Charge of the Light Brigade was good but still it is not as good as Wordsworth's Daffodils - as far as I understand it. :) I hate poems written on war or other daily fighting or arguments.:) I think that is ridiculous. We might as well sing our way instead of talking in crisp tones. :)
@getbiswa2000 (5544)
• India
16 Jun 10
Ma, there is nothing like Gita. When I read it, I often, quite unknowingly say, "Aha Aha, what sweet words"or,"How true". And indeed every word written in those few pages makes your life more and more certain, with its inherent assertion that always seems to say, "You can definitely do it". There are few lines in Gita,
[i]"Mukang Karati Bachalam, Pangung langhayate Girim
Yat-kripa tamahang bande paramananda-madhabam"[/i]
Which means,
I pray to you, my Lord, the unceasing source of happiness, for with your blessings even mutes become eloquent and the disabled climbs mountains. Indeed, how charming this words are, and to what extent they may change our lives. Its a miracle in itself.
@getbiswa2000 (5544)
• India
16 Jun 10
Hi,
At least now I have found a way to impress you. I will collect world's greatest poetries and translate them for you, in order to bypass the copyright infringement. 
I can't write on my own as that would give me a headache. Thanks so much for your participation.
God bless you
I can't write on my own as that would give me a headache. Thanks so much for your participation.
God bless you
@AndrewFreyne (6281)
• United Kingdom
15 Jun 10
I think that some poetry can be nice as it really gets you thinking about whatever the poem is about. I too love to read and this is one of my favourite hobbies! I don't like reading poetry either and I think that some of the language in poetry can be quite confusing. I think that some poetry is really descriptive though and can bring a tear to the eye on the very odd occasion.
As it stands I read everything under the sun except poetry! Andrew
@getbiswa2000 (5544)
• India
16 Jun 10
They are confusing because they don't come with specifications What I mean is that a single line from a poem, a serious one, can be interpreted in numerous ways. There is nothing called absolute as per as these poems are concerned. But I like poems like, "..How does the young crocodile improves his shining tail..." etc. They are very amusing. This particular line is a snippet from The Adventure of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Caroll. Thanks so much for your response.
God bless you
What I mean is that a single line from a poem, a serious one, can be interpreted in numerous ways. There is nothing called absolute as per as these poems are concerned. But I like poems like, "..How does the young crocodile improves his shining tail..." etc. They are very amusing. This particular line is a snippet from The Adventure of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Caroll. Thanks so much for your response.
God bless you
@bluangel628 (383)
• Philippines
16 Jun 10
For me, one has to read poetry to relax one's mind. It's relaxing to read poetry and the inner artist in you will be inspired.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
17 Jun 10
I've never actually been a big fan of reading poetry, but I've always enjoyed writing poetry. The reason that I don't really like to read it is that I can't always place myself in the shoes of the author of a poem and I think that is something that is very important when you are reading poetry. However, the reason that I like to write poetry is because I like to be able to let my emotions pour out onto the page. It is really a great way of being able to express yourself.
@getbiswa2000 (5544)
• India
18 Jun 10
Hi,
Yeh, sometimes it becomes quite difficult to put yourself in the shoes of the poet. Writing is kinda purgation, releasing your emotions. Reading can be enjoyed only if your thoughts flow freely with those of the poet. Otherwise, it will be a vain attempt. Thanks so much for this wonderful response.
God bless you
@k2r3ncute (97)
• Philippines
16 Jun 10
actually no..I don't read poetry..to be honest, like you I don't find something meaningful in them I don't get why you have to write something in flowery words that a lot of people won't understand. Me a lot of poetry is just so complicated but sometimes it's also fascinating to learn about it's meanings and I got to appreciate poetry when we studied it but for normal days prose is what I read..straight forward and true and expressive in a way we would understand easily and won't need too uch time and effort understanding every word that is written.
@rogue13xmen13 (14402)
• United States
15 Jun 10
Poetry is beautiful, it is expressive, and it let's you feel one's soul. Poetry is the gateway to the soul.
@getbiswa2000 (5544)
• India
16 Jun 10
I really can't deny that as most of our religious scriptures are written in that form. Poetry may, indeed reveal a lot about one's true self. Thanks so much for this wonderful response.
@Terrencehenry6 (181)
• Jamaica
15 Jun 10
Well in my view i think that writing and/or reading poetry helps to develope a brief mind of reasoning,understanding,interpreting and finaly reading between the lines. Poetry helps to build us not educationaly but emotionaly and even sexually. It helps us to understand things not only from one point of view but many. I personaly love poetry it gives me a sence of freedom a sence of hope and undersanding.Since it is usually in a short form it gives me and others the erge to try to interpret it in our own way. So i think that understanding poetry helps us in many ways.
@getbiswa2000 (5544)
• India
16 Jun 10
I totally agree. A poetry needs lot more imagination, understanding and interpretation than does its counterparts. True indeed, a single poetry may have a thousand interpretation, each of them being correct. Unlike the writers of a prose, poets leave the ultimate conclusion upon the their readers. Thanks so much for this participation.
God bless you
