Poet's Disclaimer

Poetry means something different to everyone who reads it. This is a good thing.

The problem comes when you know the poet. It is tempting to try to understand the source of the words – pain, joy, anger, hope, loss, amusement. But without explanation, it is too easy to misinterpret the subtext. If we don’t know the when, what, where, who, how or why, it can be tempting to guess. Then the enjoyment of the poem is muddled or even lost.

There is a solution. Approach the words as though they come from someone new. Read it for yourself, for the beauty of it, for the challenge, for the images and the vistas.

If you must know the poet’s context and thoughts, you can always ask. But she might not tell you.