How To Read And Understand Poetry?

Poetry is a special division of literature that requires careful reading. I usually read poems I like several times. The first read is for pure pleasure. The second is to comprehend what I have read. Later readings can be for discovering symbolism, irony, and other elements of poetry. Think about what the poet has written and how it affects you. What is your prevailing emotion about the poem? Does the poet show you, with concrete images, the contents of the poem, or does the poet simply tell? The best poets always show, so that a good poem is like a painting you can escape into and believe you are a part of it. The best poetry is also universal. The more universal a poem is, the most personal it becomes. Therefore, you can read and understand for your own pleasure, or you can read and understand poetry for its literary value and presence. Any google search will explain the "elements of poetry" or "poetry techniques and devices." Learning these basics helps a reader understand all poems better, because a good poet will use them - very subtly, in most cases, but they will be there and they are the structure that allows the poem to stand on its own. Hope this helps! ~Pasha