Deep Reading: A Few Tips

Zoe and Alisha, hello!

These are some helpful tips on how to read poetry deeply.

Many of the ideas come from my own high-school English teacher, Mr Waldron, who has written several books on poetry and the life of the spirit.

1. Quiet Place...If Possible!

Whenever possible, try to read poetry without other distractions in the background. Sometimes, soft music can help you "get into" a poem. But usually, music or TV or mobile devices or the internet will take our attention away from the poem. (Although I have to admit: I used to lie on the couch and read poetry with a baseball game on the TV in the background!)

2. Read the Poem Aloud

Poets mean for their poems to be heard as well as seen! Sometimes, we don't hear the music of a poem if our eyes just skim the page. And sometimes, when we say the words of a poem, the very act of speaking reveals a deep meaning to the words that wasn't clear before!

3. You Might Not Understand It All

And that is perfectly OK. There are poems with new and strange words, which we can look up when we have a chance. But there are poems that use familiar words in strange ways! Try to accept what's going on in a poem with an open heart, an open mind, and an open ear. In good time, and with our patient attention, the riches of the poem will be revealed!

4. Pause

Then, if you have the time and the desire, read the poem (aloud) a second time.

5. Gentle, Patient Attention

"Never is a genuine act of attention wasted," says author and thinker Simone Weil, who lived in the early part of the 20th century. "Attention always has a spiritual effect. And all spiritual light enlightens the mind."