Perrine Poetry Blog

For the average poetry reader, this article is great tool to be used to phase into a more perceptive and intuitive poetry reader. Many believe that poetry should be open for all and any interpretations, but Perrine's article emphasizes that "for any given poem there are correct and incorrect readings." When I first began to read this article, I thought Perrine was very closed minded and almost haughty for acting like the poetry expert. I have always believed poetry could mean anything to any specific reader, but after reading Perrine's justification for his views, I have to come agree on the idea that poetry can mean many different things, but there is always a central point or idea. One can interpret a symbol with numerous assorted words, but these words all must meet one central idea. Perrine notes,"A poem- in fact, any pattern of words- defines an area of meaning, no more. Any interpretation is acceptable which lies within that area." A poem contains a purpose, therefore assuming a poem can just be about anything detaches the real meaning behind the poem.

Through reading this article, I have gained a more deeper understanding of what it means to evaluate poetry. Not only is it a about looking beyond the surface, but discovering a deeper meaning. After reading Perrine's interpretation of Emily Dickson's, Walt Whitman's and Melvilles's poems, I've realized that I am a very shallow poetry reader. I would have never realized that Melville's poem was actually about stars, rather than an army. I may have picked up on the more descriptive detailed used in Melville's poem compared to Whitman's, but I by no means recognized the image of stars. This article has definitely imprinted the importance of looking beyond the obvious in my mind, which will be a useful tool throughout this class. Perrine ends his article by saying,"  A rose is a rose, and more than a rose. But a rose is not an ink blot. Nor is a poem." Perrine is first noting symbolism, stating how a rose is a rose, but a rose can mean more than a rose. Then, as previously stated, Perrine mentions that a poem can mean many things, but is in fact not open to all interpretation. Although I started out disagreeing with Perrine, I have come to agree with most, if not all, his insight on evaluating poetry.