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A review by gvenezia
How to Read a Poem: And Fall in Love with Poetry by Edward Hirsch
5.0
How a Poet Reads a Poem
Despite a masterful collection of poetry interpretations, this book actually fails to achieve its titular goal: one who does not know how to read a poem or is not a fan would not find an easy transition into the world of poetry. The book’s most respondent audience will be those who—like myself—already know how to read poetry and get something out of it, but want to repeat the experience of reading poetry in upper-level English classes where a knowledgeable and passionate teacher is prepared to lead students through the major stylistic, formal, cultural, and authorial elements of the poem.
Granted, Hirsch does use the first chapter to lay some “necessary groundwork and distinguish some key terms, key features, of lyric poetry” (xii). But he soon after acknowledges that he will rely heavily on the act of poetry interpretation as his method of teaching: “I tend always to focus on unpacking individual poems, letting the issues of poetry emerge in the process” (xii-xiii).
Now, I do think this kind of experiential learning can be effective and engaging. However, Hirsch’s language, too, is less pedagogical and more poetic; Hirsch himself is a poet—which comes as no surprise given his evocative, florid, rich descriptions. For the uninitiated, this high-brow, complex language may simply be another barrier to entry.
Moreover, there’s no linear pedagogical progression in difficulty or techniques for reading. Rather, Hirsch uses each chapter to examine a major element of poetry, like its early roots in dance and lyricism, its religious function, its ability to confront the most traumatic experiences, or its various rhythmic forms.
Fortunately I've had some good poetry teachers and have discovered some favorite poets on my own over the years. So I was very much taken with Hirsch's style and readings. Through his eyes, I got a sense of the great variety of poetry out there, got revelatory insight into minor features of poems I’ve read before, and fell in love with several new poets via Hirsch’s exultant criticism and praise. I will be returning often to the many highlighted sections and intricate readings for inspiration and comfort.
———
Favorite Quotes
I've omitted quote marks except where Hirsch is quoting someone else
Poetry is a form of necessary speech (xii)
“a book is a cubic piece of burning, smoking conscience—and nothing else” —Boris Pasternak (14)
“Like all well-conceived classifications this one is useful and clear; like all classifications, it is false” —Fernando Pessoa (16)
poetry is "a dream dreamed in the presence of reason” —Tommaso Ceva (27)
“We make out of the quarrel with others, rhetoric, but of the quarrel with ourselves, poetry” —W. B. Yeats (42)
Praise lays claim to as much of the extant world as possible by uttering the names of things. . . It would awaken matter and show us the true face of awe. It would transcend history and rename the world. (79)
Poetry is a stubborn art. The poet is one who will not be reconciled, who is determined to leave a race in words, to transform oceanic depths of feeling into the faithful nuances of art. (81)
“In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts, they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty” —Emerson (84)
“For every seeing soul, there are two absorbing facts,” Emerson claims, “I and the Abyss.” The experience of looking over the edge of that abyss can be dizzying, especially when one locates the abyss as something that exists inside us. Poetry is the literature of dizzying heights and lowly depths, of inwardness plunged and brought back to earth. (86)
“The poem is the realized love of desire still desiring” —René Char (98)
“Tell all the Truth but tell it slant” —Emily Dickinson (127)
America began as a utopian idea. It represented a new world. Paz calls it “a victory for nominalism: the name engendered the reality” (224)
“Life is a spell so exquisite that everything conspires to break it,” Emily Dickinson said. One reason I like staying up to read long after everyone else has gone to sleep is that in the middle of the night not much conspires to break that spell. I like the dark hour when the secular world recedes and consciousness is loosened for poetic reverie. (250)
Despite a masterful collection of poetry interpretations, this book actually fails to achieve its titular goal: one who does not know how to read a poem or is not a fan would not find an easy transition into the world of poetry. The book’s most respondent audience will be those who—like myself—already know how to read poetry and get something out of it, but want to repeat the experience of reading poetry in upper-level English classes where a knowledgeable and passionate teacher is prepared to lead students through the major stylistic, formal, cultural, and authorial elements of the poem.
Granted, Hirsch does use the first chapter to lay some “necessary groundwork and distinguish some key terms, key features, of lyric poetry” (xii). But he soon after acknowledges that he will rely heavily on the act of poetry interpretation as his method of teaching: “I tend always to focus on unpacking individual poems, letting the issues of poetry emerge in the process” (xii-xiii).
Now, I do think this kind of experiential learning can be effective and engaging. However, Hirsch’s language, too, is less pedagogical and more poetic; Hirsch himself is a poet—which comes as no surprise given his evocative, florid, rich descriptions. For the uninitiated, this high-brow, complex language may simply be another barrier to entry.
Moreover, there’s no linear pedagogical progression in difficulty or techniques for reading. Rather, Hirsch uses each chapter to examine a major element of poetry, like its early roots in dance and lyricism, its religious function, its ability to confront the most traumatic experiences, or its various rhythmic forms.
Fortunately I've had some good poetry teachers and have discovered some favorite poets on my own over the years. So I was very much taken with Hirsch's style and readings. Through his eyes, I got a sense of the great variety of poetry out there, got revelatory insight into minor features of poems I’ve read before, and fell in love with several new poets via Hirsch’s exultant criticism and praise. I will be returning often to the many highlighted sections and intricate readings for inspiration and comfort.
———
Favorite Quotes
I've omitted quote marks except where Hirsch is quoting someone else
Poetry is a form of necessary speech (xii)
“a book is a cubic piece of burning, smoking conscience—and nothing else” —Boris Pasternak (14)
“Like all well-conceived classifications this one is useful and clear; like all classifications, it is false” —Fernando Pessoa (16)
poetry is "a dream dreamed in the presence of reason” —Tommaso Ceva (27)
“We make out of the quarrel with others, rhetoric, but of the quarrel with ourselves, poetry” —W. B. Yeats (42)
Praise lays claim to as much of the extant world as possible by uttering the names of things. . . It would awaken matter and show us the true face of awe. It would transcend history and rename the world. (79)
Poetry is a stubborn art. The poet is one who will not be reconciled, who is determined to leave a race in words, to transform oceanic depths of feeling into the faithful nuances of art. (81)
“In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts, they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty” —Emerson (84)
“For every seeing soul, there are two absorbing facts,” Emerson claims, “I and the Abyss.” The experience of looking over the edge of that abyss can be dizzying, especially when one locates the abyss as something that exists inside us. Poetry is the literature of dizzying heights and lowly depths, of inwardness plunged and brought back to earth. (86)
“The poem is the realized love of desire still desiring” —René Char (98)
“Tell all the Truth but tell it slant” —Emily Dickinson (127)
America began as a utopian idea. It represented a new world. Paz calls it “a victory for nominalism: the name engendered the reality” (224)
“Life is a spell so exquisite that everything conspires to break it,” Emily Dickinson said. One reason I like staying up to read long after everyone else has gone to sleep is that in the middle of the night not much conspires to break that spell. I like the dark hour when the secular world recedes and consciousness is loosened for poetic reverie. (250)