Reading Aloud

Teachers have always assigned me poems for homework and asked a couple of things that i, of course, never ever did. First there was the task of re-reading. I'm still getting past that. You never read a poem only once, the idea goes, but a whole bunch of times. My attitude has generally been that once is plenty, even though i really totally know that isn't even a little bit true. What i think is really important is putting a poem down and then rereading it. Rereading it immediately always just feels silly.

Then there was the occasional direction to read poems out loud. Depending on the genre and the era of the work, its written form might not have even been the way its audience experienced it. Again, this just feels like a total pain in the ass. Not too long ago, though, i gave it a little try while making dinner. I just stood around and read some of my favorites to the pot of rice on the stove (this is what you get when you're bored & your bookcase is closer to the kitchen than the TV). & honestly, it's not like everyone should read every poem aloud all the time, but i suggest going to your favorite, considering if you've ever bothered to literally hear it & give it a try. And if you don't know where to start, use one of the GMH monday poems. Hopkins is one of the most exceptional aural experiences in all of poetry.