Why don’t poets just say what they
mean?
Developed by Gail Samis
The purpose of this assignment is to ease students into the
poetry section of English 102. The assignment addresses many of
the typical objections we hear each semester about the
difficulty they experience with the analysis of poetry and their
objections to its lack of directness. The exercise gives
students a glimpse into some appreciation for the value of the
idea that poets can say more by saying less and that the
engagement that is required of the reader is precisely what
makes poetry wonderful. The discussion that follows gives them
experience of using what they know to unpack a poem and of using
other student’s contributions in the same way -the experience of
synthesis which deepens the understanding for each of them.
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