Poems

The beautiful poems we read are full of wonders

But the knowledge that we seek is deep under

We hastily bury our hands in the muddy water

Only to find nothing and ourselves no wiser.

Poetry has always and still fascinates me. I just cannot believe that such intricate text can convey sometimes such powerful messages. Even though sometimes I get frustrated at the difficult language used in these poems, I still held on to my interest in poems. Throughout my lifetime, I have studies poems both in China and the US, and despite the cultural differences, the poems from different cultures remain similar. I guess great minds think alike. In both languages there are poems about love, death, life, weather, etc. There are so many categories and styles, but one thing remained the same for me. Unless the poem is really easy to understand, I just cannot fully grasp the message of the poets even after 2-3 reads. This really frustrated me because the only times I would read poems are on textbooks or during exams and getting that meaning matters so much. I would read every word and think about its significance in the poem. But the poet's message just seemed like a slippery eel that I cannot catch. 

I knew that my method was completely wrong, but I had no better way to fix my problem then to keep on practicing this same method. However, after listening to those conversations about poems during our English class, I realized my mistake. The poets did not write those poems so they will be later taught in textbooks and analyzed by high school students on a test; they wrote these beautiful works so the poems will be appreciated and then their message can be spread to the audience. I rushed to find that hidden message without that crucial first step of appreciating the poem and getting a gist of that message. Then I can work inch by inch towards the poet's important message. Honestly I could be wrong again, but I hope that this will help me in my encounters with poems in the future.