Everyday Canvas

Concerning Poetry: Ambiguity and Incoherence

Prompt: Riddle-like poetry or the meaning only the poet can know
A number of poets say exactly what they mean without asking for guesswork, while others write as if they wish to prevent people from understanding the meaning in their poem, taking a chance that each reader or critic may come up with a totally different connotation. Why do you think this is? What is your take on the subject?

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First, this is what I believe: As in all writing, there is no right or wrong way to write poetry.

I may, on the other hand, wrestle with the larger conceptual question: if writing lyric poetry is an embrace of an utterly personal process of not accommodating the reader, how does a poet negotiate his/her emotional, philosophical, social or political stance?

Often, it may just be the metaphoric thinking that gives the arguments feeling and ambiguity by creating an emotional texture, a context of objects and experience. As to any poem that is riddle-like, it may have a subtle structure and concept, approachable on many different levels and from many different aspects. Its genesis usually remains debatable. It is certainly deeply embedded in its own culture and in its poet’s mind.

I guess each poet has his or her reason to hide the real meaning--aside from the affectation of sounding poetic, which may have infested some minds. A reason could be that the poet may not want to openly point out to real events and people. Another could be that the poem may be confessional and the poet’s feelings are so private that he or she hides them behind several layers of meanings and lines. Then, another reason is to make the poem into an open secret, which may point to a very strong concept or emotion that cannot be shown in mere words and lines but can be expressed through complicated poetic tools; although, through this attempt, the meaning runs the risk of being jumbled up, instead of releasing an echo of personal experience and emotion.

To be able to make heads and tails of such a poem, the first thing is to note the overall structure. The repetitive and similar concepts, words, and phrases is another clue to the understanding or it.

Yet, at times, a poem is totally disjointed. Honestly, I don’t know what to make of a totally incoherent poem, and if I am asked to review or critique it, I can only project my own feelings, experience, and understanding to it.

Then, regarding this reader’s projection, I must be careful about it, too. Many a poem was written with the poet meaning one specific thing and the readers projecting on to it extra or different meanings.

Funny thing is, such things always happen to me. I usually write somewhat understandable poems. My reviewers read so many other things into them that my mouth falls open. Then I question myself: Did I mean this subconsciously? However, chances are the reader was projecting his or her experiences and feelings.

When all is said and done, a poem still reflects the mythology, image-world, and orientation of its poet, even when it has to do with affectation.