This week: Poems That Changed Me(aning) Edited by: Jayne  
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| Hello, I'm Jayne! Welcome to my poetic explorations. My goal with these newsletters is to take us on a journey through the forms, devices, and concepts that make poetry so powerful. Sometimes, a series of newsletters will interconnect, while other issues will stand alone. I strive to ensure they are informative but fun and do my best to spark your curiosity. Don’t forget to check out this issue's curated selection of poetry! |
Some poems hit you like lightning the first time you read them. Others...well, not so much.
Maybe you read them once in school, or skimmed them in an anthology. Maybe a friend recommended something they thought was fantastic, and you didn’t see the point. It wasn’t bad, exactly. It just didn’t mean anything to you. Then you stumble upon it again. And it’s not the poem you remember (in the best way possible).
It’s a special moment when the poem is the same, but you’re different.
The Poem You Weren’t Ready For
When I was younger, I didn’t understand the true weight behind poems like Whitman’s “O Captain! My Captain” or Frost’s “Nothing Gold Can Stay.”
Years later, I took another look at them, and there it was—disaster, sadness, despair, metaphor—all tucked neatly inside those precise lines.
Poems Grow With You
Sometimes you need more years, more experience, more context, and more heartbreak to see the poem the way it was meant to be.
Maybe it’s a line that meant one thing in your twenties and something else entirely now.
Maybe it’s a poem you quoted because it sounded cool (guilty as charged). Later, you realized it was far heavier than you realized.
Poems can change meaning because:
• You’ve had a parallel experience now.
• You understand the tone better.
• You’ve learned more about poetry, and can more easily pick out metaphors and other devices.
• You’ve slowed down enough to pay closer attention.
• You’ve heard it read aloud.
Some of the best poetry doesn’t demand to be understood. It offers an invitation, and it’ll welcome you back for another visit.
So, go enjoy a second reading. Maybe nothing’s changed. Maybe something has. Maybe it’s you.
As always, happy writing.
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Poetry: July 23, 2025 Issue [#13256]
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