Thread: Obscurity
View Single Post
  #2  
Unread 09-14-2017, 05:45 PM
Jayne Osborn's Avatar
Jayne Osborn Jayne Osborn is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Middle England
Posts: 6,950
Default

Quote:
To what extent should a poem be understandable?
That's an interesting question, Max, and your own feelings on the subject are equally interesting.

For me, I find I don't get much enjoyment (if any at all) from poems I don't understand. Imagery, metaphor, etc... all that stuff is commendable and necessary, but if a poem, after several readings, leaves me feeling "Huh??" or even "WTF??" then I feel disappointed, to say the least.

I'm not familiar with Wallace Stevens' work so I'm now intrigued as to what level of obscurity you like, and find in his poems. Can you help me out with an example, please?

I shall be very interested in others' views on this; thanks for posing the question.

Jayne
Reply With Quote