C. A poem means whatever *I* think it means.
The question really hinges on the definitions of two tricky terms here: "means" and "a poem" By the common sense definitions of these words, it's B.
"Means" implies an intent. We do not (except idly) ask what the wind or water means, because we do not expect their motions to have intent (except perhaps in a religious sense). The question then becomes who drives that intent: the writer or the reader?
The common sense definition of a poem is that it's text or words or whatever. Under this definition, a poem can exist without a reader, but it cannot exist without a writer. Therefore the intent of the poem must be the writer's, not the reader's.
If you change that verb to any relatively synonymous word -- expresses, conveys, suggests, denotes, signifies, represents -- then the answer might change. At the least, "signifies" and "represents" more easily lend themselves to A than "means" does. In reality, of course, a poem does all these things: it means, expresses, conveys, suggests, denotes, signifies, represents, implies, stands for, transmits, communicates etc, and each of those modes of being takes place in a subtly different register.
42 is also an excellent answer.
-Dan
[This message has been edited by Daniel Pereira (edited April 12, 2006).]
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