Hello Maryann
I have always viewed it as part of our mission to
educate our readers, to introduce them to new ideas and new ways of viewing the world. This can be as simple as introducing them to obscure words and concepts. We are writers and educators all in one. Of course, my poems might be a special case because, being as I am also a historian as well as a writer and poet, I bring in a lot of ideas from history and from my reading. That having been said, I am not in favor of overly erudite or obscure poetry. Above all, in my view, poetry should
communicate and not confuse the reader.
As John remarked, the body of the poem, including the title and epigram, can also elucidate without going to the extreme of endnotes. Eliot evidently felt the need to explain the often obscure historical and literary references in
The Waste Land -- although on the other hand, I have often thought that the very long list of notes to
The Waste Land is partly meant as a joke and is not to be taken totally seriously!
In any case, obviously, not all of the poems we write will be as freighted with obscurities as Eliot's landmark poem. I do think sometimes that endnotes can appreciate a reader's appreciation of a poem but they can also be pedantic and dull. So use your own judgement as to what is needed. Good luck, Maryann!
All the best
chris
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