October 25, 2024
I’ve been in a bit of a poetry phase this year. One of the habits I’ve developed as a part of that is regularly visiting the library. When I’m there I go to the poetry section and grab a random book. Libraries are great for that (and it helps that chapbooks are much for approachable than e.g. novels).
It’s a good way to read a lot of poetry by a lot of people. But there’s a catch. It is not, however, the best way to appreciate poetry. Good poems are often chewy, a little tough even. You have to take your time with them, read them more than once. Churning through books does not allow for that.
Few of the poems I have read have made much of an impression (at least at a concious level). Partly it is the nature of things that most writing is average. But also it does not make an impression because I do not give it the chance to. Sometimes it feels like an unkind way to read these words. But then again, my budget is limited, so it’s borrow like this or don’t read them at all.
My currently checked out book is District and Circle by Seamys Heany.
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