Poetess Archive

Comparing the different poems...

I feel that reading a poem off of an actual page (or a scanned page) really provides a more authentic experience to the reader. As a child, I remember loving when my parents would read to me, and my absolute favorite part of reading was looking at the pictures, the words on the page, and of course turning the pages. I don't know why, but reading anything off of a computer screen gives me a challenge; I am not as interested and more easily distracted. I never realized how much the pages of the book itself really do tell a story.
I am not sure, necessarily, if the changing of the poem's presentation really CHANGES the meaning, though. I think that it gives the reader a different experience, but it does not change the meaning of the exact poem. Alternatively, sometimes the experience IS the meaning. As a reader, I can be completely void to the meaning if I am uninterested in the text.
When reading poetry, I am always interested in the different meanings various people in my class bring to the discussion. I feel that each one of us takes out of poetry random tid-bits of information leading to the ultimate point.

The real story behind this poem is the emphasis on the appreciation of the aesthetic... it's not just about picking flowers and childish talk.

The positive aspects of writing in different texts is that it provides a different experience entirely. The image of the text is drastically important. When you are reading texts, it is also visual; it is a visual experience. Reading/art IS an experience in some way, and it can change the entire meaning of a piece.