Poetry is one of those things that is admired by many, but understood by few. Strand makes several comments in the introductory statement that I found particularly useful. I must admit I have been guilty of merely admiring poetry with surface level understanding. Perhaps due to lack of being formal trained, I admittedly do not know the difference between a sonnet, a sestina, and a villanelle. Further, I have never been convinced of the need to understand these different forms before now.
On the very first page poetic form is said to be not a lock, but a key. This point is well received because at least in my own case I have seen poetic form as a restriction, and in most cases an unnecessary one. In retrospect this opinion seems misguided for some of the same reasons mentioned in the section on becoming a poet. The slow development of poetic appreciation in the discussion following "you, andrew marvell" is entirely relatable.
The lack of immediate understanding is shown by a naive attempt to both write and comprehend poetry. As mentioned, adolescence can often times produce poetry in us that amounts to merely spitting out feelings on paper. Likewise, time is rarely spent understanding the connotative meaning of words and a poem is understood rather in terms of some unstated aesthetic.
All of these ideas carried over into the reading of "To His Coy Mistress". Even having acknowledged some of the road blocks to poetic progress, I still found myself enjoying the poem from a surface level perspective. Simply put, I admired the rhythm and word choice. Only after a second and third reading does the meaning of the poem come to life. Although I am tempted to speak of the relevance to the male gender, I speculate that the views expressed in the poem are not gender exclusive. The poem speaks of a woman who responds slowly to the speakers desire for her. This in itself is not necessarily a problem, except in light of the brevity of human life. The poem seems to urge that life be taken more seriously in an immediate sense so as not to miss life's most meaningful moments for good.
Understanding poetry is a skill I wish to acquire. The making of a Poem seems like it will do a good job of defining necessary terms and equipping the poet with the necessary tools for understanding. Hopefully by the end poetry will carry an entirely new meaning in my life.
