How to Read a Poem Without Feeling Stupid (or Like You’re Doing It Wrong)
“Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;”
When I first opened The Canterbury Tales in 9th grade and read these lines, I said, “What the heck is this?” I panicked. I wasn’t unfamiliar with poetry, but this was the first time I had encountered something in this style and form. I remember thinking: If this were my first exposure to poetry, I might decide poetry just isn’t for me.
I took a different route. I decided The Canterbury Tales were not for me—at least not then. We had to read The Canterbury Tales again in 12th grade. This time, it went down much better. We had a teacher who walked us through the language line by line and helped us understand what we were reading. Once we did, we found it funny and raunchy—something that had completely passed us by in 9th grade.
Poetry is not a deep mystery. If you don’t get a poem, it’s not because you’re missing a secret everyone else understands. Here’s what you actually need to know about reading poetry.
1. You Do Not Need an Advanced Education to Read a Poem.
You just need to know how to read. You don’t need an MFA to read poetry.
2. You Don’t Have to Know What the Poem Means.
Sometimes when I write a poem, I don’t know what it means—so why should I expect you to? People take different things from art. Don’t search for a “correct” meaning. Take in the words and see what speaks to you.
3. Not Liking Certain Poems Does Not Mean You Do Not Like Poetry.
Deciding you don’t like poetry after reading a few poems is like trying rum raisin ice cream and deciding you hate all ice cream. I’ve sat through poetry readings where I wanted to skewer my ears. There are thousands of poetic styles. No one is expected to like everything. There is a poem out there for you—you just have to keep reading until you find it.
4. You Do Not Have To Understand Every Line.
If you don’t get it, that’s okay. Keep going. Maybe it’s something you’ll return to later. Maybe it’s something you’ll never understand. Maybe no one will!
5. You Don’t Have to Identify Every Metaphor Correctly on the First Try.
Sometimes metaphors hold a poem’s deeper meaning. Sometimes the entire poem is the metaphor. Sometimes the poem is so literal there’s no metaphor at all.
This is How to Read A Poem
Let me be clear: I am not teaching you how to analyze a poem. That’s a different skill entirely. I’m just teaching you how to read and enjoy one.
Here’s a simple four-step process:
Notice what stands out. A word, a sound, an image, a feeling.
Notice what your body does. Does your heart speed up? Slow down? Do you feel curious or resistant?
Ask one low-stakes question. Why this word? Why this line break?
Stop. Stopping is the successful part. You did it.
What if I Still Don’t Get It?
That’s normal. Let the poem sit with you—or let it go. Reading poetry shouldn’t feel like homework. It’s a conversation you can leave and return to whenever you want.
Your Mission If You Choose to Accept It
Read one poem this week without explaining it to anyone.
Katerina Canyon is a poet, essayist, and nonprofit executive based in Harlem, NY. She is the Executive Director of the Peace Economy Project and the author of the poetry collections Surviving Home and Changing the Lines. Her work explores embodiment, memory, and attention—often pushing against the idea that poetry requires permission, expertise, or perfect understanding to be meaningful.
