Advice on understanding poetry better.

[Magpie]

buckowski is one my reads for uncluttered poetry.

many poets haven't a clue what a metaphor is or how to use it. similes are easy to understand. ambiguity is a ball ache. often people write with ambiguity and even they have no idea how they got to where they did, they already had an answer in their head. if they understand it, so should we. as leanne said, a good poem is often an enjoyable one. often those are the ones we don't understand straight away but find after a couple of reads that the poem opens up to us. read jabberwocky from alice in wonderland, a nonsense poem, at first it's shite but each read and we see more and more of what the poem is saying. how ambiguous can a poem be than that particular one yet we see what he's saying, that's because he's saying what he is for a reason. the bad one's are ambiguous because only the writer has any clue what their saying. you'll get the hang of understanding poetry to a better extent but if a poems gobbledy gook it won't be easy for anyone. when giving feedback just say what you think "i don't understand the metaphor"

Thanks Billy,
What you have said also makes sense, especially about metaphor. I know that with all these replies together that I've had to this post, there's some very fine wisdom there and when I manage to let it all sink in it will benefit me a lot.
I've just found the jabberwocky within my books and I've read it once and I see what you mean, but I will keep on reading it.
I've also found Bukowski and I see what you mean also both you and rowens.
Thanks again for the advice, it's all good stuff.

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I really need some advice or guidance regarding understanding certain types of poetry. A lot of modern poetry and a lot of poetry on here is almost cryptic when I'm reading it and I really am struggling with this aspect because I really want to understand it. I know that I'm not stupid although at times I do feel that way when reading some poems. I have read a lot of poetry, in fact it is all I have read for the past two years or so. But the poetry that I love the most seems to be poetry that isn't as cryptic and doesn't have hidden meanings as much. Whitman and Ginsberg are two of the poets that I read the most and admire the most, but their poetry seems to be more realistic and therefore easier to understand; although I know that even in their poetry there are double meanings, but these I seem to get. I also love reading Sylvia Plath and most of it I get but there is a lot that I don't and then when I find explanations on the internet it seems so obvious.
I suppose I'm asking if it is a matter of practise, like cryptic crosswords get easier with practise, or is it something that you either get or don't get. It frustrates me at the moment because there are a lot of poems on here that I would like to comment on because there are people who have commented on my poems and I feel it is the respectful thing to do by commenting on their poems. And also I want to comment on as many poems as possible because I feel that it is important to contribute as much as possible.
Any advice or guidance in this area would be much appreciated. Thank you.
Mark

Hey, My favorite poet once said: I think to tie meaning too closely to understanding misses the point. If the writer had something specific that he/she wants to get through to you, then it's the writer's responsibly to deliver that point to you clearly, and in a way that you can understand. If it doesn't make any sense to you, let them know so they can fix it.

Other than that, it's the readers' bag, man. It's the readers' bag.

Thanks trueenigma,
As I was reading what you wrote, I was thinking this sounds very familiar and then I just realised that it is what you use for your signature, which I have read many times without really taking it in properly. I think there has been a few answers to my question that have been staring me in the face and I wasn't paying attention, and now it seems obvious.
Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Much appreciated.