Andrey's questions about poems (split from the intro thread)

[AndreyGaganov]

I don't have a choice ... mainly because I hate the feeling of disappointment from being left out of a loop on something. So, with that said, how is giving up on poetry a healthy way to go?

Ok, but you can't just demand that poetry be for you, any more than you can demand that another man's wife be for you. You can't knock on his door every day asking what he likes about her in bed, how she feels compared to other women, where he can find a woman of his own that's exactly like her, demand that he reveal where the island of "Women Exactly Like Her" is located, command him to build a boat to ferry you there and then order him to woo the women on your behalf once you reach the island. That's assuming you don't both die a miserable death at sea.

Well, I was never told to think of poetry-reading experience as something that isn't for sharing (for some reason). Is that what you are saying? That every poetry-appreciating reader can build a personal relationship with a poem and is not supposed to share it? 

I believe someone here said that you have to read a lot of serious poetry before you come here and bother giving feedback. 

I couldn't disagree with that statement more. I learn about poetry every day by critiquing it, engaging with others about their work, reading what others have to say about the poems. Seeing poetry under construction and trying to help is a great way to learn. Anyone can give poetry feedback. I think it's a myth that only poetry experts can offer useful crit.

OK, but what about poetry readers who just read poetry and do not observe the construction of a poem - can they learn anything about poetry? And if they can, what do they learn about it? Or does the reader have to be something of a poet him-/herself?