How to read a poem

I thought I knew how to read a poem. However after reading this article I learned I wasn’t even close. You have to have a good attitude about the poem and also good technique. This article says not to make assumptions such as that you will understand the poem the first time you read it, that the poem is a kind of code, that each detail corresponds to one, and only one, thing, and that the poem can mean anything readers want it to mean. I learned after reading this that poetry is difficult and that the poets depend on the effort of the reader to somehow “complete” what the poem has begun.  I also learned that you can learn a lot from a poem just by how it looks. The title, shape, and noticing if it is a familiar poem are just a few factors you may notice. I liked how the writing explained how encountering a somewhat difficult poem may sometimes seem like a game or a sport, some are easy some take more time and effort.  I learned a lot from this article about how to read and actually understand poems.