[stylist] Chris and William, RE: Poem - "Magician"

[Chris Kuell]

Hi Jackie,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. On the one hand, I agree with you. After 
Bill explained his poem, when I went back to read it again, I saw exactly 
what he was doing, and what he meant, and I gained a better appreciation for 
the poem. Similarly, when I was sighted and used to visit art museums, often 
they'd have a little card discussing a painting or a sculpture, which gave 
me a better appreciation for the work. Once I even tailed a tour guide, 
listening as she filled people in on the artist's lives, and discussed 
various aspects of the artwork which really helped me to get more from the 
art.

On the other hand, I can't help but imagine the stand-up comic on stage, 
telling jokes that either make the audience crack up, or he flops. After 
all, if he needs to explain why his joke is funny, the chances are it isn't.

But jokes are often a lot simpler than poems. I've read poems where I'm not 
sure what the poet is trying to say, but I love the imagery, the phrasing, 
the emotion in the work. I'm probably way off base, but I might imagine the 
poet in a broken love affair, or fighting with her parents, or simply 
contemplating the nature of god as he sits on a beach on Cape Cod. I might 
not be on the right track of what the poet was thinking, but I still get 
something from the poem. Other times, I just scratch my head.

Now, having written all this, about 16 months ago I started a book group 
here in my town. We read a different book each month, then meet at each 
other's houses to discuss it. And I can tell you, I've learned something 
from every single discussion. No matter how I feel about a book, someone 
else sees something different, and it always makes me go--oh, I didn't think 
of it that way. That's very interesting...

So perhaps poetry, for me, might be best enjoyed when I have the opportunity 
to discuss it with others, to share ideas and bounce perspectives around.

chris