How to Buy a Poetry Book, Part ONE

These are some of the feelings, moods,called random or chance, let us be not fooled
emotions, and over-all attitudes, that one mightbecause everything has purpose; there is a
experience when perusing books of poetry; also,reason behind every grain of sand, atom, or
these concepts, ideas, and thoughts, may fill upneutron, supporting and existing this world to be.
and expand the reader's imagination profuselyFourthly: So, likewise, if you pick up a poetry
exciting him/her to purchase a specific orbook and read a few poems perhaps two or
particular book of poetry.three times in order to savor and flavor the
One of the first things that you want tonuances of the many feelings and emotions
realistically tell yourself and to acknowledge is thatpacked into five or six stanzas, be aware that
you can't read another's poetry without a kindredthis is an exchange between you and the mind of
spirit involved into the equation there; somewhere.the poet in spirit and in your truth because what
First: The main impetus is that you have a certainyou experience is not random or by chance.
affinity for what the writer is attempting toFifthly: I like to toot Google Translator, because I
produce or birth into creation so that you canuse it myself; thus, I believe that actually it
wrap your own understanding around its seed anddoesn't matter that you know the language
be able to experience your own individual orfluently for there are tools around such as Google
personal feeling.Translator and others of which I am sure of, that
Second: By individual, I mean not global, notwill assist you in translating words into your own
territorial, nor cultural, in any sense of the word,language. The main point is what happens to us
universal or catholic if you will; however, what Iwhen we mouth out loud the sounds of the
do mean is that germ of an idea in concept thatwords and feel the beat and motion of the poem
by which you and you alone can produce fromwith the wave of the rhythms of rhyme and
within yourself, inclusive of past, present, oranti-rhyme of the completed piece.
future, for there is only one time and that time isSixthly: I myself have read Italian and German
the present moment and this is what you mustand French and Spanish poetry though I do not
concern yourself with when reading poetry,speak the languages fluently, mimicking the
without adding to or subtracting from the newsounds and the rhythms and rhymes and have
creation that becomes the all consuming point ofgotten a kick out of each one of them;
your united growth, yours and the poets.sometimes, even to the point of tears causing an
This magical ability of poetry that unites andexpansion of an illuminating freedom of mind that
begins to grow in its readers the openness tocan affect the body in trembling or laughing. This
new ideas and expressions of thought, can causehappening can be so powerful that the "something'
in us that quality of recognition that constantlywhich I call spirit, mind, or soul of the poet fluxes
keeps poetry new and forever fresh throughoutadamantly forth from right through the poem.
each generation of new readers.Finally: These six points can help you to choose a
Thirdly: If one has any sense of religion, wonder,poetry book that you can read over and over
or awe, then we can understand how and whyagain with the same enthusiasm and joy as when
things happen in the world, through the process offirst purchased.
knowing-not-knowing, and though happenings be