Sydney Thiessa Post #1

Question # 8: Using "Introduction to Poetry" Billy Collins' "Introduction to Poetry" contains the paradox of explaining how students work hard to figure out what poems mean instead of enjoying poems for their imagery, but they are actually working hard to figure out what this poem means and are ignoring the wonderful experience. The poem opens with visual imagery of light, which emphasizes the gentleness of poetry. This gentleness sets up the poem, as it continues with more imagery that evoke the senses. The next stanza has auditory imagery with the buzz of bees in their hive, and the next three stanzas have kinesthetic imagery. All of these three types of imagery evoke a feeling of relaxation as the reader journeys through the poem, which is how poems are meant to be read. Then, the poem takes an abrupt turn to aggressive and violent imagery with the diction of "torture" and "beating", referring to how students become negative about poetry. After this change in tone, the reader starts to emulate the violence and figure out what this poem means, when it really doesn't have a deeper meaning; it just needs to be appreciated and experienced.