Reading poetry as a hobby is a delightful journey into the world of rhythm and rhyme. It enhances your understanding of language, stimulates creativity, and provides a unique emotional outlet. Start by exploring anthologies and subscribing to daily poem newsletters to discover various styles and poets.
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Reading Poetry
as a hobby
If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can warm me, I know that is poetry. If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry. These are the only ways I know it. Is there any other way?
Emily Dickinson, Selected Letters
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Helpful content to start reading poetry as a hobby
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📼 Videos
Short visual inspiration.
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Reading and writing poetry require concentration, patience, and attention to details, skills that can be carried into other aspects of life.
📜 Terms
Basic lingo for orientation.
- Alliteration: The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words.
- Anapest: A metrical foot of three syllables, with two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable.
- Anaphora: The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines or clauses.
- Apostrophe: A figure of speech in which the speaker addresses someone or something that is absent, dead, or nonhuman.
- Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds within words.
- Ballad: A narrative poem that is usually sung or recited, often with a refrain.
- Blank verse: Unrhymed poetry that follows a regular meter, usually iambic pentameter.
- Caesura: A pause or break within a line of poetry, usually indicated by punctuation or a natural speech rhythm.
- Couplet: Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme and have the same meter.
- Dactyl: A metrical foot of three syllables, with one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables.
❗ How to start reading poetry as a hobby
First moves for getting acquainted and breaking the ice.
Poetry is accessible. The two main barriers to introducing poetry into your life are choosing what to read, and making a habit of reading poetry.
This can be helped by:
- Buying a general poetry anthology, such as the A Poem for Every Day and Night of the Year series.
- Subscribing to daily poem newsletters.
This way, the selection of poems is taken care of, and the integration of poetry into your daily schedule is also being helped.
All that is left for you is to pay attention and be mindful.
📚 Books
Get read-y.
Poetry can help individuals connect with others and build a sense of community through shared experiences and appreciation of the art form.
🪜 How-tos
Step-by-step tutorials.
- How to read poetry like a professor | Poetry | The Guardian
- How to Read Poetry: 5 Steps for Enriching Your Experience of a Poem | MasterClass
- How to Read a Poem | Academy of American Poets
- 5 Tips For How To Read Poetry: Life Kit : NPR
- How to Read a Poem | Poetry Foundation
- Reading a Poem: 20 Strategies – The Atlantic
📄 Articles
Further reading.
- Poetry: The healing power of words | CNN
- Poetry reaches the parts that prose can’t | Tefl | The Guardian
- Only connect – poetry’s hidden power to break down barriers | Poetry | The Guardian
- Why Poetry Matters Now—And Why It’s Gaining Readers | Psychology Today
- By heart: An fMRI study of brain activation by poetry and prose | American Psychological Association
🌐 Websites
Go-tos for information.
Poetry is music written for the human voice.
Bertha Flowers
🍿 Movies
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❓ FAQS
Get a clue.
What are some of the benefits of reading poetry?
Reading poetry can have many benefits for your mental health, creativity, and learning. Some of the benefits are: reducing stress and anxiety, improving mood and well-being, stimulating imagination and expression, enhancing vocabulary and memory, developing critical thinking and cultural awareness, and discovering new perspectives and insights.
Do I need to learn how to read poetry?
No, you don’t need to learn how to read poetry. Poetry is a personal journey. You shouldn’t be intimidated by approaching it without mediation. Knowledge and experience might enhance and enrich your reading, but they are not requirements. If you want to or feel like it, you can follow some guides on how to read poetry or take a course. Mindfulness is the only requirement for getting the most out of poetry, and most other things in life.
How do I find what poetry to read?
Anthologies are a great way to explore different styles and poets. Daily poem newsletters are another great way to form a habit of reading.
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Reading poetry is an adventure in renewal, a creative act, a perpetual beginning, a rebirth of wonder
Edward Hirsch
💡 Tips
Additional advice for beginners.