Collins And Merriam

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The theme or moral of a poem is like a letter sent from the author in a elegant and beautiful envelope. The secondary approach of displaying a message from the author to the reader gives the reader a chance to really think. Themes may vary, or they may be rather similar. The theme of “Inside a poem” by Eve Merriam re the true, fun depth of a poem itself. While the theme of “Introduction to Poetry” by Billy Collins considers that to evaluate and analyze the true meaning of a poem, it must be visualized in a different perspective. Both poems (while quite different from one another) exhibit the same indirect message- open-mindedness is required when studying a poem. “Inside a poem” by Eve Merriam represents how a poem has the true, fun depth of a poem itself. It emphasises that there is no absolute structure for a poem-but their is always a beat or flow that is common to all sorts of poems-this creates a sense that makes the poem truly unique, remarkable and memorable. “Inside a poem” suggests that the beat/sway or flow of a poem makes the reader want to “tap your feet or swerve in a curve; a lilt, a leap, a lightning spit” (Merriam 1-3). The mystical words could take the…show more content…
They both display a similar concomitant message- open-mindedness is needed when interpreting a poem-the poem has to be experienced with all five senses. For example, “Inside a poem” by Eve Merriam reveals “You hear with your heel, your eyes feel what they never touched before; fins on a bird, feathers on a deer; taste all colors, inhale” (Merriam 10-13). The poem indicates that senses must be used (in a very unique way) to truly be enlightened on the poem. Yet, “Introduction to Poetry” by Billy Collins reads “or press an ear against its hive. I say drop a mouse into a poem and watch him probe his way out” (Collins 4-6). These ideas speculate not only the state of mind while reading a poem, but also the scenes invoked when reading

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