A friend sent this interesting Website link which contains these words …

“Poetry makes possible the deepest kind of personal possession of the world.”

“True poetic practice implies a mind so miraculously attuned and illuminated that it can form words, by a chain of more-than coincidences, into a living entity,” – words attributed to Edward Hirsch in his directive on how to read a poem.

This begs the question … to what extent does the reader of a poem enter into the mind of the poet? … in a poetic way of course. And secondly if a poet reads his/her poem is this the best read ever for those that listen?

A poem only has life when it is read and what sort of life – well that depends on both the poet and the reader. What are the poems that you like to read time and time again and to what extent do you think you understand the poet from this association with his words. Are you hearing what I am trying to say?