Perrine Poetry

"These two criteria I ask you to notice, are not different from those we bring to the judgment of a new scientific hypothesis."

Poetry has always been an intimidating aspect of literature for me, so when Perrine referred to the interpretation of poetry as a scientific process, I felt relieved. When I would consider the meaning behind a poem, I typically looked for a hidden and often "far-fetched" meaning. Now having read Perrine's view in interpreting poetry, I realized why I was always wrong in my view of each poem. I agree with his idea that the meaning of a poem "relies on the fewest assumptions not grounded in the poem itself." It just makes sense. Perrine's example of the thief presented a clear path in intpretation. Poetry is going to be logical. The poets don't set out to confuse the readers. They are trying to convey an image they picture. When I look at poetry now, I will be sure to consider the connections between details. In Melville's poem, I assumed that it was about an army, but if I would have really analyzed it, I would have seen all the star references. I think details are very pertainent in discovering the meaning of a poem.

Even though this essay has provided me with some insight, I do not agree with evey aspect of it. I don't think that there is only one true meaning of a poem. Who's to say one interpretation is more correct than the other, within reason. I think that studying the details within a poem will lead you down the right direction, but there is not only one correct answer. Take the William Blake poem for instance. Perrine tells us that it is really about a rose and a worm, but how do we know that there isn't some deeper meaning within it that matches the critera he proposes to us? For some poems, I believe there is a set meaning, but when it comes to symbolism, how do we know what is right? The details can be thought of and interpretated in many ways. Symbols are not as concrete as a description. Overall, I think Perrine is right, but I feel like some poems don't lend themselves to just one interpretation.