Hemna Hypothesized

Poetry feels exclusionary. Since I was young I always rejected it. It doesn’t allow for multiple interpretations/perspectives, pushing me away from this type of literature as a whole. This has affected me in adulthood. Poems are always short, yet in school, we always search for meaning in every single word and letter. It feels excessive to dig up something that simply isn’t there. It’s why a lot of people stay away from poetry. What are we even looking for? Are we trying to understand the overall message or dissect individual parts? It’s not just reading poems, it’s also writing them. It’s like you have to use a certain voice in poems in order to be deemed poetry. Where’s the variety of voices? I have to create a facade to be a poet, which I do not appreciate. I feel I sound like those people who try to act like philosophers when there’s simply nothing else to it. Oftentimes, it’s like poems are in code. I already feel insecure in not being able to understand, why does it have to feel...