This could be our poetic exedra

I write for the same reason any other writer writes;
without expecting to be understood nor appreciated.
The only thing I shall ask of you, Gentle Reader, is to read -
faithfully, with biases laid aside, allowing the words
to work their purpose...

This, I believe is the beginning of the enviable relationship
between the Reader and their Writer...

"How To Read A Poem"
by Judith Kitchen

First. forget everything you know about poetry and simply read. Read from the heart, not from the head. Let it wash over you. Let it work on your emotions. Read it all the way through. Do not stop to analyse. It's a good bet that the images and sounds the poet has used to describe his or her thoughts or feelings will evoke similar feelings in you.

Next, read the poem again, this time paying attention to its unfolding content. Follow its line of thinking, and see how it allows itself to wander into new and unexpected territory, how a certain image seems to take on significance. See how everything seems to come together by the end.

Then, read for the craft. Notice patterns of sound-not so much rhymes as chimes. Patterns of repetition: you can count on a word that is used more than once to begin to take on added meaning(s). Notice the line breaks, the way a word seems to hover on the brink of importance before one line tips into the next. Notice the silences where the poet relies on white space to carry you across chasms. Read aloud, and listen for the rhythms and cadence-the way the poem has been orchestrated for the ear as well as the eye. Do not worry about terms, although over time certain forms will come clear and certain technical terms will become useful. Do, however, begin to pay close attention to the various ways metaphor can add focus and depth.

Finally, read the poem again. Savour its sounds, its patterns. See how they add to and emphasise what the poem is saying. Do not try to paraphrase the poem or reduce it to a sentence of meaning. Instead, realise that it means what it is: a thing in itself -- an object sculpted with words. It is realised inside you; your reading gives it voice and substance .

Could be helpful, could be not... but just putting it out there. Cheers.