ABSTRACT
Poetry invites readers to revel in the inherent beauty of language, to luxuriate in its rhythm and flow while pondering the author’s themes and insights. Poems often challenge readers as well, asking them to interpret words, phrases, images, and symbols conjoined in striking ways. Whereas one might think that the goal of language is to communicate simply and directly, to express ideas with as little ambiguity as possible, the goal of poetry is also to communicate—but to do so with keen attention to the nuances and aesthetic qualities of language through sound, meter, images, voice, and genre. Poets remove words from their everyday milieu, encouraging readers to enjoy the play of language and the rewards of immersing oneself in its cadences.
