POETRY

Marianne Moore
About the Author
Marianne Craig Moore (1887 - 1972) was an American modernist poet, critic, translator, and
editor. Her poetry is noted for formal innovation, precise diction, irony, and wit. She was one of
the most fascinating poets of the 20th century. She published her writings extensively in various
magazines and journals. Her first book titled Poems” was published in London in 1921. She was
the editor of the well known American journal “The Dial”. She received Pulitzer Prize for her
“Collected Poems”.
Introducing the Text
The poem “Poetry” is written in a conversational tone. It speaks about how poetry is viewed by
various kinds of readers. Marianne Moore favours a genuine physical reaction than an
intellectual one in the readers. The poem was first published in 1919, and then she went on
revising it until the final version in 1967 had only 3 lines. Moore has written the poem in free
verse to represent her complex emotions related to poetry. The poem, begins with the line “I too
dislike it”, in which it means poetry. In the next few lines she tells why some people dislike
poetry. To her poetry is like a fiddle. Poetry might look unimportant as it deals with the simple
things in life, and the language is often ambiguous. But Moore insists that genuine readers can
really find valuable things in poetry. Poetry helps readers to think about the simplest, unnoticed
side of life in a life that is intense and honest. Poetry helps readers to perceive things in a clear
manner. It helps them to hold on to life and admire the simplicity and variety of life. Moore also
warns readers against half poets who can’t write or appreciate genuine poetry. The oft-quoted
line in this poem reveals her message. She wants poets who create “imaginary gardens with real
toads in them”.
Meaning of the Text
Lines: I too dislike.......cannot understand: I too dislike poetry. There are things that are more
important than this. However, even when one reads it with perfect contempt for it, one discovers
that there is a place for the genuine readers in it. It makes the hands grasp things, eyes get diluted
and hair rise. These things are important not because a high sounding interpretation can be put
upon them but because they useful. When they become so remote as to become unintelligible,
the same thing can be said for all of us – that we do not admire what we can’t understand.
Lines: The bat...... are important: We can speak of many things: the bat holding on upside down
or in quest for something to eat, elephants pushing, a wild horse taking a roll, a tireless wolf
under a tree, the immovable critic twinkling his skin like a horse that feels a flea, the base ball
fan, the statistician. All these are just a few examples of cases that could be cited. All are equally
valid and interesting. So are business documents and school books. All these phenomena are
important.
Lines: One must make interested in poetry: One must make a distinction, however. When
dragged into prominence by half poets, the result is not poetry. Till the autocrats among us can
be ‘literalists of imagination’ growing above insolence and triviality and can present for
inspection imaginary gardens with real toads in them, shall we have it. In the meantime if you
demand the raw material of poetry in all its rawness, and genuine, then you are interested in
poetry.
Short question and Answer
1. Which are the useful things listed by the speaker?
The useful things listed by the speaker are what makes the hands grasp things, eyes get diluted
and hair rise. These things are important not because a high sounding interpretation can be put
upon them but because they are useful.
2. According to the poet, how can one find something genuine in poetry?
According to the poet, one can find something genuine in poetry when he grows above insolence
and triviality and try to understand the real meaning and purpose of the poetry he reads. To find
something genuine in poetry one must stop being an autocrat who thinks he is the master of all.
3.Is the speaker impatient with ‘half poets’? Why?
The speaker is very much impatient with ‘half poets’. Half-poets drag things into prominence
without any logic and reason and the result is not poetry. Using bombast and flowery style they
try to impress the readers with their silly thoughts which do not have any genuine thinking in
them.
4.How does the speaker define people who are really interested In poetry?
The people who are really interested in poetry should be “literalists of the imagination”. They
should grow above insolence and triviality. Insolent and triviality can prevent people from
getting interested in poetry.
5. “We do not admire what we cannot Can you explain?
Marianne Moore was quite right in asserting that “We do not admire what we cannot
understand.” It is a simple, logical statement. I can admire something only if I can understand it.
Paragraph
1. On what grounds does the speaker say that she is not a fan of poetry?
The speaker says that she is not a fan of poetry because of different reasons. “Poetry” is one of
Marianne Moore’s most celebrated literary achievements. It is a poem that she was never happy
with and she continued to revise it over the decades of her life. In fact, in the final version of the
poem, which she published in 1967, there were only 3 full lines. Moore has written the poem in
free verse to represent her complex emotions related to poetry. The poem, begins with the line “I
too dislike it”, in which ‘it’ means poetry. In the next few lines she tells why some people dislike
poetry. To her poetry is like a fiddle. Poetry might look unimportant as it deals with the simple
things in life, and the language is often ambiguous. Moreover there are half-poets who mess up
things and bring disrepute to poetry.
2. How does the speaker criticise ‘high-sounding interpretation’?
The speaker criticises ‘high-sounding interpretation’ because such interpretations trivialize
poetry. Some half poets write ridiculous poems with bombastic and high-sounding words
thinking that they are doing a big service to humanity. These high-sounding interpretations take
away the soul of poetry and then poetry becomes something which is full of sound and fury
signifying nothing. Poems can be written on many things: the bat holding on upside down or in
quest for something to eat, elephants pushing, a wild horse taking a roll, a tireless wolf under a
tree, the base ball fan or the statistician. But the language of the poem must be lucid and simple
so that the readers can understand the meaning and message of the poem without any confusion
and complexity.
3. List out the important phenomena as mentioned by the speaker. Why does she think they
are important?
The speaker lists out some important phenomena that make poetry great. If these phenomena are
missing the poetry will remain the idle barking of half-poets who confuse good poetry with
bombast and high-sounding interpretations. Poetry often deals with the simple things in life. But
the language must be simple but meaningful as to convey the message clearly to the readers. All
good poetry should contain valuable things and Moore is sure that genuine readers can really
find these valuable things. Poetry helps readers to think about the simplest, unnoticed side of life
in a life that is intense and honest. Poetry helps readers to perceive things in a clear manner. It
helps them to hold on to life and to admire the simplicity and variety of life. Moore also warns
readers against half poets who can’t write or appreciate genuine poetry. The oft-quoted line in
this poem reveals her message. She wants poets who create “imaginary gardens with real toads in
them”.
4. According to the speaker, what happens when we read good poetry?
According to the speaker, when we read good poetry we perceive things in a clear manner.
Poetry is often written about small things like the bat holding on upside down or in quest for
something to eat, elephants pushing, a wild horse taking a roll, a tireless wolf under a tree, the
baseball fan or the statistician. But these things are presented in a new light and in new
perspectives which help us to widen our mental horizon and our understanding of things. We
become more generous and empathetic which helps us to come out of our narrow confines. We
are made to realise that we are part and parcel of a wider universe which is shared by not only
people but also by the innumerable creatures and the environment. The poets create imaginary
gardens with real toads in them and we are able to have a clearer view of ourselves and also our
responsibility to others. Good poetry helps us to hold on to life and admire the simplicity and
variety of life.
5. “Then you are interested in poetry.” According to the speaker, which are the possible
ways to analyse one’s interest in poetry?
When we descend from our pedestals of insolence and triviality and become literalists of
imagination’ we can really inspect the imaginary gardens with real toads in them presented to us
by the poets and appreciate them sincerely. The interest in poetry takes different shapes. We
think about the subject matter or the theme. The theme can be anything under the sun or above it.
It can range from the bat holding on upside down or in quest for something to eat, elephants
pushing, a wild horse taking a roll, a tireless wolf under a tree, the baseball fan or the statistician.
After seeing the raw material of poetry in all its rawness and finding it genuine, you look into the
language of the poem. The language should be simple and lucid. Then we look into the message.
Every good poem has a clear message, a message of love, compassion and appreciation. A world
without poetry would be drab, dull and extremely boring.
Essay
6. “Poetry” is a manual for the readers to analyse their interest in poetry. Explain.
“Poetry” is one of Marianne Moore’s most celebrated literary achievements. It is a poem that she
was never happy with and she continued to revise it over the decades of her life. In fact, in the
final version of the poem, which she published in 1967, there were only 3 full lines. Moore has
written the poem in free verse to represent her complex emotions related to poetry. The poem,
begins with the line “I too dislike it”, in which ‘it’ means poetry. In the next few lines she tells
why some people dislike poetry. To her poetry is like a fiddle. Poetry might look unimportant as
it deals with the simple things in life, and the language is often ambiguous. Moreover here are
half-poets who mess up things and bring disrepute to poetry A careful look into the poem
certainly reveals us that it is a manual for the readers to analyse their interest in poetry. Many
people dislike poetry because of the half-poets who have damaged its reputation by writing
rubbish. After reading the half-baked products of the half poets many people develop distaste for
poetry. So one has to be careful as to which poetry is to be read. Poetry ennobles our minds by
illuminating thing which are often unclear to us. Real poetry is not something that can be written
by any Tom, Dick and Harry. It is the result of hard work, deep thinking, scholarly pursuits,
fertile imagination, solitude and competence at composition. It is not easy to establish oneself as
a great poet as it involves a lot of sacrifices and painstaking endeavours. The interest of readers
in poetry can take different shapes. First of all we think about the subject matter or the theme.
The theme can be anything under the sun or above it. It can range from the bat holding on upside
down or in quest for something to eat, elephants pushing, a wild horse taking a roll, a tireless
wolf under a tree, the baseball fan or the statistician. After seeing the raw material of poetry in all
its rawness and finding it genuine, you look into the language of the poem. The language should
be simple and lucid. Then we look into the message. Every good poem has a clear message, a
message of love, compassion and appreciation.
7. Do you agree with the speaker’s opinion that real poetry is “imaginary gardens with real
toads in them”. Why?
I quite agree with the speaker’s opinion that real poetry is “imaginary gardens with real toads in
them”. A real poet is a philosopher, a teacher and a friend of man. He thinks deeply about life
and its problems and then he gets certain insights into things. In appropriate language he
conveys his message to the people and certainly they benefit from the poet’s insights.
We should realise that “Poetry” is the most important poem of Marianne Moore. The poem
“Poetry” was first published in 1919, and then she went on revising it until the final version in
1967 had only 3 lines. It shows how much importance she attached to this poem. She has written
the poem in free verse to represent her complex emotions related to poetry. The poem, begin
with the line “I too dislike it”, in which ‘it’ means poetry. In the next few lies she tells why some
people dislike poetry. To her poetry is like a fiddle. Might look unimportant as it deals with the
simple things in life, and the language is often ambiguous.
Moore, however, is sure that genuine readers can really find valuable things in poetry. Moore
believes that poetry is “imaginary gardens with real toads in them”. Poetry helps readers to think
about the simplest, unnoticed sides in a life that is intense and honest. Poetry helps readers to
perceive things in a clear manner. It helps them to hold on to life and to admire the simplicity
and variety of life.
Moore also warns readers against half poets who can’t write or appreciate genuine poetry. Using
high sounding words, indulging in high-flown imagery and pretended scholarship do not make
good poets. True poetry is when, to quote the Romantic poet William Wordsworth, we see the
overflow of powerful emotions recollected in tranquillity. When writers do that, they become
capable of creating “imaginary gardens with real toads in them” as Marianne Moore expected
them to do. Such poetry will be beneficial to mankind.