Poetic Interpretation
Poetry is difficult because once a poem is written and published, the author's intended meaning disappears and the reader's interpretations create new understandings and perspectives.
And just to complicate things even more, subtle literary choices, such as stylistic choices and structure, can further impact the way reader's perceive or assign meaning. Watch the video below to see how three different animators perceive and interpret the same poem by Walt Whitman.
And just to complicate things even more, subtle literary choices, such as stylistic choices and structure, can further impact the way reader's perceive or assign meaning. Watch the video below to see how three different animators perceive and interpret the same poem by Walt Whitman.
Interpreting Whitman's "A Noiseless Patient Spider"
A noiseless patient spider,
I mark’d where on a little promontory it stood isolated,
Mark’d how to explore the vacant vast surrounding,
It launch’d forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself,
Ever unreeling them, ever tirelessly speeding them.
And you O my soul where you stand,
Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space,
Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them,
Till the bridge you will need be form’d, till the ductile anchor hold,
Till the gossamer thread you fling catch somewhere, O my soul.
I mark’d where on a little promontory it stood isolated,
Mark’d how to explore the vacant vast surrounding,
It launch’d forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself,
Ever unreeling them, ever tirelessly speeding them.
And you O my soul where you stand,
Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space,
Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them,
Till the bridge you will need be form’d, till the ductile anchor hold,
Till the gossamer thread you fling catch somewhere, O my soul.
Although analyzing poetry can be difficult, just remember to SMILE! This acronym is extremely helpful when approaching close readings of poetry. Analyze the poetic structure, infer the meaning, identify imagery, analyze the language and diction, and explain the effect these elements produce.
Content
Upon reading the poem we know on the surface this poem is about:
Keywords:
- Who: a small lone spider
- What: tirelessly spinning and connecting a web
- Where: in a large empty space
- Why: to create a solid webbing
- When: unfolding in the current time
Keywords:
- Little
- Vast
- Isolated/Detached
- Vacant/Space/Measureless
- Filament
- Soul
Structure
Now that you have a good sense of what the content suggests, you can use the structure of the poem to prove the underpinnings of the poem. Structural elements reflect conscious choices made by the author to illustrate and give meaning to their content. You can also use these choices to inform and prove your analysis and interpretation. The image below highlights some of the structural elements used in Whitman's poem.
The structure allows us to further create meaning outside of the content. For example, the alliteration used in the third line highlights the empty space. The repetition of the "vee" sound mimics an echo furthering the sense of emptiness. This structural element is followed by the repetition of the word filament. The image of the spider shooting filament after filament into the dark space illustrates the sheer vastness of the space as the filaments seemingly don't attach to anything. The structure of the punctuation in each stanza also suggests the filaments do not attach to the space as the use of commas instead of periods creates a falling motion; a lack of stability.
The structure is also separated into two 5 line stanzas. The first stanza is a retelling of literal imagery whereas the second stanza is a reflection of the figurative and abstract.This draws comparison between the spider's plight of spinning its web with a hopeless emptiness the author feels.
The structure is also separated into two 5 line stanzas. The first stanza is a retelling of literal imagery whereas the second stanza is a reflection of the figurative and abstract.This draws comparison between the spider's plight of spinning its web with a hopeless emptiness the author feels.
Interpretation
Now that you have been introduced to the process of deconstruction content and structure to inform and create valid interpretations, click the button below and practice your interpretation skills with various Flipgrid activities. Also provide constructive comments on other users' videos. Additional feedback will be provided on your video responses by the facilitator.